Born July 5, 1801, in Stony Point, Tenn.; died Aug. 14, 1870, in Portsmouth, N.H. American admiral (1866).

The son of a Spanish sailor, Farragut was adopted by an American naval officer. He joined the navy in 1812 and fought in wars against Great Britain (1812–14) and Mexico (1846–48). At the outbreak of the Civil War, Farragut sided with the Union and was given command of a small squadron on the Mississippi River. In April 1862 his squadron fought its way past forts at the river’s mouth, defeated the Confederate fleet, and assisted in the occupation of New Orleans. In 1863 he commanded a fleet that supported combat operations on the upper Mississippi. In August 1864, Farragut’s fleet was victorious at the battle of Mobile Bay, in Alabama, capturing the last Confederate port.

With General U. S. Grant, Farragut was one of the most popular heroes of the Civil War. Farragut was given the rank of viceadmiral in 1866.