David Porter (February 1, 1780 – March 3, 1843) was an American naval officer and diplomat. Porter commanded a number of U.S. naval ships. He saw service in the First Barbary War, the War of 1812 and in the West Indies. On July 2, 1812, Porter hoisted the banner "Free trade and sailors' rights" as captain of USS Essex.[1] The phrase resonated with many Americans. Porter was later court martialed; he resigned and then joined and became commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy. Porter County, Indiana was named after him.
Porter married Evalina Anderson, and they had ten children who survived, including six sons. One of these, David Dixon Porter, became an admiral in the United States Navy. Porter purchased the grand home built by the judge and politician David Lloyd in Chester, Pennsylvania. He made many additions, and the home became known as the Porter House. It was destroyed by explosion in 1882.[3]
Porter's father, David Porter Sr., met and befriended another naval veteran of the American Revolutionary War, George Farragut, from the Balearic island of Minorca.[4] In late spring 1808, David Sr. suffered sunstroke, and Farragut took him into his home, where his wife Elizabeth cared for him. Already weakened by tuberculosis, he died on June 22, 1808. Elizabeth Farragut died of yellow fever the same day. Motherless, the Farragut children were to be placed with friends and relatives.
While visiting Farragut and his family a short time later to express thanks for their care of his father and sympathy for their loss, Commodore Porter offered to take eight-year-old James Glasgow Farragut into his own household. Young James readily agreed. In 1809 he moved with Porter to Washington, where he met Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton and expressed his wish for a midshipman's appointment. Hamilton promised that the appointment would be made as soon as he reached the age of ten; as it happened, the commission came through on December 17, 1810, six months before the boy reached his tenth birthday. When James went to sea soon after with his adoptive father, he changed his name from James to David, and it is as David Glasgow Farragut that he is remembered.[5]
Quasi-War
Porter served in the Quasi-War with France. He was appointed a midshipman on 16 April 1798. Assigned to Constellation under the command of John Rodgers, he saw action in the battle against L'Insurgente, notably saving the mast by cutting away slings after it was damaged.[6][7] He was then selected as one of twelve men assigned to take possession of L'Insurgente after the Americans captured her.[7]: 158 He was promoted to lieutenant on 8 October 1799. As lieutenant he served as second in command of the schoonerUSS Experiment during the action of 1 January 1800, in which he got shot in his arm.
First Barbary War
April, 1802 he was stationed on USS Chesapeake.[8] He was promoted to master commandant on 22 April 1806 and was in charge of the naval forces at New Orleans from 1808 to 1810.
With the outbreak of the War of 1812, Porter was promoted to captain on July 2, 1812, and was assigned as commander of USS Essex. He sailed out of New York harbor with the banner, "Free trade and sailors' rights" flying from the foretopgallant mast.[1] On August 13, 1812, Porter captured the Royal Navy sloop HMS Alert as well as several British merchantmen.[citation needed]
In February 1813 he sailed Essex around Cape Horn and cruised the Pacific, attacking British whalers. Porter's first action in the Pacific was the capture of the Peruvian merchantman Nereyda, releasing the captive American whalers on board. Over the next year, Porter captured 12 British whalers and 360 sailors. In June 1813, Porter released his prisoners, on the condition that they not fight against the United States until they were formally exchanged for American prisoners of war. Porter's usual tactic was to raise British colors to allay the whaler's suspicions, then once invited on board, he would reveal his true allegiance and purpose.[9]
Porter and his fleet spent October–December 1813 resting and regrouping in the Marquesas Islands, which he claimed in the name of the United States and renamed them the Madison Islands, in honor of President James Madison.[9] On March 28, 1814, Porter encountered British frigate HMS Phoebe and the sloop-of-warHMS Cherub and the battle of Valparaiso ensued. He surrendered to British Captain James Hillyar after his ship became too disabled to offer any resistance.[9]
West Indies
In 1814 he was given command of USS Firefly, the flagship of a five ship squadron destined for the West Indies to disrupt British shipping; however, the Treaty of Ghent was signed with Britain, ending the war, and the mission was canceled.[citation needed]
From 1815 to 1822, he was a member of the Board of Navy Commissioners but gave up this post to command the expedition for suppressing piracy in the West Indies (1823–25). While in the West Indies suppressing piracy, Porter invaded the town of Fajardo, Puerto Rico (a Spanish colony) to avenge the jailing of an officer from his fleet. The U.S. government did not sanction Porter's act, and he was court-martialed upon his return to the U.S.[10] Porter resigned from the U.S. Navy on August 18, 1826, and, shortly after, was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy. He held this position from 1826 to 1829.[11]
Several U.S. Navy ships have been named USS Porter after him.
The town of Porter and Porter County in Northwest Indiana are named after David Porter. In 1836 the county seat of Porter County, Indiana was originally named Portersville, also named for David Porter. It was changed to Valparaiso in 1837, named for Porter's participation in the naval action near Valparaíso, Chile during the War of 1812.[14]
^Jordi Antoni Magí Ferragut i Mesquida, a native of Minorca, then part of the United Kingdom, had anglicized his Catalan first name to George when he immigrated to the New World. See Duffy, Lincoln's Admiral, p. 3
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