Jordi Farragut Mesquida, known in America as George Farragut was a Minorcan-born American naval officer during the American Revolutionary War.
Background
Jordi Farragut Mesquida was born in Ciudadela, the capital of Minorca, when that Spanish island was a British possession. He was the son of Anthony Ferragut and Juana Mesquida, both of Spanish extraction. For more than five centuries members of the Ferragut family had held prominent offices in Minorca in the army, the government, and the church.
Education
George was sent to school at Barcelona but at the age of ten he went to sea and from 1765 to 1772 was employed chiefly in the Mediterranean.
Career
From 1765 to 1772 he was employed chiefly in the Mediterranean.
Toward the end of this period, while in the Russian service, he aided in the destruction of a Turkish fleet as one of the crew of a fireship that set fire to the fleet.
In 1773-75 he was employed in the American seas trading chiefly between Havana and Vera Cruz.
In the latter year at New Orleans on hearing of the difficulties between Great Britain and her colonies, he resolved to devote his life and fortune to the service of the Americans.
Proceeding to Port-au-Prince he exchanged his cargo for cannon, arms, and ammunition and sailed for Charleston, S. C. , where he arrived in 1776.
Following a period of service as a lieutenant on a privateer, he was appointed, in 1778, a first lieutenant in the South Carolina navy.
After superintending the construction of some of the galleys of that state, he was given the command of one of them and going to sea fought a severe action in the Savannah River.
In 1779 Farragut assisted at the defense of Savannah and in the following year was actively employed at the siege of Charleston, on the fall of which city he was taken prisoner.
When exchanged he went to sea on board a privateer and in an engagement had his right arm badly shattered by a musket ball.
The use of his arm he never fully recovered.
Giving up sea service he made his way to General Marion’s headquarters, where he acted as a volunteer.
He also served in that capacity at the battle of Cowpens.
After the Revolution Farragut earned a livelihood as a mariner until 1792 when General Blount, governor of the Southwest Territory, invited him to take up his residence in Knoxville and appointed him a major of militia.
In 1793 he served under General Sevier in an expedition against the Cherokees.
In 1811 he was ordered to the Bay of Pascagoula, Mississippi, near which he had a large plantation.
He was in the navy until discharged, March 25, 1814.
Flis last military service was performed at the battle of New Orleans.
Politics
Then, proceeding to Wilmington, N. C. , he was appointed by Gov. Nash of that state to the command of a company of volunteer artillery, which took part in the battle of Beaufort Bridge.
Personality
He was a man of courage, a restless adventurer, “by profession a mariner, ” a fit sire for a great naval officer.