Evening star., 1898-11-19
Uncle Sam Once Held Sway Over the
Marquesas Islands.
BUT IT WAS ONLY FOR A FEW WEEKS
Capt. Porter Changed Their Name
in Honor Of the President
GOOD WORK OF THE ESSEX
From the Chicago Times Herald.


and the talk of annexation. l have seen no
| mention made of the seizure by the United
states OF the Marquesas Islands in the Pa
chic, where our flag was hoisted in due
| form by a brave naval officer and poSses-
| sion taken in the name of the United
states Ihls may be because, interesting as
| the event is. there is nothing about il in
| the shorter American histories, and even
Henry Adams five volumes devoted To
| Madison's administration have but a few
| lines of reference.
| The officer who undertook this annexation
enterprise was Captain David Porter of the
| Essex. father of Admiral Porter The cruise
| OF the Essex, his ship. was one of the most
| remarkable IN American naval history
| There have been no more daring exploits
| performed tnan those of this American,
VINO swept the Pacific ocean during the
| war OF 1872. Porter left Philadelphia on
| october a, 1872 to join Bainbridge sailing
| south. but missed him, so that when Balm
| bridge reached Boston, February % lSl3
| Porter had rounded Cape Horn on his way
| north In the Pacific ocean. In those DAYS
| naval officers were independent. There were
| no cable lines to tie them to Washington,
| nor were strategy boards known. So Por-
| ter undertook his Pacific expedition on his
| own responsibility, the funds being sup
| pied by the capture OF $4,000 from a Brit
| ish packet he met on his way 10 the Horn
| In the Pacific Porter had everything his
| own way. The Galapagos Islands were the
| seat of the British whaling fisheries and
| going there he captured twelve well-armed
| whalers, every one In the region. and in
| deed there was far as he knew not q
| British vessel left in the South Pacific.
Was "A Free Lance.
The best Of these vessels he kept and he
| had nine vessels in his fleet fairly well
armed and manned, each in charge OF an
| officer from his own ship. Provisions were
| obtained by capture from British ships, but
| 1t became necessary to make repairs 10
| his squadron. Calling at Valparaiso. he
/ found that the Chileans sympat thized with
| the British. although they did not dare to
| oppose him He also learned that the Brit
| ish alarmed at his victories had deter
mined to send the frigate Phoebe and an
| other ship after him. British commerce in
| the Pacific had been destroyed, the prestige
| of British arms had been diminished and
| Peru and Chile were rapidly beginning TO
| believe that Great Britain inferior TO
the great republic.
| Believing that Valparaiso was not a safe
| harbor in which to refit his ships, he deter
| mined to seek a port in the southern Pa
! cific where he could make repairs. On his
| way there UP the northern coast he learned
| that Peruvian privateers were preSing on
| American commerce. He oVerhauled a
| Peruvian with two American prizes took
| from her all the captured Americans, cast
her armament overheard and sent her into
| Callao with a letter to the viceroy warning
| him to behave better in future.
Porter then set out for the Marquesas,
| three thousand miles away, where he ar
| rived on October %, 1913. having gathered
| in couple of English prizes route. The
| Marquesas Islands belonged to no one then
! except the natives. They had been dis
| covered by Mendana in 1898, and again by
| Captain Cook in 1774. but the craze for
| land-srabbing did not then exist, and tho
| natives were left to their own devices.
Annexing the Islands.
When Porter arrived at these islands,
| which he described in his journal as a per-
| feet paradise, he foun1 that a war was
| raging between the native tribes. Where
| upon he decided that the best thing to do
was to annex the islands. This he did in a
proclamation, which is too long to quote
| here, but which begins
1T is hereby made known TO the world
| that l, David Porter, captain in the navy
| of the United States, and now In command
| of the Essex. have. on the part of the said
United States, taken possession of the ISL
| and called by the natives Nukahiva, gem
| orally known by the name of Sir Henry
Martins Island, but now called Madison
| Island"
Not content with changing the name Of
| the principal island in the group to Madi-
| son, Porter also chose village as capital.
| named that Madison, and constructed a
| fort, which he called Fort Madison.
The annexation was not made peaceably.
| The rightful king was willing to he an
EtAed, out the rival faction objected, ana
four thousand OF the savages made an at
| tack on Porter. Their stones and iaVelins
| were without effect when mafched against
| the cannon that Porter unloaded from his
| ships. The hostile tribes sued for peace,
and thereafter there was no trouble as
| they regarded the captain and his men as
! demigods whom it would be useless TO op-
pose, and brought presents 10 the ships.
An Ideal Existence.
For six weeks Porter and his men re-
maired at the islands. leading an ideal ex-
istence. The natives were hospitable, AMI
had a real affection for the white men.
When the time came for parting the ma
tives wept, and most Of the sailors were re-
luctant to leave. Indeed, they were almost
mutinous. But Porter himself. though he
enjoyed the rest was anxious to return to
a more frequented part of the Pacific ocean
to fight the British. Before leaving. how
ever, he told the natives that they must
reVer haul down the American flag, ans he
left four or five sailors, who were espe-
cially anxious to remain. a garrison.
The Marquesas Islands remained in the
possession of the United States for only a
few weeks after Porter's departure. The
sailors began a career of dissipation. and
were promptly killed. The sovereignty Of
the United States was al an end, ans the
flag came down. There was never any at
tempt made to put the flag back. and in
1872 France assumed a prOtectorate over
the islands. which she retains to this day.
The area of the islands is 4s0 square miles.
and their population about six thousand.
Defeated with Honor.
The truth is that prestige in the Pa
cifc suffered somewhat at about this time
Porter alone could not maintain sover-
eighty. He reached Valparaiso on Feb
ruary g. 1914. and there found the British
frigate Phoebe, thirty-six guns, under Capt
Hillyar with the Cherub, twenty-five guns.
The two ships had about twice as many
guns and about twice many seamen as
had Porter, and they had been instructed
to capture Porter and destroy his Vessels
at any cost They blockaded Porter's shps
The captain. after a few days decided to
make run for it, such as Cervera made ut
Santiago, but with as poor success. The
Essex injured of her sails and was
forced to make a stand. The result was
one OF the bloodest battles of the war of
1912. When at last the Essex was help
less wreck and on fire and his magazine
was threatened, when of the two hundred
and twenty-five brave men who went into
the fight on board of her only seventy-five
effective ones remained Porter hauled
down his flag.
There was no disgrace attaching TO his