DEATH OF COMMODORE PORTER, AND NOTICE OF HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER.
The naval career of Commodore Porter illustrates in the highest
degree that which almost the whole of our naval officers, each
according to his opportunity, illustrated more or less--the benefits
of the cruising system in our naval warfare. It was the system
followed in the war of the Revolution, in the _quasi_ war with
France, and in the war of 1812--imposed upon us by necessity in
each case, not adopted through choice. In neither of these wars did
we possess ships-of-the-line and fleets to fight battles for the
dominion of the seas; fortunately, we had not the means to engage
in that expensive and fatal folly; but we had smaller vessels
(frigates the largest) to penetrate every sea, attack every thing
not too much over size, to capture merchantmen, and take shelter
when pressed where ships-of-the-line and fleets could not follow. We
had the enterprising officers which a system of separate commands so
favorably developes, and the ardent seamen who looked to the honors
of the service for their greatest reward. Wages were low; but reward
was high when the man before the mast, or the boy in the cabin,
could look upon his officer, and see in his past condition what he
himself was, and in his present rank what he himself might be. Merit
had raised one and might raise the other.
The ardor for the service was then great; the service itself heroic.
A crew for a frigate has been raised in three hours. Instant sailing
followed the reception of the order. Distant and dangerous ground
was sought, fierce and desperate combat engaged; and woe to the
enemy that was not too much over size! Five, ten, twenty minutes
would make her a wreck and a prize. Almost every officer that
obtained a command showed himself an able commander. Every crew
was heroic; every cruise daring: every combat a victory, where
proximate equality rendered it possible. Never did any service,
in any age or country, exhibit so large a proportion of skilful,
daring, victorious commanders, mainly developed by the system
of warfare which gave so many a chance to show what they were.
Necessity imposed that system; judgment should continue it. Economy,
efficiency, utility, the impossibility of building a navy to cope
with the navies of the great maritime Powers, and the insanity of
doing it if we could, all combine to recommend to the United States
the system of naval warfare which does the most damage to the enemy
with the least expense to ourselves, which avoids the expensive
establishments which oppress the finances of other nations, and
which renders useless, for want of an antagonist, the great fleets
which they support at so much cost.
Universally illustrated as the advantages of this system were by
almost all our officers in the wars of the Revolution, of '98, and
1812, it was the fortune of Commodore Porter, in the late war with
Great Britain, to carry that illustration to its highest point, and
to show, in the most brilliant manner, what an American cruiser
could do. Of course we speak of his cruise in the Pacific Ocean,
prefaced by a little preliminary run to the Grand Banks, which may
be considered as part of it--a cruise which the boy at school would
read for its romance, the mature man for its history, the statesman
for the lesson which it teaches.
The Essex, a small frigate of thirty-two guns, chiefly carronades,
and but little superior to a first-class sloop-of-war of the present
day, with a crew of some three hundred men, had the honor to make
this illustrious cruise. Leaving New York in June, soon after
the declaration of war, and making some small captures, she ran
up towards the Grand Banks, and in the night discovered a fleet
steering north, all under easy sail and in open order, wide spaces
being between the ships. From their numbers and the course they
steered Captain Porter judged them to be enemies, and wished to know
more about them.
Approaching the sternmost vessel and entering into conversation with
her, he learnt that the fleet was under the convoy of a frigate, the
Minerva, thirty-six guns, and a bomb-vessel, both then ahead; and
that the vessels of the fleet transported one thousand soldiers. He
could have cut off this vessel easily, but the information he had
received opened a more brilliant prospect. He determined to pass
along through the fleet, the Essex being a good sailer, speaking the
different vessels as he quietly passed them, get alongside of the
frigate, and carry her by an energetic attack. In execution of this
plan he passed on without exciting the least suspicion, and came up
with the next vessel; but this second one was more cautious than the
first, and, on the Essex's ranging up alongside of her, she took
alarm and announced her intention to give the signal of a stranger
having joined the fleet. This put an end to disguise and brought on
prompt action. The vessel, under penalty of being fired into, was
instantly ordered to surrender and haul out of the convoy. This was
so quietly done as to be unnoticed by the other ships. On taking
possession of her she was found to be filled with soldiers, one
hundred and fifty of them, and all made prisoners of war.
A few days afterwards the Essex fell in with the man-of-war Alert,
of twenty guns and a full crew. The Alert began the action. In
eight minutes it was finished, and the British ship only saved
from sinking by the help of her captors. It was the first British
man-of-war taken in this contest, and so easily, that not the
slightest injury was done to the Essex, either to the vessel or her
crew. Crowded now with prisoners (for the crew of the Alert had to
be taken on board, in addition to the one hundred and fifty soldiers
and the previous captures), all chafing in their bondage, and ready
to embrace the opportunity of the first action to rise, Captain
Porter agreed with the commander of the Alert to convert her into a
cartel, and send her into port at St. John's, with the prisoners,
to await their exchange. Continuing her cruise, the Essex twice fell
in with the enemy's frigates having other vessels of war in company,
so that a fair engagement was impossible. The Essex then returned
to the Delaware to replenish her stores, and, sailing thence in
October, 1812, she fairly commenced her great cruise.
Captain Porter was under orders to proceed to the coast of Brazil,
and join Commodore Bainbridge at a given rendezvous, cruising
as he went. It was not until after he had run the greater part
of the distance, crossing the equator, that he got sight of the
first British vessel, a small man-of-war brig, discovered in the
afternoon, chased, and come up with in the night, having previously
boldly shown her national colors. The two vessels were then within
musket shot. Not willing to hurt a foe too weak to fight him,
Captain Porter hailed and required the brig to surrender. Instead of
complying, the arrogant little man-of-war turned upon its pursuer,
attempting to cross the stern of the Essex, with the probable
design to give her a raking fire and escape in the dark. Still the
captain would not open his guns upon so diminutive a foe until he
had tried the effect of musketry upon her. A volley was fired into
her, killing one man, when she struck. It was the British government
packet Nocton, ten guns, thirty-one men, and having fifty-five
thousand silver dollars on board.
Pursuing his cruise south to the point of rendezvous, an English
merchant vessel was captured, one of a convoy of six which had
left Rio the evening before in charge of a man-of-war schooner.
The rest of the convoy was out of sight, but, taking its track,
a long and fruitless chase was given; and the Essex repaired to
the point of rendezvous, without meeting with further incident.
Commodore Bainbridge had been there, and had left; and, being now
under discretionary orders, Captain Porter determined to use the
discretion with which he was invested, and took the bold resolution
to double Cape Horn, enter the Pacific Ocean, put twenty thousand
miles between his vessel and an American port, and try his fortune
among British whalers, merchantmen, and ships-of-war in that vast
and remote sea.
It was a bold enterprise, such as few governments would have
ordered, which many would have forbid, and which the undaunted
resolution of a bold commander alone could take. He had every thing
against him: no depots, no means of repairing or refitting; only
one chart; the Spanish American States subservient to the British,
and unreliable for the impartiality of neutrals, much less for
the sympathy of neighbors. He was deficient both in provisions
and naval stores, but expected to furnish himself from the enemy,
whose vessels in that capacious and distant sea, were always well
supplied; and the silver taken from the British government packet
would be a means towards paying wages.
In the middle of January, after a most tempestuous passage, he had
doubled the Cape, entered the Pacific, his characteristic motto,
FREE TRADE AND SAILORS' RIGHTS, at the mast-head, and ran for
Valparaiso--the great point of maritime resort in the South Pacific.
He had expected to find it a Spanish town, as it was when he left
the United States: he found it Chilian, for Chili, in the mean time,
had declared her independence: and this change he had a right to
deem favorable, as, in addition to the advantages of conventional
neutrality, it was fair to count upon the good feeling of a young
and neighboring republic. In this he was not disappointed, being
well received, meeting good treatment, obtaining supplies, and
acquiring valuable information. He learnt that the American whalers
were in great danger, most of them ignorant of the war, cruisers
in pursuit of them, and one already taken. He learnt also that the
Viceroy of Peru had sent out corsairs against American shipping--a
piece of information of the highest moment, as it showed him an
enemy where he expected a neutral, and enabled him to know how to
deal with Peruvian ships when he should meet them. This criminality
on the part of the viceroy was the result of a conclusion of his
own, that as Spain and Great Britain were allies against France, so
they would soon be allies against the United States, and that he, as
a good Spanish viceroy should begin without waiting for the orders.
This let Captain Porter see that he had two enemies instead of one
to contend with in the Pacific; and this information, as it showed
increase of danger to American interests, increased his ardor to go
to their protection; which he promptly did.
Barely taking time to hurry on board the supplies, which six months
already at sea rendered indispensable, he was again in pursuit of
the enemy, and soon had the good fortune to fall in with an American
whale-ship, which gave the important intelligence that a Peruvian
corsair had just captured two American whalers off Coquimbo and was
making for that place, with a British vessel in company. This was
exciting information, and presented a three-fold enterprise to the
chivalrous spirit of Porter--to rescue the American, punish the
Peruvian, and capture the Englishman. Instantly all sail was set for
Coquimbo, the American whaler which had given the information in
company, and all hearts beating high with expectation, and with the
prospect of performing some generous and gallant deed.
In a few hours a strange sail was descried in the distance, with a
smaller vessel in company; and soon the sail was suspected to be a
cruiser, disguised as a whaler. Then some pretty play took place,
allowable in maritime war, although entirely a game of deception.
The stranger showed Spanish colors; the Essex showed English, and
then fired a gun to leeward. The whaler in company with the Essex
hoisted the American flag _beneath_ the English jack. All these
false indications are allowable to gain advantages before fighting,
but not to fight under, when true colors must be shown by the
attacking ship under the penalty of piracy.
Gun signals were then resorted to. The stranger fired a shot ahead
of the Essex, as much as to say _stop and talk_; the Essex fired
a shot over him, signifying _come nearer_. She came, for the
implication was that the next shot would be into her. When nearer,
the stranger sent an armed boat to board the Essex; but the boat
was directed to return with an order to the stranger to pass under
the frigate's lee (_i. e._ under her guns), and to send an officer
on board to apologise for the shots he had fired at an _English_
man-of-war. The order was promptly complied with. The stranger came
under the lee of the Essex and sent her lieutenant on board, who,
not suspecting where he was, readily told him that his ship was
the Nereyda, Peruvian privateer, of fifteen guns and a full crew;
that they were cruising for Americans, and had already taken two
(the same mentioned by the whaler); and that the smaller vessel in
company was one of these.
After giving this information he made the apology for the shot,
which was that, having put one of their American prizes in charge
of a small crew, the English letter-of-marque Nimrod had fallen in
with it and taken it from the crew, and that they were cruising for
this Nimrod with a view to obtain redress, and had mistaken this
frigate for her, and hence the shot ahead of her; and hoped the
explanation would constitute a sufficient apology. It did so; Capt.
Porter was perfectly satisfied with it, and still more so, with
the information which accompanied it. It placed the accomplishment
of one of his three objects immediately in his hands, and the one
perhaps dearest to his heart--that of catching the Peruvian corsair
which was preying upon American commerce. So, civilly dismissing the
lieutenant, he waited until he had got aboard of the Nereyda, then
run up the American flag, fired a shot over the corsair, and stood
ready to fire into her. The caution was sufficient: the Peruvian
surrendered immediately, with her prize. Thus was the piratical
capture of two American whalers promptly chastised, and one of them
released, and the Peruvian informed that he and his countrymen were
cruising against Americans in mistake, and would be treated as
pirates if they continued the practice. This admonition put an end
to Peruvian seizure of American vessels.
Believing that the other American whaler captured by the Nereyda,
and taken from her prize-crew by the Nimrod would be carried to
Lima, Captain Porter immediately bore away for its port (Callao),
approached it, hauled off to watch, saw three vessels standing in,
prepared to cut them off, and especially the foremost, which he
judged to be an American. She was so, and was cut off--the very
whaler he was in search of. It was the Barclay; and the master,
crew and all, so rejoiced at their release that they immediately
joined their deliverer. The Barclay became the consort of the
Essex; her crew enlisted under Porter; the master became (what
he greatly needed) a pilot for him in the vast and unknown sea
he was traversing. There was now a good opportunity to look into
this most frequented of Peruvian ports, which Captain Porter did,
showing English colors; and, seeing nothing within that he would
have a right to catch when it came out, nor gaining any special
information, and finding that nothing had occurred there to make
known his arrival in the Pacific, he immediately sailed again, to
make the most of his time before the fact of his presence should be
known and the alarm spread.
He stood across the main towards Chatham Island and Charles Island,
approaching which three sail were discovered in the same moment--two
in company, the other apart and in a different direction. The one
apart was attended to first, pursued, summoned, captured, and proved
to be the fine British whaler Montezuma, with fourteen hundred
barrels of oil on board. A crew was put on board of her, and chase
given to the other two. They had taken the alarm, seeing what was
happening to the Montezuma, and were doing their best to escape.
The Essex gained upon them; but when within eight miles it fell
calm, dead still--one of those atmospheric stagnations frequent in
the South Sea. Sailing ceased; boats were hoisted out; the first
lieutenant, Downes, worthy second to Porter, was put in command.
Approached within a quarter of a mile, the two ships showed English
colors and fired several guns. Economizing powder and time, the
boats only replied with their oars, pulling hard to board quick;
seeing which the two ships struck, each in succession, as the
boarders were closing. They proved to be the Georgiana and the
Policy, both whalers, the former built for the East India service,
pierced for eighteen guns, and having six mounted when taken. Having
the reputation of a fast vessel, the captain determined to equip
her as a cruiser, which was done with her own guns and those of the
Policy--this latter, like the Georgiana, pierced for eighteen guns,
but mounting ten.
A very proper compliment was paid to Lieut. Downes in giving him
the command of this British ship, thus added to the American navy
with his good exertions. An armament of 16 guns, and a crew of
41 men, and her approved commander, it was believed would make
her an over-match for any English letters of marque, supposed to
be cruising among these islands, and justify occasional separate
expeditions.
By these three captures Capt. Porter was enabled to consummate the
second part of his plan--that of living upon the enemy. He got out
of them ample supplies of beef, bread, pork, water, and Gallipagos
tortoises. Besides food for the men, many articles were obtained for
repairing his own ship: and accordingly the rigging was overhauled
and tarred down, many new spars were fitted, new cordage supplied,
the Essex repainted--all in the middle of the Pacific, and at the
expense of a Power boasting great fleets, formidable against other
fleets, but useless against a daring little cruiser.
Getting into his field of operation in the month of April, Capt.
Porter had already five vessels under his command--the Montezuma,
the Georgiana, the Barclay, and the Policy, in addition to the
Essex. All cruising together towards the middle of that month, and
near sunset in the evening, a sail was perceived in the distant
horizon. A night-chase might permit her to escape; a judicious
distribution of his little squadron, without alarming, might keep
her in view till morning. It was distributed accordingly. At
daylight the sail was still in sight, and, being chased, she was
soon overtaken and captured. It was the British whaler Atlantic,
355 tons, 24 men, pierced for 20 guns, and carrying 8 18-pounder
carronades. While engaged in this chase another sail was discovered,
pursued, and taken. It was the Greenwich, of 338 tons, 18 guns, and
25 men; and like the other was an English letter of marque.
In the meanwhile the now little man-of-war the Georgiana, under
Lieut. Downes, made a brief excursion of her own among the islands,
apart from the Essex, and with brilliant success. He took, without
resistance, the British whale ships Catherine, of 270 tons, 8 guns,
and 29 men, and Rose, of 220 tons, 8 guns and 21 men; and, after a
sharp combat, a third whaler, the Hector, 270 tons, 25 men, pierced
for 20 guns and 11 mounted. In this action the lieutenant, after
having manned his two prizes, had but 21 men and boys left to manage
his ship, fight the Hector, and keep down fifty prisoners. After
manning the Hector and taking her crew on board his own vessel, he
had but ten men to perform the double duty of working the vessel and
guarding seventy-three prisoners; yet he brought all safe to his
captain, who then had a little fleet of nine sail under his command,
all of his own creation, and created out of the enemy.
The class of some of his prizes enabled the captain to increase
the efficiency of his force by some judicious changes. The
Atlantic, being nearly one hundred tons larger than the Georgiana,
a faster ship, and every way a better cruiser, was converted into
a sloop-of-war, armed with twenty guns, manned by sixty men, named
the Essex Junior; and the intrepid Downes put in command of her. The
Greenwich, also armed with guns, but only a crew to work her (for so
many prizes to man left their cruisers with their lowest number,)
was converted into a store-ship, and received all the spare stores
of the other ships. A few days afterwards the Sir Andrew Hammond was
captured, believed to be about the last of the British whalers in
those parts, and among the finest. She was a ship of three hundred
and ten tons, twelve guns, and thirty-one men; and had a large
supply of beef, pork, bread, wood, and water--adding sensibly to the
supplies of the little fleet.
The fourth of July arrived, and was gaily kept, and with the triumph
of victorious feelings, firing salutes with British guns, charged
with British powder. It was a proud celebration, and must have
looked like an illusion of the senses to the British prisoners,
accustomed to extol their country as the mistress of the seas,
and to consider American ships as the impressment ground of the
British navy. The celebration over, the little fleet divided; Essex
Junior bound to Valparaiso, with the Hector, Catherine, Policy,
and Montezuma, prizes, and the Barclay, re-captured ship, under
convoy. The Essex, with the Greenwich and Georgiana, steered for
the Gallipagos Islands, and fell in with three sail at once, the
whole of which were eventually captured: one, the English whaler
Charlton, of 274 tons, ten guns, and 21 men; another, the largest of
the three, the Seringapatam, of 357 tons, 14 guns, and 40 men; the
smallest of the three, the New Zealander, 260 tons, 8 guns, and 23
men. Here were 900 tons of shipping, 32 guns, and 75 men all taken
at once, and, as it were, at a single glance at the sea.
The Seringapatam had been built for a cruiser, and, of all the
ships in the Pacific, was the most dangerous to American commerce.
It had just come out, and had already made a prize. Finding that
the master had no commission, and that he had commenced cruising in
anticipation of one, and thereby subjected himself to be treated
as a pirate, Captain Porter had him put in irons, and sent to the
United States to be tried for his life. While finding himself
encumbered with prisoners, and his active strength impaired by the
guards they required, he released a number on parole, and gave
them up one of the captured ships (the Charlton) to proceed to Rio
Janeiro. The Georgiana and the New Zealander were despatched to
the United States, each laden with the oil taken from the British
whalers. Encumbered with prizes, as well as with prisoners, and no
American port in which to place them (for the mouth of the Columbia,
though claimed by the United States since 1804, and settled under
Mr. John Jacob Astor since 1811, had not then been nationally
occupied), Captain Porter undertook to provide a place of his own.
Repairing to the wild and retired island of Nooaheevah, he selected
a sequestered inlet, built a little fort upon it, warped three of
his prizes under its guns, left a little garrison of twenty-one men
under Lieutenant Gamble to man it, and then went upon another cruise.
The story of the remainder of his cruise is briefly told. He had
learnt that the British government, thoroughly aroused by his
operations in the Pacific, had sent out a superior force to capture
him. Taking the Essex Junior with him, he sailed for Valparaiso,
entered the harbor, and soon a superior British frigate and a sloop
of war entered also. Captain Hillyar, for that was the British
captain's name, saluted the American frigate courteously, inquiring
for the health of Captain Porter; but the British frigate (the
Phoebe) came so near that a collision seemed inevitable, and
looked as if intended, her men being at quarters and ready for
action. In a moment Captain Porter was equally ready, and that
either for boarding or raking, for the vessels had got so close that
the Phoebe, in hauling off, passed her jib-boom (that spar which
runs out from the bowsprit) over the deck of the Essex, and lay with
her bow to the broadside of the American. It was a fatal position,
and would have subjected her to immediate capture or destruction,
justifiable by the undue intimacy of an enemy. Captain Porter might
have fired into her; but, reluctant to attack in a neutral port,
he listened to the protestations of the British captain, accepted
his declaration of innocent intentions and accidental contact,
and permitted him to haul off from a situation in which he could
have been destroyed in a few minutes. Could he have foreseen what
was to happen to himself soon after in the same port, he could not
have been so forbearing to the foe nor so respectful to the Chilian
authorities.
For six weeks the hostile vessels watched each other, the British
vessel sometimes lying off and on outside of the harbor, and when so
at sea the Essex going out and offering to fight her single handed;
for the Essex Junior was too light to be of any service in a frigate
fight. Other British ships of war being expected at Valparaiso, and
no combat to be had with the Phoebe without her attendant sloop,
Captain Porter determined to take his opportunity to escape from the
harbor--which the superior sailing of the Essex would enable him
to do when the British ships were a few miles off, as they often
were--Essex Junior escaping at the same time by parting company, as
it was certain that both the British ships would follow the American
frigate.
March 28th, 1813, was a favorable day for the attempt--the wind
right, the enemy far enough out, and the Essex in perfect order
for fighting or sailing. The attempt was made, and with success,
until, doubling a headland which formed part of the harbor, a
squall carried away the maintopmast, crippling the ship and greatly
disabling her. Capt. Porter put back for the harbor, and though
getting within it, and within pistol shot of the shore, and within
half a mile from a detached battery, could not reach the usual
anchoring ground before the approach of the enemy compelled him to
clear for action. A desperate but most unequal combat raged for
near three hours--an inferior crippled frigate contending with a
frigate and a sloop in perfect order. The crippled mast of the Essex
allowed the enemy to choose his distance, which he always did with
good regard to his own safety, using his long eighteens at long
distances--keeping out of the reach of Porter's carronades, out of
the reach of boarding, and only within range of six long twelves
which played with such effect that at the end of half an hour both
British ships hauled off to repair damages. Having repaired, both
returned, and got such a position that not a gun of the crippled
Essex could bear upon them. An attempt was made to close upon them
and get near enough to cripple the sloop and drive her out of the
fight for the remainder of the action; but the frigate edged away,
choosing her distance, and using her long guns with terrible effect
upon the Essex, which could not send back a single shot.
The brave and faithful Downes pulled through the fire of the enemy
in an open boat to take the orders of his captain; but his light
guns could be of no service, and he was directed to look to his own
ship. Twice more the Essex endeavored to close upon the British
frigate, but she edged away each time, keeping the distance which
was safe to himself and destructive to the Essex. By this time half
the whole crew were killed or wounded, and the ship on fire. Capt.
Porter then attempted to run her on shore; but the wind failed
when within musket shot of the land. Leave was then given to the
crew to save themselves by swimming, which but few would do. At
last the surrender became imperative. The Essex struck, and her
heroic commander and surviving men and officers became prisoners of
war. Thousands of persons--all Valparaiso--witnessed the combat.
The American consul, Mr. Poinsett, witnessed it and claimed the
protection of the fort, only to receive evasive answers, as the
authorities were now favorable to the British. It was a clear
case of violated neutrality, tried by any rule. First, the Essex
was within the harbor, though not at the usual anchoring place,
which she could not reach; secondly, she was under the guns of the
detached fort, only half a mile distant; thirdly, she was within the
territorial jurisdiction of Chili, whether measured by the league or
by the range of cannon, and no dispute about either, as the shore
was at hand, and the British balls which missed the Essex hit the
land.
After the surrender some arrangements were made with Capt. Hillyar.
Some prisoners were exchanged upon the spot, part of those made by
Capt. Porter being available for an equal number of his own people.
Essex Junior became a cartel to carry home himself and officers
and others of his men on parole; but this man of daring deeds was
not allowed to reach home without another proof of his determined
spirit. When within thirty miles of New York, Essex Junior was
brought to by the British razee Saturn, Capt. Nash, who denied the
right of Capt. Hillyar to allow the cartel, and ordered her to lie
by him during the night. Capt. Porter put off in a whale-boat, and,
though long chased, saved himself by the chance of a fog coming to
the aid of hard rowing.
And thus ended this unparalleled cruise--ending with a disaster. But
the end could not efface the past; could not undo the captures which
had been made; could not obscure the glory which had been acquired;
cannot impair the lesson which its results impress on the minds of
statesmen. It had lasted eighteen months, and during that time the
little frigate had done every thing for itself and the country.
It had lived and flourished upon the enemy. Not a dollar had been
drawn from the public Treasury, either for pay or supplies; all came
from the foe. Money, provisions, munitions, additional arms, spars,
cordage, rigging, and vessels to constitute a little fleet, all came
from the British. Far more than enough for all purposes was taken
and much destroyed; for damage as well as protection was an object
of the expedition--damage to the British, protection to Americans;
and nobly were both objects accomplished. Surpluses, as far as
possible, were sent home; and, though in part recaptured, these
accidents did not diminish the merit of the original capture. The
great whale trade of the British in the Pacific was broken up, the
supply of oil was stopped, the London lamps were in the condition of
those of the "foolish virgins," and a member of Parliament declared
in his place that the city had burnt dark for a year.
The personal history of Commodore Porter, for such he became, was
full of incident and adventure, all in keeping with his generous and
heroic character. Twice while a lad and serving in merchant vessels
in the West Indies, he was impressed by the British, and, by his
courage and conduct made his escape, each time. A third attempt at
impressment was repulsed by the bloody defeat of the press-gang. The
same attempt, renewed with increased numbers, was again repulsed
with loss to the British party--young Porter, only sixteen, among
the most courageous defenders of the vessel. He was upwards of a
year a prisoner at Tripoli, being first lieutenant on board the
Philadelphia when she grounded before that city and was captured.
He was midshipman with the then Lieutenant Rodgers, when the two
young officers and eleven men performed that marvel of endurance,
firmness, steadiness, and seamanship, in working for three days and
nights, without sleep or rest, on the French frigate Insurgent,
guarding all the time their 173 prisoners, and conducting the prize
safe into port--as related in the notice of Commodore Rodgers.
After his return from the Pacific, he was employed in suppressing
piracy in the West Indies, which he speedily accomplished; but for
punishing an insult to the flag in the island of Porto Rico, he
incurred the displeasure of his government, and the censure of a
court martial. His proud spirit would not brook a censure which
he deemed undeserved; and he resigned his commission in the navy,
of which he was so brilliant an ornament. The writer of this View
was a close observer of that trial, and believed the Commodore to
have been hardly dealt by, and considered the result a confirmation
of his general view of courts martial where the government
interferes--an interference (when it happens) generally for a
purpose, either to convict or acquit; and rarely failing of its
object in either case, as the court is appointed by the government,
dependent upon it for future honor and favor, acts in secret, and
subject to the approval of the Executive.
Stung to the quick by such requital of his services, the brave
officer resigned his commission, and left the country which he had
served so faithfully, and loved so well, and took service in the
Republic of Mexico, then lately become independent and desirous to
create a navy. But he was not allowed to live and mourn an exile in
a foreign land. President Jackson proposed to restore him to his
place in the navy, but he refused the restoration upon the same
ground that he had resigned upon--would not remain in a service
under an unreversed sentence of unjust censure. President Jackson
then gave him the place of Consul General at Algiers; and, upon the
reduction of that place by the French, appointed him the United
States Charge d'Affaires to the Sublime Porte--a mission afterwards
raised to Minister Resident by act of Congress for his special
benefit. The Sultan Mahmoud--he who suppressed the Janissaries,
introduced European reforms, and so greatly favored Christians and
strangers--was then on the throne, and greatly attached to the
Commodore, whose conversation and opinions he often sought. He died
in this post, and was brought home to be buried in the country which
gave him birth, and which no personal wrong could make him cease
to love. A national ship of war, the Truxton, brought him home--a
delicate compliment in the selection of the vessel bearing the name
of the commander under whom he first served.
Humanity was a ruling feature in his character, and of this he gave
constant proof--humane to the enemy as well as to his own people.
Of his numerous captures he never made one by bloodshed when milder
means could prevail; always preferring, by his superior seamanship,
to place them in predicaments which coerced surrender. Patriotism
was a part of his soul. He was modest and unpretentious; never
seeming to know that he had done things of which the world talked,
and of which posterity would hear. He was a "lion" nowhere but on
the quarter-deck, and in battle with the enemies of his country. He
was affectionate to his friends and family, just and kind to his men
and officers, attaching all to him for life and for death. His crew
remaining with him when their terms were expiring in the Pacific,
and refusing to quit their commander when authorized to do so at
Valparaiso, were proofs of their devotion and affection.
Detailed history is not the object of this notice, but character and
instruction--the deeds which show character, and the actions which
instruct posterity; and in this view his career is a lesson for
statesmen to study--to study in its humble commencement as well as
in its dazzling and splendid culmination. Schools do not form such
commanders; and, if they did, the wisdom of government would not
detect the future illustrious captain in the man before the mast,
or in the boy in the cabin. Born in Boston, the young Porter came
to man's estate in Baltimore, and went to sea at sixteen in the
merchant ship commanded by his father--the worthy father of such
a son--making many voyages to the West Indies. There he _earned_
his midshipman's warrant, and there he learned the seamanship
which made him the worthy second of Rodgers in that marvellous
management of the Insurgent, which faithful history will love to
commemorate. Self-made in the beginning, he was self-acting through
life, and will continue to act upon posterity, if amenable to the
lesson taught by his life: the merchant service, the naval school,
cruisers, the naval force, separate commands for young men. With
a little 32 gun frigate, all carronades except a half-dozen stern
chasers, and they only twelve-pounders, he dominated for a year in
the vast Pacific Ocean; with a 44 and her attendant sloop-of-war,
brig, and schooner, he would have dominated there to the end of the
war. He was the Paul Jones of the "second war of Independence," with
a more capacious and better regulated mind, and had the felicity to
transmit as well as to inherit the qualities of a commander. The
name of Porter is yet borne with honorable promise on the roll of
the American navy.