“DAMN THE TORPEDOES FOUR BELLS FULL SPEED AHEAD”
Event Date
11/15/2017
Event Time7:00 pm;
Location
West Chester Municipal Building
401 East Gay Street
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Captain Percival Drayton, US Federal Navy – Deceased (aka. Captain Jack Lieberman, US Navy, Retired) will be speaking, in the “First Person,” about his exploits at sea during the War of the Rebellion, on the following date/venue: Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War – Sgt Jones Bradley Camp #149 Wednesday, November 15, 2017
West Chester Municipal Building
Borough of West Chester, Pennsylvania 401 East Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19380
Time: 7:00 PM…
Percival and Thomas Drayton were the sons of wealthy South Carolina Congressman William Drayton. Percival joined the Navy in 1827, reaching the rank of Captain at the outbreak of the War. Thomas was an 1828 graduate of West Point, where he was classmates with Jefferson Davis, his life-long friend, who appointed Drayton a Brigadier General in the Confederate army and commander of the Port Royal, South Carolina military district. On November 7, 1861 at the Battle of Port Royal, the USS Pocahontas commanded by Percival Drayton fired on Forts Walker and Beauregard commanded by his brother Thomas. Jack will give his talk about this battle of brother against brother in Full Dress, Period Navy Ceremonial attire.
Percival Drayton was promoted to Captain, US Navy in July 1862, and was assigned to Admiral David Farragut’s West Gulf Squadron and commanded Farragut’s flagship USS Hartford in the celebrated Naval assault and capture of Mobile Bay, Alabama in August 1864. The bay was heavily mined (tethered mines at that time were called TORPEDOES). Farragut ordered his fleet to charge the bay. When one of the Union Monitors struck a mine and sank, the other Union ships began to retreat. Farragut could see the ships pulling back from his high perch, where he was lashed to the rigging of his flagship. “What’s the trouble?” he shouted through his megaphone to the forward lookout. “Torpedoes!” was shouted back. “DAMN THE TORPEDOES” said Farragut, “FOUR BELLS – CAPTAIN DRAYTON, FULL SPEED AHEAD” The bulk of the fleet then succeeded in entering the bay.
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