150 years ago: Mobile Bay

On 5 August 1864 a US fleet commanded by Rear Admiral David G Farragut, supported by 1500 soldiers under General Gordon Granger, attacked the defences at Mobile, Alabama, the last major Gulf port east of the Mississippi still under Confederate control. Farragut's flagship was the screw sloop USS Hartford; other ships present were screw sloops USS Brooklyn, Monongahela, Oneida, Ossipee, Richmond, and Seminole; screw sloop-of-war USS Lackawanna; gunboats USS Galena, Itasca, Kennebec, Metacomet, Octorara, and Port Royal; ironclad monitors USS Manhattan and Tecumseh; and ironclad river monitors USS Chickasaw and Winnebago.

Tecumseh sank after hitting a mine - in those days called a torpedo - on the way into Mobile Bay.  Brooklyn, leading Farragut's main column (because she had more forward-firing guns than the other sloops), slowed to ask for instructions, causing Farragut to order Hartford to take the lead with the famous if apocryphal "Damn the torpedoes!" Hartford and the other ships passed successfully through the minefield that had claimed Tecumseh.

The defending forces included the ironclad ram CSS Tennessee and side-wheel gunboats CSS Gaines, Morgan and Selma, under Admiral Franklin Buchanan. Farragut's gunboats made short work of the side-wheelers, capturing Selma, seriously damaging Gaines (which was beached and burned by her crew), and forcing Morgan to take cover under the guns of nearby Fort Morgan. Tennessee took more work, but was eventually battered into submission and surrendered. Farragut's ships then provided fire support for Granger's attacks on the three forts - Powell, Gaines, and Morgan - protecting the harbour. Fort Powell was abandoned that day; Fort Gaines surrendered on 8 August, and Fort Morgan on 23 August. (The captured CSS Tennessee was repaired, commissioned into the US Navy as USS Tennessee, and sent to join in the final attack on Fort Morgan.)

96 men (88 sailors, seven Marines and one civilian pilot) were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions on 5 August.

USS Brooklyn (23): Ship's Cook William Blagheen, Captain of the Forecastle John Brown, Landsman William H Brown, Coxswain John L M Cooper, Ordinary Seaman Samuel W Davis, Sergeant J Henry Denig, Boatswain's Mate Richard Dennis, Coxswain William Halstead, Sergeant Michael Hudson, Seaman Joseph Irlam, Coxswain John Irving, Seaman Nicholas Irwin, Quartermaster Barnett Kenna, Boy James Machon, Captain of the Top Alexander Mack, Coal Heaver William Madden, Engineer's Cook James Mifflin, Quartermaster William Nichols, Corporal Miles M Oviatt, Coxswain Edward Price, Corporal Willard M Smith, Coal Heaver James E Sterling, Quartermaster Samuel Todd

USS Chickasaw (2): Chief Boatswain's Mate Andrew Jones, Master at Arms James Seanor

USS Galena (4): Seaman William Gardner, Quartermaster Thomas Jordan, Quartermaster Edward S Martin, Coxswain Edward B Young

USS Hartford (12): Landsman Wilson Brown, Ordinary Seaman Bartholomew Diggins, Coal Heaver Richard D Dunphy, Coxswain Thomas Fitzpatrick, civilian pilot Martin Freeman, Coal Heaver James R Garrison, Landsman John Lawson, Captain of the Forecastle John C McFarland, Ordinary Seaman Charles Melville, Coal Heaver Thomas O'Connell, Landsman William Pelham, Shell Man William A Stanley

USS Lackawanna (11): Seaman John M Burns, Landsman Michael Cassidy, Landsman Patrick Dougherty, Captain of the Top John Edwards, Landsman Samuel W Kinnaird, Seaman Adam McCullock, Boatswain's Mate William Phinney, Captain of the Forecastle John Smith, Armorer George Taylor, Quarter Gunner James Ward, Quartermaster Daniel Whitfield

USS Metacomet (8): Seaman James Avery, Quarter Gunner Charles Baker, Ordinary Seaman John Donnelly, Captain of the Forecastle John Harris, Seaman Henry Johnson, Boatswain's Mate Patrick Murphy, Landsman Daniel Noble, Coxswain Thomas Taylor,

USS Oneida (8): Quartermaster John E Jones, Coxswain Thomas Kendrick, Landsman David Naylor, Ordinary Seaman William D Newland, Landsman John Preston, Sergeant James S Roantree, Quartermaster James Sheridan, Seaman Charles B Woram

USS Richmond (28): Yeoman Thomas E Atkinson, Quartermaster John Brazell, Captain of the Top Robert Brown, Master-at-Arms William M Carr, Coxswain James B Chandler, Quartermaster Thomas Cripps, Chief Quartermaster Cornelius Cronin, Boatswain's Mate Charles Deakin, Chief Boatswain's Mate William Densmore, Coal Heaver William Doolen, Boatswain's Mate Adam Duncan, Coxswain Hugh Hamilton, Coxswain Thomas Hayes, Captain of the Top John H James, Captain of the Top William Jones, Captain of the Top James McIntosh, Sergeant Andrew Miller, Captain of the Top James H Morgan, Captain of the Forecastle George Parks, Seaman Hendrick Sharp, Coxswain Lebbeus Simkins, Captain of the Forecastle James Smith, Second Captain of the Top John Smith, Coxswain Oloff Smith, Ordinary Seaman Walter B Smith, Orderly Sergeant David Sprowle, Coxswain Alexander H Truett, Quartermaster William Wells

Medal of Honor authorised for Civil War and Vietnam

ZUI this article from the Washington Post.

More than 150 years after he gave his life at Gettysburg leading the effort to repel Pickett’s Charge, 1st Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing is finally on track to get the Medal of Honor after Congress last month approved waiving the time limit for the nation’s top military honor.

The waiver was one of a half-dozen included in the massive defense policy bill — legislation that also began to tweak the Medal of Honor system, standardizing the amount of time a nomination may be considered and removing a cap that, in recent years, had said nobody could win the medal more than once.

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Now that the Cushing nomination is officially pending, the Pentagon would not comment on his chances, nor those of the five other troops from long-ended wars in Vietnam and Korea whom Congress also made eligible to receive the Medal of Honor or the Distinguished Service Cross, which is the second-highest honor for a soldier.

Cushing served with Battery A, 4th United States Artillery.

Time-limit waivers for the Medal of Honor were also authorised for Sfc Bennie G Adkins, Special Forces Detachment A–102, for actions in Vietnam during March of 1966, and for Sp4/c Donald P Sloat, 1st Infantry Regiment (196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division), for actions in Vietnam in January of 1970. Waivers for the Distinguished Service Cross were authorised for Sfc Robert F Keiser, 2nd Infantry Division (Korea, Nov 1950), Sfc Patrick N Watkins Jr, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (Vietnam, Aug 1968), and Sp4/c Robert L Towles, 7th Cavalry (Vietnam, Nov 1965).

Whether any of these medals will actually be awarded remains to be seen.

From the same article:

Pentagon officials did say, however, that they asked for two of the changes that could affect current troops.

In one change, the law now allows service members to earn multiple Medals of Honor if their actions merit it.

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The other major change was to set a standard time frame for all of the services. The law sets time limits for how long after the combat action someone can be recommended and awarded the medal, but the limits varied among the services.

Now, all of the services will have three years to make the recommendation and five years to issue the award.

The complete text of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 can be found here.

Medal of Honor: M. M. Oviatt and W. M. Smith

MILES MASON OVIATT

Corporal, US Marine Corps; USS Brooklyn

Born: 1 December 1840, Cattaraugus County, New York
Died: 1 November 1880

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Brooklyn during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked the deck, Cpl. Oviatt fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee.










WILLARD M SMITH

Corporal, US Marine Corps; USS Brooklyn 

Born: 1840, Allegheny, New York
Died: 26 March 1918

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Brooklyn during action against rebel forts and gunboats, and with the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire continued to fall, Cpl. Smith fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee.

Medal of Honor: Kirby, Elson, Higgins and Cox

DENNIS THOMAS KIRBY

Major, 8th Missouri Infantry

Born: 15 September 1835
Died: 18 April 1922

Citation: Seized the colors when the color bearer was killed and bore them himself in the assault [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863].















JAMES M ELSON

Sergeant, Company C, 9th Iowa Infantry

Born: 6 November 1838, Coshocton, Ohio
Died: 26 March 1894, Shellsburg, Iowa

Citation: Carried the colors in advance of his regiment and was shot down while attempting to plant them on the enemy's works [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863].














THOMAS J HIGGINS

Sergeant, Company D, 99th Illinois Infantry

Born: 8 June 1831
Died: 15 August 1917

Citation: When his regiment fell back in the assault, repulsed, this soldier continued to advance and planted the flag on the parapet [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863], where he was captured by the enemy.

Note: Sgt Higgins was recommended for the Medal of Honor by men of the 2nd Texas Infantry.












ROBERT M COX

Corporal, Company K, 55th Illinois Infantry

Born: 1845
Died: 1932

Citation: Bravely defended the colors planted on the outward parapet of Fort Hill [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863].

Medal of Honor: Jordan, Martin, Young and Gardner

THOMAS JORDAN

Quartermaster, US Navy; USS Galena

Born: 12 April 1840, Portsmouth, Virginia
Died: 17 July 1930

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Galena during the attack on enemy forts at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Securely lashed to the side of the Oneida which had suffered the loss of her steering apparatus and an explosion of her boiler from enemy fire, the Galena aided the stricken vessel past the enemy forts to safety. Despite heavy damage to his ship from raking enemy fire, Jordan performed his duties with skill and courage throughout the action.









EDWARD S MARTIN

Quartermaster, US Navy; USS Galena

Born: 1840, Ireland
Died: 23 December 1901

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Galena during the attack on enemy forts at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Securely lashed to the side of the Oneida which had suffered the loss of her steering apparatus and an explosion of her boiler from enemy fire, the Galena aided the stricken vessel past the enemy forts to safety. Despite heavy damage to his ship from raking enemy fire, Martin performed his duties with skill and courage throughout the action.









EDWARD B YOUNG

Coxswain, US Navy; USS Galena

Born: 1835, Bergan, New Jersey
Died: 24 February 1867

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Galena during the attack on enemy forts at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Securely lashed to the side of the Oneida which had suffered the loss of her steering apparatus and an explosion of her boiler from enemy fire, the Galena aided the stricken vessel past the enemy forts to safety. Despite heavy damage to his ship from raking enemy fire, Young performed his duties with skill and courage throughout the action.









WILLIAM GARDNER Seaman, US Navy; USS Galena

Born: 1832, Ireland
Died: Unknown

Citation: As seaman on board the U.S.S. Galena in the engagement at Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Serving gallantly during this fierce battle which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram Tennessee and the damaging of Fort Morgan. Gardner behaved with conspicuous coolness under the fire of the enemy.


Note: USS Galena was a wooden-hulled broadside ironclad - one of the first three ironclads built for the US Navy - commissioned in 1862.

Medal of Honor: W. P. Brownell

WILLIAM P BROWNELL

Coxswain, US Navy; USS Benton

Born: 12 July 1839
Died: 26 April 1915

Citation: Served as coxswain on board the U.S.S. Benton during the attack on Great Gulf Bay, 2 May 1863, and Vicksburg, 22 May 1863. Carrying out his duties with coolness and courage, Brownell served gallantly against the enemy as captain of a 9-inch gun in the attacks on Great [sic] Gulf and Vicksburg and as a member of the Battery Benton before Vicksburg.

Note: USS Benton was an ironclad river gunboat, converted from a center-wheel catamaran snagboat and named for American senator Thomas Hart Benton.
Grand Gulf is on the Mississippi River, downstream from Vicksburg.

Medal of Honor found at church sale

ZUI this article from Fox News:

A Medal of Honor awarded to a Civil War general has been returned to a Maine town after it was found inside a book at a church fundraising sale.

The Times Record of Brunswick, Maine reports Civil War Gen. Joshua Chamberlain's original Congressional Medal of Honor has been verified as authentic after it was sent anonymously in July to the Pejepscot Historical Society in Brunswick.

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JOSHUA LAWRENCE CHAMBERLAIN

Colonel, 20th Maine Infantry

Born: 8 September 1828, Brewer, Maine
Died: 24 February 1914, Portland, Maine

Citation: Daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top [at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on 2 July 1863].

Medal of Honor: Wood, Carmin, Trogden and Brown

RICHARD H WOOD

Captain, Company A, 97th Illinois Infantry

Born: 15 November 1833, Cumberland, New Jersey
Died: 8 March 1903

Citation: Led the "volunteer storming party," [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863,] which made a most gallant assault upon the enemy's works.















ISAAC H CARMIN

Corporal, Company A, 48th Ohio Infantry

Born: 17 November 1841, Monmouth County, New Jersey
Died: 3 June 1919, Washington Court House, Ohio

Citation: Saved his regimental flag [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863]; also seized and threw a shell, with burning fuse, from among his comrades.















HOWELL GILLIAM TROGDEN

Private, Company B, 8th Missouri Infantry

Born: 24 October 1840/41, Cedar Falls, North Carolina
Died: 2 December 1910, Los Angeles, California

Citation: Gallantry in the charge [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863,] of the "volunteer storming party." He carried his regiment's flag and tried to borrow a gun to defend it.














URIAH BROWN

Private, Company G, 30th Ohio Infantry

Born: 1840, Miami County, Ohio
Died: 24 January 1927, Holliday's Cove, West Virginia

Citation: Despite the death of his captain at his side during the assault [at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 22 May 1863,] he continued carrying his log to the defense ditch. While he was laying his log in place he was shot down and thrown into the water. Unmindful of his own wound he, despite the intense fire, dragged 5 of his comrades from the ditch, wherein they lay wounded, to a place of safety.

Medal of Honor: A. Jones and J. Seanor

ANDREW JONES

Chief Boatswain's Mate, US Navy; USS Chickasaw

Born: 1835, Ireland
Died: Unknown

Citation: Although his enlistment was up, Jones volunteered for the battle of Mobile Bay, going on board the Chickasaw from the Vincennes where he then [on 5 August 1864] carried out his duties gallantly throughout the engagement with the enemy which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram Tennessee.







JAMES SEANOR

Master-at-Arms, US Navy; USS Chickasaw

Born: 1833, Boston, Massachusetts
Died: Unknown

Citation: Served as master-at-arms on board the U.S. Ironclad Chickasaw, Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Although his enlistment was up, Seanor volunteered for the battle of Mobile Bay, going on board the Chickasaw from the Vincennes where he carried out his duties gallantly throughout the engagement which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram Tennessee.

Medal of Honor: W. Smith

WILLIAM SMITH

Quartermaster, US Navy; USS Kearsarge

Born: 1838, Ireland
Died: 12 January 1902, Merrimack County, New Hampshire

Citation: Served as second quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as captain of the 11-inch pivot gun of the second division, Smith carried out his duties courageously and deserved special notice for the deliberate and cool manner in which he acted throughout the bitter engagement. It is stated by rebel officers that this gun was more destructive and did more damage than any other gun of Kearsarge.


Note: One of 17 Kearsarge crewmen who were awarded the Medal of Honor for this action.

Medal of Honor: W. H. Carney

WILLIAM H CARNEY

Sergeant, Company C, 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry

Born: Norfolk, Virginia

Citation: When the color sergeant was shot down [at Fort Wagner, South Carolina, on 18 July 1863], this soldier grasped the flag, led the way to the parapet, and planted the colors thereon. When the troops fell back he brought off the flag, under a fierce fire in which he was twice severely wounded.


Note: Carney was the first black man to earn the Medal of Honor, though Robert Blake was the first to actually receive it.

Medal of Honor: J. H. Denig

JOHN HENRY DENIG

Sergeant, US Marine Corps; USS Brooklyn

Born: 8 September 1838, York, Pennsylvania
Died: 10 December 1876, York, Pennsylvania

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Brooklyn during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee, in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks, Sgt. Denig fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious 2-hour battle which resulted in the surrender of the rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan.

Medal of Honor: Farley, Miller, Moore and Blake

WILLIAM FARLEY

Boatswain's Mate, US Navy; USS Marblehead

Born: 1835, Whitefield, Maine
Died: Unknown

Citation: Served on board the U.S.S. Marblehead off Legareville, Stono River, [South Carolina,] 25 December 1863, during an engagement with the enemy on John's Island. Behaving in a gallant manner, Farley animated his men and kept up a rapid and effective fire on the enemy throughout the engagement which resulted in the enemy's abandonment of his positions, leaving a caisson and 1 gun behind.






JAMES MILLER

Quartermaster, US Navy; USS Marblehead

Born: 1835, Denmark
Died: 4 March 1914, Pennsylvania(?)

Citation: Served as quartermaster on board the U.S. Steam Gunboat Marblehead off Legareville, Stono River, 25 December 1863, during an engagement with the enemy on John's Island. Acting courageously under the fierce hostile fire, Miller behaved gallantly throughout the engagement which resulted in the enemy's withdrawal and abandonment of its arms.


Note: USS Miller (DD 535) was named in his honor.





CHARLES MOORE

Landsman, US Navy; USS Marblehead

Born: 1839, Ireland
Died: Unknown

Citation: Serving on board the U.S. Steam Gunboat Marblehead off Legareville, Stono River, 25 December 1863, during an engagement with the enemy on John's Island. Wounded in the fierce battle, Moore returned to his quarters until so exhausted by loss of blood that he had to be taken below. This engagement resulted in the enemy's abandonment of his positions, leaving a caisson and one gun behind.







ROBERT BLAKE

Contraband, US Navy; USS Marblehead

Born: South Santee, South Carolina
Died: Unknown

Citation: On board the U.S. Steam Gunboat Marblehead off Legareville, Stono River, 25 December 1863, in an engagement with the enemy on John's Island. Serving the rifle gun, Blake, an escaped slave, carried out his duties bravely throughout the engagement which resulted in the enemy's abandonment of positions, leaving a caisson and one gun behind.


Note: According to Wikipedia, Blake was the second black to earn the Medal of Honor, and the first to actually receive the medal. At the time of this action he was serving as a steward to Lt Cmdr Richard W Meade, Marblehead's CO.
"Contraband" was a term used in the US military during the Civil War to describe escaped slaves who were serving with Union forces.

Medal of Honor: W. Parker

WILLIAM PARKER

Captain of the Afterguard, US Navy; USS Cayuga

Born: Boston, Massachusetts
Died: unknown

Citation: At the wheel on board the U.S.S. Cayuga during the capture of Forts St. Philip and Jackson, and New Orleans, 24 and 25 April 1862. As his ship led the advance column toward the barrier and both forts opened fire simultaneously, striking the vessel from stem to stern, Parker conscientiously performed his duties throughout the action in which attempts by 3 rebel steamers to butt and board were thwarted, and the ships driven off. Eleven gunboats were successfully engaged and the enemy garrisons forced to surrender during this battle in which the Cayuga sustained 46 hits.

Medal of Honor: J. G. B. Adams

JOHN GREGORY BISHOP ADAMS

Second Lieutenant, Company I, 19th Massachusetts Infantry

Born: 6 October 1841, Groveland, Massachusetts
Died: 19 October 1900, Massachusetts(?)

Citation: Seized the 2 colors from the hands of a corporal and a lieutenant as they fell mortally wounded [at Fredericksburg, Virginia, on 13 December 1862], and with a color in each hand advanced across the field to a point where the regiment was reformed on those colors.

Medal of Honor: A. Jones

ANDREW JONES

Chief Boatswain's Mate, U.S. Navy; USS Chickasaw

Born: 1835, Ireland
Died: unknown

Citation: Served as chief boatswain's mate on board the U.S. Ironclad, Chickasaw, Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Although his enlistment was up, Jones volunteered for the battle of Mobile Bay, going on board the Chickasaw from the Vincennes where he then carried out his duties gallantly throughout the engagement with the enemy which resulted in the capture of the rebel ram Tennessee.

Medal of Honor: A. J. Tomlin

ANDREW JACKSON TOMLIN

Corporal, US Marine Corps; USS Wabash

Born: 15 March 1845, Goshen, New Jersey
Died: 1 November 1906, Goshen, New Jersey

Citation: As corporal of the guard on board the U.S.S. Wabash during the assault on Fort Fisher, on 15 January 1865. As 1 of 200 marines assembled to hold a line of entrenchments in the rear of the fort which the enemy threatened to attack in force following a retreat in panic by more than two-thirds of the assaulting ground forces, Cpl. Tomlin took position in line and remained until morning when relief troops arrived from the fort. When one of his comrades was struck down by enemy fire, he unhesitatingly advanced under a withering fire of musketry into an open plain close to the fort and assisted the wounded man to a place of safety.

Medal of Honor: B. F. Hilliker

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HILLIKER

Musician, Company A, 8th Wisconsin Infantry

Born: 23 May 1843, Golden, New York
Died: 18 October 1916, Los Angeles, California

Citation: When men were needed to oppose a superior Confederate force [at Mechanicsburg, Mississippi, on 4 June 1863,] he laid down his drum for a rifle and proceeded to the front of the skirmish line which was about 120 feet from the enemy. While on this volunteer mission and firing at the enemy he was hit in the head with a minie ball which passed through him. An order was given to "lay him in the shade; he won't last long." He recovered from this wound being left with an ugly scar.

Medal of Honor: P. Mullen

PATRICK MULLEN

Boatswain's Mate, US Navy; USS Wyandank and USS Don

Born: 6 May 1844, Baltimore, Maryland
Died: 14 February 1897

Citation: Served as boatswain's mate on board the U.S.S. Wyandank during a boat expedition up Mattox Creek, 17 March 1865. Rendering gallant assistance to his commanding officer, Mullen, lying on his back, loaded the howitzer and then fired so carefully as to kill and wound many rebels, causing their retreat.








Citation: Served as boatswain's mate on board the U.S.S. Don, 1 May 1865. Engaged in picking up the crew of picket launch No. 6, which had swamped. Mullen, seeing an officer who was at that time no longer able to keep up and was below the surface of the water, jumped overboard and brought the officer to the boat, thereby rescuing him from drowning, which brave action entitled him to wear a bar on the medal he had already received at Mattox Creek, 17 March 1865.


Notes: Mullen was one of nineteen men to receive a second award of the Medal of Honor.
Wyandank was a wooden-hulled, sidewheel ferryboat acquired by the Navy in 1861 and storeship for the Potomac Flotilla. Don was a British blockade runner captured off North Carolina in 1862, used to enforce the Union blockade of Confederate ports in Virginia.

Medal of Honor: F. H. Furness

FRANK HEYLING FURNESS

Captain, Company F, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry

Born: 12 November 1839, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died: 27 June 1912

Citation: Voluntarily carried a box of ammunition across an open space swept by the enemy's fire [at Trevilian Station, Virginia, on 12 June 1864] to the relief of an outpost whose ammunition had become almost exhausted, but which was thus enabled to hold its important position.