William D . Porter William David Porter ( 10 March 1808 – 1 May 1864 ) was a flag officer of the United States Navy . He was the son of Commodore David Porter ( 1780 – 1843 ) and brother of Admiral David Dixon Porter ( 1813 – 1891 ) as well as foster brother of Admiral David Farragut ( 1801 – 1870 ) . Early career . Porter was born on 10 March 1808 in New Orleans , Louisiana . He spent much of his childhood in Chester , Pennsylvania . After an early and unsuccessful attempt to stow away on his uncle John Porter ' s , ship - of - the - line , he signed on " Franklin " at the age of 12 . Porter was appointed a midshipman on 1 January 1823 , and 11 years later was commissioned a lieutenant . From 1838 to 1840 , he served as lighthouse inspector for the portion of the east coast between Norfolk , Virginia , and New York . That duty was followed in 1840 with an assignment at the Washington Navy Yard as ordnance officer . During this assignment , he became interested in the development of an explosive shell suitable for naval use . After leaving Washington , Porter spent the next decade superintending the outfitting of new steam ships for the Navy , commanding supply vessels , and delivering mail and supplies to Navy units abroad . Following retirement between 1855 and 1859 , he returned to active duty and took command of the sloop - of - war . He patrolled the Pacific coasts of Mexico and Central America for two years protecting American interests in that area . Civil War . The secession of Southern states in 1860 and 1861 caused " St . Mary ' s " to be recalled to her base at Mare Island , California . In the summer of 1861 , Porter was relieved of command of the ship and ordered to Washington , D . C . In the autumn , he was assigned to special duty in St . Louis , Missouri , to assist in establishing the Western Flotilla to seize and control the Mississippi and its tributaries for the Union . On 3 October , he was given the command of a ferryboat - turned - gunboat " New Era " . Serving under Flag Officer Andrew Foote , he patrolled the Cumberland River , keeping a wary eye upon the growing Confederate defenses along the river . In November , he took his ship to St . Louis for repairs ; and , upon his return to the flotilla at Cairo , Illinois , " New Era " sported a new name , , in honor of the frigate , which Porter ' s father had commanded during the War of 1812 . Between January and August 1862 , Porter served gallantly up and down the Mississippi River . On 10 January , " Essex " and engaged three Confederate gunboats and forced them to retreat to the protection of Southern shore batteries . The two Union gunboats repeated the feat three days later and succeeded in damaging their opponents . Only Confederate shore batteries prevented the capture of the three steamers . On 6 February , " Essex " joined the rest of Foote ' s gunboat squadron in the attack on Fort Henry . Porter ' s ship , second in line , sustained heavy fire from shore batteries and received at least 15 direct hits . About half an hour into the fray , " Essex " took a 32 - pound shot through her bow shield . It pierced her boilers , releasing steam which severely scalded 28 men . Commander Porter — himself blinded and scalded — continued to conn his ship until she was clear of the action . Though still severely hampered by his injuries , Porter directed the extensive repair and renovation of " Essex " from his sick bed . At the same time , he also superintended the construction of two other warships , the ironclad s and . Porter completed the renovation of " Essex " at St . Louis in July and rejoined the Western Flotilla at Vicksburg , Mississippi , later that month . At dawn on the 22nd , Porter took " Essex " out to confront the Confederate ironclad ram which had recently left her refuge in the Yazoo River to seek greater safety under the cover of Vicksburg ' s shore batteries . In company with the smaller converted riverboat , " Essex " moved in toward the Southern warship . During the approach of the two Union ships , Confederate shore batteries subjected them to a withering fire . Finally , " Essex " struck " Arkansas " a jarring blow but at an oblique angle . As a result , she glanced off the Southern ram and ran aground parallel to her adversary . Porter worked furiously to free his ship and , after much difficulty , managed to retire , with " Queen of the West " close behind . Thereafter , since " Essex " had sustained only minor damage , Porter kept her on station patrolling the lower Mississippi River between Vicksburg and Baton Rouge . On 5 August , his ship and assisted Union Army troops in repelling a Confederate land attack on Baton Rouge . The following morning , he headed north to Vicksburg to confront " Arkansas " once more . He found his quarry on a bend in the river , close to the shore . In the ensuing bombardment , Porter used an incendiary shell which he himself had invented . After about 20 minutes of shelling , " Arkansas " erupted into flames and soon blew up . Evidence suggests that the Confederate crew had set their own ship afire to prevent her capture . Be that as it may , Porter ' s bold action played no small part in the ram ' s destruction . Moreover , Congress recognized the role played by Porter and his ship in June 1864 when they belatedly awarded the " Essex " crew $ 25 , 000 in prize money . Porter ' s last real action in the war occurred in September 1862 when " Essex " conducted a bombardment of Natchez , Mississippi , and duelled the shore batteries at Port Hudson , Louisiana . Later that month , he returned to New Orleans where new orders awaited him . Promoted to the rank of commodore , Porter was assigned to duty at New York . There , he served in various capacities until hospitalized in April 1864 . On 1 May 1864 , Commodore Porter died of heart disease at St . Luke ' s Hospital in New York City , New York . Although he was buried initially at Greenwood Cemetery in New York , he was moved to The Woodlands , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , in June and laid to rest beside his famous father , Commodore David Porter . Namesake . In 1942 , the destroyer was named in his honor .