The Great Farini

Shane Peacock
Biographer, Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, Screenwriter
Author of The Great Farini - The High-Wire Life of William Hunt

The Lives of Farini-Hunt - At War (Part Two)

Peacock continues, "He would walk on water. Hardly a surprising idea for a man of his ambition. For this he used “water skates”, devices similar to the ones he had read about other eccentric men using a few years ago. His shoes were made of zinc, shaped like tiny boats, with air-tight compartments and exterior flanges (or “fins”), lightly hinged near the bottom and attached to strings he held in his hands. With this bizarre invention strapped to his feet he prepared to head out across the river. But six-foot-four-inch Abraham Lincoln, described by Farini as “the rail splitting lawyer President,” sitting nearby with his knees up higher than his chin, tapped him on the shoulder. “Young man,” he said to Willie Hunt, “don’t be afraid, if you should tip over and get in head down, I’m long enough to wade you out.” With that Farini was off across the river." Farini eventually tired of “non-activity” in Washington and applied to join the Secret Service. Shane Peacock tells it best “Soon Farini was sick of sitting around in Washington (Mary was likely there too—as restless as her husband), so he determined to get himself into some danger. He applied to join the Secret Service. “Here my adventurous nature would have full play,” he said. In one of his first missions, dressed in civilian clothes, he swam the river near Aquia Creek and went south, overland through enemy territory toward Falmouth and Fredericksburg.” Farini continued in this role until McClennan’s army left Washington and made for Richmond. Farini fought in two engagements, “Chickahoming Swamps” and in the "Second Battle of Bull Run". Ultimately General McClennan fell out of favour with President Lincoln and he was fired. Many of McClennan’s men were not happy with this development and left Washington and the War. Shane Peacock writes, “If he thought by quitting the war he would leave pain and tragedy behind, he was badly mistaken. Some time in mid-November he and Mary (Signora Farini) were steaming out of an east harbour, heading for Cuba.” Little did Farini know that “this trip would prove to be the greatest mistake of his life and contain a moment of terror that would haunt him forever.”


NOTE: Mr. Peacock has written several books. His latest series is about "The Boy Sherlock Holmes" This is a wonderful look at the legendary Sherlock Holmes, in the beginning! To learn more about Shane and all of his works, please visit his website at www.shanepeacock.ca.

(To Be Continued)