David Porter | |
|---|---|
 A portrait of Porter as a captain in the United States Navy | |
| United States Minister Resident to the Ottoman Empire | |
| In office May 23, 1840 – March 3, 1843 | |
| President | Martin Van Buren William Henry Harrison John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Dabney S. Carr |
| Chargé d'Affaires of the United States to the Ottoman Empire | |
| In office September 13, 1831 – May 23, 1840 | |
| President | Andrew Jackson Martin Van Buren |
| Preceded by | George W. Erving |
| Succeeded by | Himself as Minister Resident |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 1, 1780 |
| Died | March 3, 1843(1843-03-03) (aged 63) |
| Spouse | Evelina Anderson |
| Children | 10, includingDavid Dixon Porter |
| Signature | .png) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States (1798–1825) Mexico (1826–1829) |
| Branch/service | United States Navy Mexican Navy |
| Rank | Commodore |
| Commands | USS Amphitheatre USS Constitution USS Enterprise New Orleans station (US Navy) USS Essex USS Firefly West Indies Squadron |
| Battles/wars | |
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 theFirst Barbary War, theWar of 1812 and in theWest Indies. During the War of 1812, Porter captainedUSS Essex, and originated the Americanmotto of "Free trade and sailors' rights".[1] When Porterraided Spanish territory without orders in 1822, he wascourt-martialed and resigned his commission. Afterwards, Porter joined and became commander-in-chief of theMexican Navy.
Porter County, Indiana is named after him.
Born inBoston,Massachusetts, Porter served in theQuasi-War with France first asmidshipman aboardUSS Constellation, participating in the capture ofL'Insurgente on February 9, 1799; then as1st lieutenant ofExperiment; and finally in command of USSAmphitheatre.[2] During theFirst Barbary War (1801–1807), Porter was first lieutenant ofEnterprise,New York, andPhiladelphia and was taken prisoner when the latterran aground inTripoli harbor on October 31, 1803. After his release on June 3, 1805, he remained in the Mediterranean as acting captain ofUSS Constitution and later captain ofEnterprise.[3]
Porter married Evalina Anderson, and they had ten children who survived, including six sons.[4] One of these,David Dixon Porter, became an admiral in theUnited States Navy. Porter purchased the grand home built by the judge and politicianDavid Lloyd inChester, Pennsylvania. He made many additions, and the home became known as the Porter House. It was destroyed by explosion in 1882.[5]
Porter's father, David Porter Sr., met and befriended another naval veteran of theAmerican Revolutionary War,George Farragut, from the Balearic island of Minorca.[6] In late spring 1808, David Sr. sufferedsunstroke, and Farragut took him into his home, where his wife Elizabeth cared for him. Already weakened bytuberculosis, he died on June 22, 1808. Elizabeth Farragut died ofyellow fever the same day. Motherless, the Farragut children were to be placed with friends and relatives.[7]
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-oldJames Glasgow Farragut into his own household. Young James readily agreed. In 1809 he moved with Porter to Washington, where he met Secretary of the NavyPaul 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 asDavid Glasgow Farragut that he is remembered.[8]
Porter served in theQuasi-War with France. He was appointed a midshipman on April 16, 1798. Assigned toConstellation under the command ofJohn Rodgers, he saw action in thebattle againstL'Insurgente, notably saving themast by cutting away slings after it was damaged.[9][10] He was then selected as one of twelve men assigned to take possession ofL'Insurgente after the Americans captured her.[10]: 158 He was promoted tolieutenant on October 8, 1799. As lieutenant he served as second in command of theschoonerUSS Experiment during theaction of 1 January 1800, in which he got shot in his arm.[11]
In April 1802, he was stationed onUSS Chesapeake.[12] He was promoted to master commandant on April 22, 1806.[13]
He was in charge of the naval forces at theNew Orleans station (US Navy) from 1808 to 1810.[14] During his tenure at New Orleans, he setup anoptical telegraph network, inspired by the one established by the French, and copied by the British.[15]
With the outbreak of theWar of 1812, Porter was promoted tocaptain on July 2, 1812, and was assigned as commander ofUSS Essex. He sailed out of New York harbor with a banner proclaiming "Free trade and sailors' rights" flying from the foretopgallant mast.[1] On August 13, 1812, Porter captured theRoyal Navy sloopHMS Alert as well as several British merchantmen.[16]
In February 1813 he sailedEssex aroundCape Horn and cruised the Pacific, attackingBritish whalers. Porter's first action in the Pacific was the capture of the Peruvian merchantmanNereyda, 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 Americanprisoners 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.[17]
Porter and his fleet spent October–December 1813 resting and regrouping in theMarquesas Islands, which he claimed in the name of the United States and renamed them the Madison Islands, in honor of PresidentJames Madison.[17] On March 28, 1814, Porter encountered British frigateHMS Phoebe and thesloop-of-warHMS Cherub and thebattle of Valparaiso ensued. He surrendered to British CaptainJames Hillyar after his ship became too disabled to offer any resistance.[17]
Porter and the surviving crew set sail on April 27, 1814.[18] On July 6, Porter landed atBabylon, Long Island.[19][20]
Porter was granted the command of a 44 gun frigate under construction, originally namedColumbia, now renamed asEssex. Prior to its completion, it was destroyed during theBurning of Washington[21] In October, Fulton was named as commander of theFulton, a steam frigate under construction in New York. With little to do whilst awaiting the completion of the ship, in mid-October he proposed to assemble a squadron of schooners, to operate from southern ports, to disrupt British shipping in theWest Indies. Permission was granted. By December, he had three vessels. In early February 1815, he reported to the Secretary of the Navy that several factors had hindered his progress. The project became irrelevant after ratification of the peace treaty was proclaimed on February 18, 1815.[22]
From 1815 to 1822, he was a member of theBoard of Navy Commissioners but gave up this post to command the expedition for suppressing piracy in the West Indies (1823–1825). While in the West Indies suppressingpiracy, Porter invaded the town ofFajardo, Puerto Rico (then 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 wascourt-martialed upon his return to the U.S.[23] Porter resigned from the U.S. Navy on August 18, 1826, and, shortly after, was appointed ascommander-in-chief of theMexican Navy. He held this position from 1826 to 1829.[24]
He left the Mexican navy in 1829[25] and was appointed United States Minister to theBarbary States.[26]
He was appointed asChargé d'Affaires to theOttoman Empire by PresidentAndrew Jackson in 1831 and was promoted toMinister Resident in 1840.[27]
He died on March 3, 1843, inConstantinople,Ottoman Empire, while serving asUnited States Minister Resident to the Ottoman Empire. He was buried in the cemetery of thePhiladelphia Naval Asylum, and then in 1845 reburied in theWoodlands Cemetery inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania.[28]
| Chargé d'Affaires | |
|---|---|
| Minister Resident | |
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | |
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | |
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | |
