The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-02-12

r and H hauled down the bed
clothes over the front part of the bed,
so the light could not reflect from the OPP
pOsite wall out of the window. Every
thing being ready, / struck the light and
lay down on the floor to wait for the
oysters to cook. After they were cooked
we drew the table up to the window, and
then commenced the fun! We ate quart
this time, and, as soon as we had finished,
we cooked another quart and ate them"
1t was while young Porter was thus
fun-loving and careless, at Annapolis, that
the storm-cloud of civil war bucst suddenly
upon our country. Beautifully then did
he illustrate the change which seemed to
transform the people of the loyal North.
As by single bound he sprang from
llght-hearted bOyishness to mature young
manhood, ready for the severest patriot
service. No more talk of home leave and
gold lace. No more time wasted in student
frolics. Il suppose you have heard before
this that civil war has commenced" he
wrote bone on the dark 18th of April.
Fort Sumter has been taken l
think that the Secretary (of the Navy
will graduate the first class Immediately,
and that the third and fourth classes will
go on leave. / think l shall apply to be
sent down to the Gulf if my class goes on
leave. I have sworn to stand
by the glorious Stars and Stripes, and just
as long as there is star left l will fight
for it." Nobly did the young hero fulfill
the spirit of that PLEDGE!
Porter's first service was as Midship-
man on the Roanoke, on blockade duty off
the Atlantic coast. That was dull work
for him; and he was glad enough when
his petition for a share in the then fitting
Burnside expedition was favorably receive
ed, and he was put in command of six
launches. with battery of Dahlgren how
tiers and $50 men. At the battle of Ro-
anoke Island Midshipman Porter's battery
was in position on land, with the army's
extreme advance. In that fight-one of
the sharpest of the war for the numbers
engaged-that boy of II stood at his guns,
under a destructive fire, inspiring his men
by his magnetic presence and irrepressible
enthusiasm, and doing eminent execution
by the fire he directed. Admiral Colds
borough, Commodore Marston, and Gems.
Burnside and Foster commended his "ad-
mirable conduct" as Observing of the
highest praise" and as having mot only
contributed largely to the success of the
day, but won the admiration of all who
witnessed the display"
After this battle young Porter was as
signed. as an Acting Master, to the COM
mand of the gunboat Ellis. on duty in the
North Carolina waters. Not yet IS, with
active part in the reduction of Fort Macon.
In the Fall of 1862, on his promotion as
Ensign. he was ordered to report to Admit
raj Dupont, at Port Royal. After several
months of blockading service he was. in
the Summer of 1863, selected by Admiral
Dablgren to explore Charleston Haroor
and learn its distractions and channel
ways. This was difficult and delicate
task, requiring judgment and caution, as
well as energy and daring. The work
must be done by night, in the face of dan
gers from sunken torpedoes and from an
ever-watchful enemy. For "a consecutive
nights that 18-year-old boy was on this
service, while during 10 Of the interven-
ing days his vessel was in action and he on
duty there. Night after night he sroped
his way In the darkness among the har-
Dor distractions, and day after day he
was active on hfs ships gun-deck He
found the passageway of the blockade
| runners, passed the enemy's forts again
and again. and actually skirted the
| wharves of the city of Charleston. On
one occasion, when a boat from the fleet
| was run down by the Confederate steamer
Alice, that daring and chivalrous boy
| flashed his lights and rescued eight of the
drowning men, although thereby making
himself the target of the guns from land
and sea. 1t is not to be wondered at that
| SuSH was tHe StTdIu OF tnlS service on his
nervous system, the brave young Ensign
wonld at times be so exhausted on his re.
turn to his ship that his men must lift him
from the boat, and his loss of flesh was a
pound day during the more than three
weeks of this venturesome scouting.
For night attack on Fort Sumter, In
September, 1863, Ensign Porter volun.
teered to join a scaling party, and was
taken prisoner with the few other officer.
who were brave enough to persevere in the
assault after most of the boats had been
driven from the scene. Carried first to
Charleston, he was soon sent up to Co.
iumbia, and 1t was there that was his
fellow-prisoner for several months
Prison life was more trying to young Por.
ter than scouting in Charleston Harbor
had been, but he submitted to it as cheer.
fully as he did to every other privation or
trial in the line of duty. He had Ii
months in prison. A part of the time he
was in irons as one of the hostages for two
| Confederate privateersmen, who were held
by our Government as pirates. Once he
aided In digging tunnel under the Jail