Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1843-05-08
ScicetioWo.
TIE LATE MODORE PORTER.
From the .Ntir York Erprc0

D,stal lie "as the son al Nnfth f.nder, aud
sprsng from that hardy stock whence rmsnaed Tho III
ctty Boys tho Tea Parry" the "Mnutc Men," ii
the earliest Revolutionary tunes The Sailors Home"
II ihe name OF tavern "hieh stands the ~
near Hare rh's harf, Where tho Commodore ms
/ drCi breath
The namc nj Porter first appears eenspjruousy in thc
history ol thr American Navy IN the year $50. when
a mldshlpnan on hunrd the "Fxp flnent." under tn.
gallant Stewart, he ssnaliaed hms.f,n the mrnutsbl
action Nth III. French lngatr llnsnfgcme. lis sta.
ton IN HAT engagement IN tire iofciup aud such
his conduo. that the lack of Influential friends slime
is said 10 lave prevented his prtrmen This, how.
eret was not lonr IN coming. Merit like his could
hr dlsreeaded IN tina, infant day four gnan, Navy
pom Commodore Iiarr's coming INTO the command u,
the It unstrllailon' Porter maie lieutenant ard
appii' ted 10 Tho Experiment, :" under Captain Ma
icy, on the West ldl, sailun On ihiS station lac sg
nal ard himself by many exploits 81 cool bravery and
2allanlry. Receiving it"in Captain Talbot the com
mand III the "Amphi'ne."a prize schoonrr. with five
guns aud fifteen ntn, hr captured a French p iyatte
hr,sily manned and armed. with l,ueh tie enem,
aud not any whatever 10 himself THIS gave bun
name aud station the Navy which has ne ver lost
but which, IN the iaPd progress oi Advancement deni-
tied Inn WIN The most palaut SPIRITS that service.
Al the perad oi HE doclarallon al war apsn, Great
Bran, III 1872. w find Puttt araptsln IN ann nnd
oi the ESSEX, ingatr. 32guns Aet the platous cap
lutc oi the "GaerHrrc," 10y "Od lUnsldr4n CAPTAIN
Dnnbrdae Captain Huh desiring 10 BIZ relieved from
that coriahdl MIS- appointed Ia til. latter mud 4 .uad
ron MAS placed under hls command. Constituting the
"EsseN,' Porter and The 'll,rncl. - aw renee THIS
~asln September. 1872. Banhrdge ISSUED orders Ion
the eruisr prescribing Ia Porter COURSE. the
rnd o which, mi meeting with the squadron spccl-
he'd point, lie nas To acl AT discretion Tim. dft.clcd
Porter sailed lrom the Delaware lie <7h al October
ISL. aud commenced one ii the g,rious cruises
rccordcd IN uuf Nav, : chronicles.
Under the letter Of his Instructions, he proceeded from
the Delaware Ia The Bra7ll coast. capturing b, lhe way
an English packet. winch yielded LARGE amount In
prize money. The vessel was sent to the | nrd
States lie then secured the coast Ia the La Plaza. and
thence Gr the Pacific arriving at Valparaiso. ailera lie
successloh o bad weather, Oh tie l1lh ii March. 1913
thence Ii. Wtni In tho I hilau and Peruvian coasts
aud enc.uncnd Peruvian cotsair which hc took and
among whose prs mrs he found twenty four Americans
the crews al tMo whaling ,essrs nk,no On the o
Chlll Poucr threw the p,ratcs gun. aud ammunition
overheard, aud freed the prisoners. LIE also reevccd
once The SHIPS aiken by the pirate she going
nlo Inna, lie then pursued his like course in
the Pacific, dung immense injury 10 tie BRUSH
meee In that ocean, capturing many valuable enp"'s
sending some al hls ptlns 10 The United States and fit
tngoui oth'fs As cot sur IN sgaantcusa. " iih te
stripes asd sials Al his unshrad. hr carried his ic
squadron into scon, aud became perfect sruuer the
eatmy III those seas. by the rapid aud daring devastation
ron0nli'd upon thcu commerce lh.fc. "A single IN
3aie, says y ftfetI Aner, WAS l9fding II over tle
Pacific, rvn, about the ocean III sa9cy d,ilanta At
thousand English ships fesrng III the spplls ii bound
los wealth. and almost hanlshlng the BRUSH 1ag from
those regIoGs vito II had ~ long waved pold, prc
dumnaHr.'
In vess, u after yrsscl. sent forth in pr rsu
OF hun lis manner III cruising haill,d NIL lhrr al.
tcmps. No traces Of hs Whrrcabouis did ht leave;
nON shooting INTO The open sea, and noW lurking among
the Islands, kopn. clear o the c'asl he Lcpl all
srafeh o the Toe at bay and went ON all the mo with
his bfl ant exploits. lie took puss,sslun Of island
IN the Pacific, called hadson's, CATER the then Pres
lent fought with the natives, reduced them. repaired
his ship, and, having quite re- fited and Scored h,r
sailed t'r hc Ch'Ian coast III December, 1873 Thence
hc went 10 alparaIso and there fell with the BRUSH
Comnodorc 1ilyar, with Two Slips. Al ho Iito
the hafbur, ofthcsc vessels il Ionl OF tho 'I43cA
and Was at the mercy ol Porter. Ihe part neutral
one, and he did not avail himself ii this advantage lie
VAS as naQnaplInas as rayr. and tins conduct earned
him the warm aeknow dsneni OF tho British command
Ter. While IN p9rl, the must social aid irndly rrla
tons su sisted between them aud Their crews.
lhf English omnrdore put out oi port, keeping his
Ahlps together, L, avod separate action, aud leo
ulafy b'chadln. Porter at Valparaiso, In vain did
the Latter try Ia pet fl out Of either u his Its sin
! eIy lldiyar kept them snug. determined to rive his
enemy 10 advantage. At length, the gallant Yankee
pnt out. the IL. brc duwn upon him. and alter mos'
dcspemie hruglle a"nus lar superior force. his gal
LAM gatc 81 long the and sronrgr u The British
Lion. WAS caItnred Ills hss tremendous. No.
whero the Whole history 81 naval Watilrr Is there
record "i any arpn sanguInaiy. gallant and uhsil
nate. The h1ftle from the heights Of talna
raso and all the sympalhles OF the spectators we're
listed IN lhc cause I" the brave commander aud crew III
gainst great sup Nor fe.
No hnir ever fought upon the land or ocean more
strongly and satisfactorily illustrated the rourape
Which Is innate IN the American charncirt thar ilis
same contest If the 'FsseN" with The "Phcbr" and
I"Cbernb." AtIts termination Porter hlrfatcd
his parole. and returned with the of his dovo
tod crew. To thr ned STATES IN ihe Essex junior
BriIe he Gould come into The port nf New York. n
mother British vessel uvcrhaucd him. and took him
prisoner, thus violating the terms 81 the pnre. Being
then Liberty act as ht should find ocraslon the in
lrepd Porter found means escape landed Long Is
land. and received by his fellow clriz,us will 90
lhuslastlc and grateful warmth lie WAS hero in
their eyes hsr PLOTS for III. last year having filled all
minds with the highest admiration o his bravery aud gal
laniry.
The subsequent Of Commndore Porter is "a
milar with all our readers Peace being ratified, the
life of the most gallant of our navy henccfrih to
derive its lustre by c1rcion from The past, The hero
of the Saucy Ess,A" had gathered harvest OF aurcs,
upon which his fame could safely rep1se for all tlmr.
high his country had acquired in arms. II need
should be, he ye, needed ma occasion si.nallzc
his claim 10 the remembrance e posterly. Vi her
most gallant defenders.
Being appointed by his Government 10 = diplomatic
station Consianiruple he had resided ihr capt
tai for several years during which time he had dsch,r
eed all the duties "f his position arcep'ably; when ON
Friday the 3d Of last month precisely at meridian, he
hreahed his last III land Of strangers, but not without
warm and attached friends around him. To receive his
last requests, and prrm for him the last sad offcrs.
HIS disease pcurisy. and lr DAYS prior Ia his
decrease he had i. that the event distant.
Letters from Consianiinnpe. dated the DAY of bis
rm that ii was his last will that he should