Washington sentinel., 1853-10-07
From the ~ Y. Herald.
The Porter Family, and the Pirates and Au-
thorities of Cuba.

/
The Porter Family, and the Pirates and Au-
thorities of Cuba.
AN UNPUBLISHED CHAPTER OF AMERICAN NAVAL
| HISTORY
To tie Editor Of the Herald:
| 1t appears that the Havana Diario has been
amusing itself in abusing "all the Porters. -
A short history of events in which this family
have been connected with the Island of Cuba,
may not be uninteresting just at this moment.
| In the year lS0S or thereabouts, several YES
sells were cruising in the Gulf of Mexico against
| Spanish commerce the consulate of Havana
offered large reward for the capture of these
vessels Commodore David Porter fitted out
an expedition, captured them, and handed the
crews and vessels over to the captain-general
of Cuba; the former were executed and the
latter sold With the proverbial honesty of the
governors of Cuba, the reward was refused, or
at least disputed, on the ground that Commodore
Porter, being an officer under the American
government, was bound to capture all pirates,
(fllibusteroes; !; but finally, after long discus
sion, the debt of $4,000 was admitted but
never paid This claim on Cuba amounts to
the neat little sum of $290,000. In 1921, '22
and '23, when the fllibusteroes (pirates) were
injecting the West Indies and fitted out their
crafts in the ports of Cuba, Commodore Porter
was appointed by the United States to com
mand fishing and bay craft, for they were
nothing else-to sweep the West Indies of
these Cuban fllibusteroes. One of his very
first acts was to inform the captain-general of
Cuba of certain haunts of the pirates at the Isle
Of Pines, and even at Regla, in the harbor of
Havana. The captain-general refused to aid
the American squadron in any way.
The next step of Commodore Porter was to
fit out boats, capture the pirates fitting out at
Regla, and sweep the coast of Cuba with his
little vessels and boats. The gallant officers
| and seamen who manned them in many hard
fought battle, finally succeeded in finding their
haunts, capturing their vessels, and driving
these Cuban fllibusteroes from the sea. The
affair at Foxardo is two well known to make
any comments at this time. This action of our
government sent him into the Mexican navy.
| He carried with him several American officers,
and among them Lieutenant David III. Porter,
| his nephew, and two of his sons, David and
Thomas. He fitted out the Mexican navy,
blockaded the coast of Cuba captured many
Spanish vessels, and prevented large Spanish
expedition from Havana proceeding to Mexico.
During this period Lieutenant Porter, with the
rank of captain in the Mexican navy, blockaded
the coast of Cuba with an eighteen gun brig
| called the Guerrero, landed often on the coast,
penetrated to the interior of the island, and laid
| their towns under contribution. In the bay of
Mariel he fell in with two Spanish briggs, of
equal force with himself and in twenty minutes
compelled them to surrender While lowering
his boat to take possession of them, a Spanish
frgate hove in sight, which compelled him to
haul off and prepare to meet his new antago-
mist The frigate mounted ftty-tour heavy
| guns with a crew of $50 persons on board; the
brig, eighteen guns and 100 officers and men.
The action between them lasted two hours and
ffty-fye minutes, or until the brig had expend-
ed all her powder. 1t falling calm and Capt.
Porter being killed, the brig surrendered, with
a lost of twenty killed and twenty wounded;
the fdgate had one hundred and fifty killed and
wounded. Lieut.. d. d. Porter, now the COM
mander of the Golden Age, was at the time
midshibman on board the brig.
| After the surrender, the Spaniards, with their
usual magnanmity, rihed the officers and men
| Of their valuables, money, &c, not even forget
| ting the captains watch During the action
the frigate's crew deserted their quarters twice,
and it was with difficulty they could be driven
back to their guns. The constant annoyance
of Commodore Porter's squadron to Cuba, and
the commerce of Spain, compelled the latter to
offer peace to Mexico. Previous to Commo-
dore Porters entering the service of Mexico,
the Spanish minister offered to pay the Com
| mouOre SSU,vUU, tne just ueDt uue MN from
| Spain, provided he would not enter the service
of Mexico The commodore refused the bribe,
with this remark: "If the debt is a just one,
which you have admitted it to be, as an honor
able nation, you should pay it; but intend to
enter the service of Mexico"
| In l848, at the end of the Mexican war,
| Lieut.. w. ID. Porter entered the harbor Of Ha-
vana in command of the United States schooner
Matoresa, of two guns and thirty men. There
was at that time held in bondage an American
citizen, free coored man. The consul of the
United States, Wm Corbell, had endeavored to
have him released, but without success. Lieut..
Porter sent through Mr.. Corbell a message to
| the captain general, informing him that if the
American citizen then held in slavery was not
brought before the proper tribunals, and the
matter investigated, he would blockade the
port of Havana. The matter was investigated.
the citizen released, and, through the efforts of
Mr.. Corbell, damages awarded him. The late
affair of the Georgia, under command of d. ID.
Porter, is already fresh in the minds of the
people. His determined conduct on that occa-
sion sealed the fate of all the Porters on the
island of Cuba, with all the future captain gen.
erals of Cuba. All Cuban papers please copy.
One OF THE PoRTERs.