Smokeless powder was unknown in those days, and, as the vapor enfolded the ships, Farragut kept stepping up the rigging almost unconsciously until he was so high that he was clinging to the futtock shrouds.  He had his spyglass in one hand and kept raising it to his eyes.  Captain Percival Drayton had been closely watching the Admiral and now became alarmed, lest some damage to the ropes should cause him to fall overboard.  He told Signal Quartermaster Knowles to climb the rigging and secure Farragut to the shrouds.  He obeyed and passed a lead line to one of the forward shrouds and then drew it around the Admiral to the after shroud and made it fast.  Feeling the faithful officer at work, the Admiral looked down kindly at him and said:  “Never mind me, I am all right.”  But Knowles persisted and did not descend until he had completed his work.

By and by the increasing smoke made it necessary for the commander to ascend still higher, in order to maintain a clear view of the battle.  He untied the fastenings, and, climbing to the futtock shrouds, passed the rope once more around his body several times and tied the end to the rigging.  The picture of Admiral Farragut thus lashed to the rigging has been seen thousands of times in the histories of the Civil War.

While in this perilous position he signalled for closer order.  The bombardment of the fort was terrific and produced great effect.  Commander Craven, with the Tecumseh, singled out the ram Tennessee, under the command of Admiral Franklin Buchanan, who had charge of the Merrimac on the first day of her fight with the Monitor.  Both were ironclads and Buchanan was as anxious to fight Craven as the latter was to fight him.  Craven, fearing his adversary would retreat, pressed forward so eagerly that he paid no attention to the torpedoes over which his hull was continually scraping.  One or more of these suddenly exploded, the front dipped and the Tecumseh plunged bow foremost to the bottom of the bay, carrying with her 93 men out of a crew of 114.

This appalling disaster was accompanied by a touching incident.  When the Tecumseh was diving downward Commander Craven and the pilot instinctively started for the opening through which only one man could pass at a time.  They reached the foot of the ladder at the same moment.  “You first,” said Craven, halting.  The pilot just succeeded in scrambling out, when the Tecumseh went down, taking her heroic captain with her.

The terrible occurrence was witnessed by friends and foes.  A boat was quickly lowered from the Metacomet and sent to the relief of the survivors.  It passed within a hundred yards of Fort Morgan, which could have easily blown it out of the water.  But General Page, the Confederate commandant, knowing her errand, gave the order not to harm the boat, which was on its way to save drowning men.  His soldiers broke into cheers, but he sternly stopped them, with the advice to wait till the Hartford was sunk.  The boat picked up ten men and officers, while four swam to the beach and were made prisoners.