Farragut’s Captain. Percival Drayton, 1861-1865: Lectures
Gary McQuarrie, October 15, 2019, Union League, Philadelphia—Peter Barratt, author of Farragut’s Captain: Percival Drayton, 1861-1865 (Lulu Publishing Services, 2018) and his editor, Richard O’Sullivan, traveled from the United Kingdom to give presentations to the Union League of Philadelphia Civil War Round Table on October 15, 2019, before a welcoming audience. The Union League, whose motto is ‘Love of Country Leads,’ is a national historic jewel, originally founded as a patriotic society to support the Union and policies of President Abraham Lincoln. A distinguished collection of art and artifacts adorn its rooms and hallways. Attendees were greeted by the Captain Percival Drayton living historian, Captain Jack Lieberman, USN (Retired), in full dress Civil War naval uniform, and Drayton’s constant companion, Sarah Josepha Hale (Carol Lieberman), in period dress. Barratt summarized the key aspects of Drayton’s Civil War naval career, including his close working relationships with Farragut and du Pont in key naval engagements, and O’Sullivan discussed interesting personal observations and perceptions of Drayton by his high-ranking Naval officer peers. After a group luncheon and the presentations, Peter Barratt personally greeted the attendees and signed books.
