e Essex being held by it where she was, the enemy might drift
out of action and be unable to return when the wind fell with the
approaching sunset. The hawser, however, parted, and with it the last
hope of escape. Great numbers of the crew had already been killed and
wounded by the relentless pounding the ship had received from her
enemies, for whom, toward the end, the affair became little more than
safe target practice, with a smooth sea. As yet no voice had been raised
in favor of submission; but now entreaty was made to Porter to spare the
lives of the remnant that was left, by ceasing a resistance which had
become not only hopeless but passive, and which, however prolonged,
could end only in the surrender of the ship. The latter had already been
on fire several times, and was now alarmingly so, the flames rushing up
the hatchways and being reported to be near the magazine. Porter then
gave permission for such of the crew as wished, to swim ashore; the
colors being still flying, they were not yet prisoners of war. He next
called his officers together to inform him as to the condition of the
ship in the different parts where they served, but one only of the
lieutenants was able to answer the summons. After consultation with him,
satisfied that nothing more remained to be done, the order was given at
twenty minutes past six to lower the flag of the Essex, after an action
which had lasted two hours and a half. She had gone into battle with two
hundred and fifty-five men. Of these, fifty-eight were killed, sixty-six
wounded, and thirty-one missing. The last item is unusually large for a
naval action, and was probably due to the attempt to escape to shore by
swimming.

Farragut lacked still three months of being thirteen years old when he
passed through this tremendous ordeal of slaughter, the most prolonged
and the bloodiest of his distinguished career. At his tender years and
in his subordinate position there could be, of course, no demand upon
the professional ability or the moral courage which grapples with
responsibility, of which he gave such high proof in his later life. In
the Essex fight his was but to do and dare, perhaps it may rather be
said to do and bear; for no heavier strain can be laid upon the physical
courage than is required by passive endurance of a deadly attack without
the power of reply. In the celebrated charge of the Six Hundred at
Balaklava the magnificent display of courage was at least aided b