744 



PORTER, DAVID DIXON. 



1812-'15 were conspicuous in that unusually was impossible, Porter cleared for action. His first 

 K-;ii;nv,f uval rtarmri Tlio lnws nf hprcrlitv two broadsides were most effective, but the SUDH- 



brilliant naval period. The laws of heredity 

 would have been violated had the subject of this 

 sketch not adopted the profession of arms. He 

 studied at Columbian College, Washington, D. C., 



two broadsides were most effective, but the supe- 

 riority of the "Lealtad's" metal told, and at the 

 end of an hour the " Guerrero " was a surrendered 

 wreck, the captain killed, and several officers and 



for some years, and saw his first service in 1824, men killed or wounded. The " Guerrero " was 

 waen, at the age of eleven, he accompanied his towed into Havana, and Midshipman Porter was 

 father, then in'comfnand of the "John Adams,'' confined as a prisoner, having declined parole, 

 on an expedition to suupress piracy in the West On Feb. 2, 1829, Porter was appointed a mid- 

 Indies. His father resigned his commission shipman in the United States navy, and in 1830 he 

 in the United States navy in 1826 on account was attached to the frigate " Constellation," 

 of what he deemed unjust treatment in regard Mediterranean squadron. He was attached to 

 to the Foxardo incident, and accepted command the frigate " United States " in 1833, and to the 

 of the Mexican naval forces, followed by his son, line-of-battle ship " Delaware " in 1835, both 

 who was appointed a midshipman in the same belonging to the Mediterranean squadron. He 

 service. Young Porter was sent to the schooner was promoted to passed midshipman on July 3, 

 "Esmeralda." commanded by his cousin, Captain 1835; was on coast-survey duty in 1837-'40 ; 

 D. H. Porter, and engaged in preying upon Span- promoted to lieutenant, Feb. 27, 1841 ; on the 



frigate " Congress," Mediterranean squadron, 

 in 1843-'45 ; at the Naval Observatory in, 

 1846; on a special mission to Hayti and 

 Santo Domingo, under the Department of 

 State, in 1846. His success in this mission 

 was substantial, and received high praise. 



The outbreak of war with Mexico found 

 Lieut. Porter unattached in Washington, and 

 soon he was ordered to New Orleans in charge 

 of recruits for the Gulf squadron, and on his 

 arrival at Vera Cruz with 300 men was or- 

 dered by Flag-officer Conner, as first lieuten- 

 ant of the " Spitfire," Capt. Tatnall. Opera- 

 tions against the enemy began on the relief of 

 Commodore Conner by Commodore M. C. 

 Perry, March 21, 1847. Fronting the south 

 face of Vera Cruz a battery constructed and 

 manned by the navy did great damage to the 

 fortifications of the city, and in two days 

 silenced most of the guns on that side. As 

 several forts on the water side, opposite San 

 Juan d'Ulloa, were out of effective range of 

 the shore battery, Commodore Perry sent the 

 " Spitfire " and three other vessels to attack 

 them." The little flotilla anchored close under 

 the city walls, and in a few hours effected 

 great destruction in the enemy's works. At 

 night Lieut. Porter volunteered and received 

 permission to scout in and sound the passages 

 that led to the flanking forts of the city. This 

 undertaking was completely successful, and ear- 

 ly the next morning the four vessels got under 

 way and attacked the southern batteries, Lieut. 

 Porter acting as pilot through the intricate chan- 

 nels. The enemy was driven from his works, 

 but the flotilla being exposed to a hot and dan- 

 gerous fire from San Juan d'Ulloa, Commodore 

 Perry signaled Tatnall to retire from action. This 

 gentleman, however, had ordered his signal quar- 

 termaster not to look toward the flag-ship, and 

 the action went on until a verbal order to retire 

 at once was brought to Tatnall from the flag- 

 officer. The flotilla then withdrew, amid hearty 

 cheers from the main squadron. 



In April, 1847, the " Spitfire " was again em- 

 ployed on active service. She, with four gun- 

 boats and a few small steamers, was dismantled 

 for crossing the bar on an expedition to Tus- 

 p'an. On this occasion she acted as Commo- 



DAVID DIXON PORTER. 



ish commerce. After an active, adventurous, 

 and successful cruise, the ship returned to Key 

 West on account of a mutiny on board, which 

 was discovered by Midshipman Porter, then four- 

 teen years old. He handed the pistols and sword 

 to Captain Porter, who disabled the ringleaders 

 and brought all to terms. Only three of the crew 

 had remained faithful, and with these men on 

 duty, and the mutineers ironed by a novel device 

 to the deck, the schooner passed safely through 

 the blockading Spanish fleet and got to port. 



In 1828 Porter sailed as midshipman in the 

 " Guerrero," commanded by his cousin. Off 

 Mariel, Cuba, a convoy of Spanish vessels was 

 encountered, accompanied by two brigs -of- 

 war. Notwithstanding the inferiority of force, 

 the " Guerrero " was cleared for action and 

 headed for the enemy. The brigs ran under 

 cover of a small fort, a spirited fire was opened, 

 and in half an hour one of the brigs struck her 

 flag and several of the convoy were sunk. At 



this juncture a Spanish frigate, the " Leal tad," dore Perry's flag-ship. The enemy was well 

 hnva in cirriif onri tiio "^inQ^oy.rv " rn Q /] oai'i f^ fortified and armed, and had made all prepara- 

 tions for a determined resistance, but in half an 



hove in sight, and the " Guerrero " made sail to 

 escape. Next morning the Mexican was over- 

 hauled by the Spaniard, and, seeing that escape hour after the fire was opened the Mexicans were 



