The adopted son of Commodore David Porter, Admiral David G. Farragut rose through the ranks to command the Union Navy during the Civil War. Porter's last duty as a midshipman was on the frigate USS United States, flagship of Commodore Daniel Patterson, from June 1832 until October 1834. 328. He died at the age of 77 on the morning of February 13, 1891. He stated that he felt some responsibility for Lincoln's death, feeling that had he been with him on the night of his death, he might have prevented his murder.[56]. He served as president of the society until his death the next year. [citation needed] Confederate opposition under Major General Richard Taylor[a] succeeded in keeping them apart by defeating Banks at the Battle of Mansfield, following which Banks gave up the expedition. David Porter is remembered by all Americans as the naval officer who, in command of the United States Frigate Essex, in the War of 1812,was overwhelmed, defeated, and captured by two British frigates in a harbor of a neutral country, Chili. Old Inlet was protected by lesser forts. Porter was born on … Porter turned to writing, producing some histories that are of doubtful reliability but provide insights into his own beliefs and character. David Dixon Porter was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, on June 8, 1813, to David Porter and Evalina (Anderson) Porter. Butler brought part of his troops ashore, but he was already convinced that the effort was hopeless, so he removed his force before making an all-out assault. Naval Officer, was born in 1780 and entered the Navy in 1798. He fondly recalled the events in his 1885 book, Incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War, where he described witnessing scores of many freed slaves rushing to get a glimpse of Lincoln, whom they admired as a hero and credited for their emancipation, kissing his clothing and singing odes to him: Twenty years have passed since that event; it is almost too new in history to make a great impression, but the time will come when it will loom up as one of the greatest of man's achievements, and the name of Abraham Lincoln — who of his own will struck the shackles from the limbs of four millions of people — will be honored thousands of years from now as man's name was never honored before. As he wrote in his Diary,[35], Thus Commander Porter became Acting Rear Admiral Porter without going through the intermediate ranks of captain and commodore. He submitted a plan to attack it to Captain Tattnall. (Reprinted 1967 by Shoestring). In the action, the elder Porter was killed and afterwards David Dixon was taken to Havana as a prisoner. Due to his relative maturity and experience, greater than that of most naval lieutenants, Porter tended to be cocky and challenge some of his superiors, leading to conflict. [60] Porter reached the mandatory retirement age of 62 in June 1875 but was allowed to remain on active duty. Guerrero, mounting 22 guns, was one of the finest vessels in the small Mexican Navy. When Vicksburg was besieged, the encirclement was made complete by the Navy's control of the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. He captured a large number of British whaling vessels and took possession of Nuku Hiva, the largest of the Marquesas Islands, in November 1813. Fort St. Philip had to follow suit. WikiProject Military history (Rated C-Class) This article is within the scope of the Military history WikiProject. He was the son of Commodore David Porter (a naval hero of the War of 1812), half-brother of William D. “Dirty Bill” Porter, and the foster brother of David Glasgow Farragut. At Vicksburg, Mississippi he found that the bluffs were too high to be reached by the guns of his fleet, so he ordered Porter to bring his mortar flotilla up. [16], Mexico did not have a real navy, so naval personnel had little opportunity for distinction. 2001. pg. There, his pay was such that he could save enough to marry. In 1870, Farragut died, and it was expected that Porter would be promoted to fill the vacancy. When his adoptive brother David G. Farragut was advanced from rank of vice-admiral to admiral, Porter took his previous position; likewise, when Farragut died, Porter became the second man to hold the newly created rank of admiral. Jun 11, 2018 - This Pin was discovered by Robbie. Jun 11, 2018 - This Pin was discovered by Robbie. David Porter is remembered. [33] According to the organization charts, the persons in command of the blockading squadrons were to be rear admirals. Borie had no knowledge of the navy and little desire to learn, so he leaned on Porter for advice that the latter was quite willing to give. On April 29, the gunboats spent most of the day bombarding two Confederate forts. His parents were John Tucker, originally from Bermuda, and Sara Douglas. Omissions? Doing so meant, however, that they had to run by the forts, which was contrary to the orders of Commodore Matthew C. Perry. ("Agamemnon", "Hom. Intercepted by Lealtad, he could not escape. Surrender of the two forts was accepted by Commander Porter on April 28. [27], Lincoln did not punish Seward for his part in the incident, so Welles felt that he had no choice but to forgive Porter, whose culpability was less. "[57] To be sure that his reforms would remain in place after his departure, he brought to the faculty a group of like-minded men, mostly young officers who had distinguished themselves in the war. ("Agamemnon", "Hom. He saw them as a dire threat to the Federal government’s plan to subdue the Confederacy. Admiral David D. Porter, The Naval History of the Civil War. [11], In March 1841, Porter was promoted in rank to lieutenant, and in April of the next year he was detached from the Coast Survey. David Porter (February 1, 1780 – March 3, 1843) was an officer in the United States Navy in the rank of captain and the honorary title of commodore. From that time on, Porter's primary task was to extricate his fleet. "[37] Historian John D. Winters, in his The Civil War in Louisiana, describes Porter as having "possessed the qualities of abundant energy, recklessness, resourcefulness, and fighting spirit needed for the trying role ahead. He was also an honorary member of the Society of the Cincinnati. [58], When Porter's friend Ulysses S. Grant became president in 1869, he appointed Philadelphia businessman Adolph E. Borie as Secretary of the Navy. Henceforth, he kept Spitfire by his side. He had a brief tour of duty in the Mediterranean, and then he was assigned to the U.S. Navy's Hydrographic Office. He was able to serve on the frigate Libertad, where he saw little action, and on the captured merchantman Esmeralda for a raid on Spanish shipping in Cuban waters. Porter's administration of the Navy Department aroused powerful opposition by some in Congress, who forced the Secretary of the Navy Adolph E. Borie to resign. "Porter, David Dixon (1813-1891), naval officer" published on by Oxford University Press. After attending school in Washington as well as the naval shipyard at Chester, Pennsylvania, Farragut departed with Master-Commandant David Porter Jr. for Norfolk in July 1811. Farragut served during the War of 1812 under his foster father, naval officer David Porter, and received his first command in 1824. David Dixon Porter was born into a family with a strong Naval tradition. Naval … Porter." He initiated reforms in the curriculum to increase professionalism. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank of admiral, after his adoptive brother David G. Farragut, Porter helped improve the Navy as the Superintendent of the U.S. Porter had opined that two days of concentrated fire would be enough to reduce the forts, but after five days they seemed as strong as ever. From Naval History and Heritage Command When we last checked in with legendary Capt. The relief expedition could only wait outside the harbor. David D. Porter was born on 8 June 1813 in Chester, Pennsylvania, a son of David and Evalina (Anderson) Porter. The city could not be taken, however, without active participation by the army, which did not happen. The appointment was dated February 2, 1829, when he was sixteen years of age; this was somewhat older than many midshipmen, some of whom had been taken in as boys. I've mentioned repeatedly that his writing is often not to be trusted (at least not without independent verification), and that he was aggressively (even unethically) ambitious. Grant called off the assault and moved downstream to Bruinsburg, where he was able to cross the river unopposed. Theodoric, became an officer in the US Army; he was killed at Matamoros in the. Farragut, who put little reliance on the mortars anyway, made the decision to bypass the forts on the night of April 24. The younger David was one of 10 children, including six boys. David Porter (February 1, 1780 – March 3, 1843) was an officer in the United States Navy in the rank of captain and the honorary title of commodore. [53], Porter, enraged by Butler's timorousness, went to U. S. Grant and demanded that Butler be removed. Perry rewarded him for his initiative by making him captain of Spitfire. Porter served as first lieutenant of the sidewheel gunboat USS Spitfire under Commander Josiah Tattnall. [citation needed] Admiral Porter was not in favor; he thought that the next objective of his fleet should be to capture Mobile, but he received direct orders from Washington to cooperate with Banks. Porter commanded a number of U.S. naval ships, including the famous USS Constitution. He was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, the son of David Porter, who was a distinguished naval officer and hero of the War of 1812, and was also a diplomat. [30], The bombardment of Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip began on April 18, 1862. After attending school in Washington as well as the naval shipyard at Chester, Pennsylvania, Farragut departed with Master-Commandant David Porter Jr. for Norfolk in July 1811. David Dixon Porter was a United States naval officer. Commodore David Porter offered to adopt James, to which the boy and George agreed. Fonvielle. As he was unaware that Powhatan would not be available, he included it in his plans. [36], Secretary of War Edwin Stanton considered Porter "a gas bag ... blowing his own trumpet and stealing credit which belongs to others. [45], Although the fleet made no major offensive contributions to the campaign after Grand Gulf, it remained important in its secondary role of keeping the blockade against the city. David Dixon Porter - Joining the US Navy: In 1828, Porter sailed aboard the brig Guerrero (22 guns) to attack Spanish shipping off Cuba. [40] The other was Major General McClernand, whom he just as quickly came to dislike. The others being Richard E. Byrd and Ben Moreell.) American naval officer David Porter commanded the frigate Essex on its two-year expedition against British shipping during the War of 1812. He then discovered that while he was away the United States had gone to war with Mexico. David Porter (officier naval) Pour les articles homonymes, voir David Porter. your own Pins on Pinterest Captain Theodoric Porter made his career in the navy. Their friendship lasted until the time of their deaths, one day apart. The surviving five sons all became officers, four in the U.S. Navy: His uncle John Porter and his wife did not have as many children, but their son Fitz John Porter was a major general in the US Army at the time of the Civil War. He resigned from the U.S. Navy in 1826, then joined the Mexican Navy for three years. Discover (and save!) Borie was strongly criticized for his failure to control his subordinate, and after three months he resigned. He gathered a corps of like-minded officers devoted to naval reform. In 1866, the rank of admiral was created in the U.S. Navy. [19][20], In Washington again following the war, Porter saw little chance for professional improvement and none for advancement. Commanded by his cousin, David Henry Porter, Guerrero was captured by the Spanish frigate Lealtad (64). Updates? France, already in control of Mexico through its puppet Maximilian, were interested in also claiming Texas, which was of no use to the Confederacy following their defeat at Vicksburg. The Spanish 64-gun frigate Lealtad put to sea. His youngest brother Thomas died of yellow fever at the age of ten, contracted when traveling with his father for the Mexican Navy. He was assigned national membership number 1801 and District of Columbia Society membership number 1. Farragut was too ill to serve, however, so Welles then decided to switch Lee with Porter: Lee would command the Mississippi River Squadron, and Porter would come east and prepare for the attack on Fort Fisher. The offer would be effective when she was complete. By April 1865, the Civil War drawing to a close, U.S. victory in the war was all but guaranteed. He accepted an offer from the government of Mexico to become their General of Marine – in effect, the commander of their navy. [42][43], Close cooperation between the Army and Navy was vital to the success of the siege of Vicksburg. In the early days of President Grant's administration, Porter was de facto Secretary of the Navy. For the American Civil War naval figure, see David Dixon Porter, for other persons see David Porter (disambiguation). From Naval History and Heritage Command When we last checked in with legendary Capt. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy.23 He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" He often heaped undue praise upon a subordinate, but rarely could find much to admire in a superior. 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