captain charles steedman. united states navy offered what should would consider extravagant praise for the public of my talk today. that man says steedman, actually under medium height, clean-shaven with piercing eyes and determined jaw, that little man has done more to put down the rebellion than any general except grant or sherman. some of you may have already figured out who steedman was talking about. it was, of course, admiral david glasgow faragan the commander of the fleet in mobile bay. but even more important, more logical to the focus today, the captain of new orleans and the control of the union in the lower mississippi valley in 1862. in my judgment, these achievements along with the ft. hudson campaigns in 1863, but especially, the capture of new orleans, one of the most important northern strategic victories of the war, do indeed entitle farragut with close status with grant and sherman in winning the war. in the eyes of contemporaries in 1861, however, farragut's allegiance to the united states

some of you may have already figured out who steedman was talking about. it was, of course, admiral david, the commander of the fleet in the recent victory at mobile bay. he is more important and more relevant to our chronological focus today, the captor of new orleans and architect of union control of the lower mississippi valley in 1862. in my judgment thiezchievements along with the part in the port hud sentence and vicksburg campaigns in 1863 but especially the capture of new orleans, one of the most important northern strategic victories of the war do entitle him to virtually equal status with grant and sherman in winning the war. in the eyes of contemporaries in 1861, however, the allegiance to the united states in the sectional conflict was an open question. although he had served under the american flag for half a century and had fought in the war of 1812 and the mexican war under that flag, a similar record was true of other southern born officers who chose to go with the confederacy. ferigate had been born and raised in tennessee, had married a w