The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-05-24
TT. BELL, Editor and Proprietor.
THE LATE COMMODORE PORTER.
FROM THE NEW YORK EXPRESS.

FROM THE NEW YORK EXPRESS.
This gallant officer, one of the brightest
lluminaries that lend to the page of American
history lustre that reflects at once their
country's glory and then OVID, was born in
Boston. He was the son of s. North En-
DER" and sprang from that hardy stock
whence emanated the I" Liberty Boys" the
&c Tea Party" the &c Minute Men" of the
earliest Revolutionary times. "The Sailors
Home' is the name of a tavern which now
stands on the spot, near Hancock's Wharf
where the future, Commodore first drew
breath.
The name of Porter first appears conspic
uously in the history of the American Navy
in the year 1900, when, u midshipman on
board the " Experiment . under, the gallant
Stewart, he signalized himself in the memo
rable action with the French frigate Lin
surgente. His station in that engagement
was in the foretop, and such was his conduct
that the lack of influential friends alone is
said to have prevented his preferment. This.
however, was not long in coming. Merit
like his could not be dsregarded in that in
FAINT day of our gallant Navy. Upon Com
modore Barron's coming into the command
of the " Constellation" Porter was made
lieutenant, and was appointed to the & Elk
pertinent" under Captain Maley, on the
West India station. On this station he sig
nalized himselfby many exploits ofcool brav-
cry and gallantry. Receiving from Captain
Talbot the command of the a. Amphirite,' n
prize schooner, with five gnns and fifteen
men, he captured French privateer, heavi =
ly manned and armed, with much loss to the
enemy, and not any whatever to himself
This gave him a name and a station in the
Navy which he has never lost, but which, in
4 a
him with the most gallant spirits in that SER
vice.
At the period of the declaration of war
against Great Britain, IN 1912, we find Por-
ter captain in command of the "Essex"
| frigate, 80 guns. After the glorious capture
of the Guerriere'' by "Ol1 Ironsdes, !"
Captain cambridge Captain Hull desiring
to be relieved from that command) was ap-
pointed 10 the latter, and a squadron was
/ placed under his command, consisting of the
ESSEX" Porter and the Hornet" Law
renee. This was in September, 1912. Balm
bridge issued orders for the cruise, prescri-
! bling to Porter a certain course, al the end of
which, not meeting with the squadron at 4
specified point, he was to act at discretion.
! Thus directed, Porter sailed from the Del
aware OH the eth of October, 1912, and ON
menced one of the most glorious cruises re
cOrueu III our Nays chronicles.
Under the letter of his instructions, he pro
ceeded from the Delaware to the Brazil coast
capturing by the way an English packet,
which yielded large amount in prize mon
ey. The vessel was sent to the United States.
He then secured the coast to the La Plata,
and thence for the Pacific, arriving at Val
paraso, after a long succession of bad wealth
err on the 18th of March, 1918. Thence he
went to the CHILEAN and Peruvian coasts, and
encountered Peruvian corsair, which he
took, and among whose prisoners he found
twenty-four Americans, the crews of two
whaling vesseles taken on the coast of Chill
! Porter threw the pirates guns and ammuni-
ton overheard, and freed the prisoners. He
also recovered one of tie ships takeu by the
! pirate, as she was going into Lima. He then
pursued his meteor-like course in the Pacific,
doing immense injury tC the British COM
merce in that ocean, capturing many valua-
BILE cargoes, sending some of the prizes 10
the United States, and fitting out others as
consoris in his gallant cruise. With the
stripes and stars at his masthead, he carried
his little squadron into action, and became a
perfect scourge to the enemy in those seas.
by the rapid and daring devastation commit
ted upon their commerce there. II single
frigate," says the writer, was lording it
over the Pacific, rowing about the ocean in
saucy defiance of thousand English ships
revealing in the spoils of boundless wealth
and almost banishing the British flag from
those regions where it had so long waved
proudly predominant"
In vain were vessels after vessels sent forth
in pursuit of him. His manner of cruising
baffled all their attempts. No traces of his
whereabouts did he leave as, now shooting
into the open sea, and now lurking among
the Islands, keeping clear of the coast, he
kept all research of the foe at bay, and went
on all the time with his brilliant exploits
He took possession of an island in the Paclf-
ic, called it Madison's, (after the then Presi-
dent) fought with the natives, reduced them
repaired his ship, and. having quite reftted
and restored her, sailed for the CHILEAN coast
in December. 1918. Thence he went to V al
paraiso,. and there fell in with the British
Commodore Hillyar, with two ships. rs he
went into the harbor, one of these vessels
fell foul OF the &c ESSEX" and was at the mer-
cy of Porter. The port was neutral one,
and he did not avail himself of this advan
tage. He was as magnanimous as brave
and this conduct earned him the warm ac-
acknowledgement of the British commander
While in port, the most social and friendly
relations subsist ed between them and theii
crews.
L ne Engllsn COtntnOuOre put Jul vi Poil
keeping his ships together, to avoid sepa'
rate action. and regularly blockading Porter
at Valparaiso. In vain did the latter try tc
get fight out of either of his foes singly::-
HIllyar kept them snug, determined to give
Ills enemy no advantage. At length, the
gallant Yankee 'put out )" the foe bore
down upon him, and after most desperate
struggle against far superior force, his gal
: liant frigate, so long the terror and scourge o.
the British Lion, was captured. His loss
was tremendous. Nowhere in the whole
history of naval warfare is there any RECORD
OF an action more sanguinary, gallant ant
!, obstinate. The battle was seen from thu
) heights of Valparaiso, and all the sympathie.
t of the spectators were enlisted in the caus'
of the brave commander and crew ofthe gal
liant little frigate, defending herselfs so brave
. ly against greatly superior foe;
No battle ever fought upon the land OIL
the ocean more strongly or satisfactorily il
Illustrated the true courage which is Innate il
: the American character, than this same con
tart of the 6 Esseyo with the &C Phebeo ant