Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/101

Rh "Arkansas " above Baton Rouge, 15 July, 1862, and disabled her. and her magazine shortly after- ward exploded. He was made commodore on 16 July, 1862, and then bombarded Natchez, and at- tacked the Vicksburg batteries and Port Hudson. Subsequently he served but little, owing to impaired health. He had two sons in the Confederate ser- vice. Another son, David IHxon. naval officer, b. in Chester, Delaware co., Pa., 8 June, 1813; d. in Washington, D. C., 13 Feb., 1891, in 1824, accompanied his father in the " John Adams " to suppress piracy in the West Indies, was appointed midshipman in the Mexican navy, and served un- der his cousin, Capt. David H. Porter, in the " Guerrero," which sailed from Vera Cruz in 1827, and had a rough experience with a Spanish frigate, " La Lealtad," Capt. Porter being killed in the ac- tion. David D. entered the U. S. navy as midship- man on 2 Feb., 1829, cruised in the Mediterranean, and then served on the coast survey until he was promoted to lieutenant, 27 Feb., 1841. He was in the Mediterranean and Brazilian waters until 1845, when he was appointed t<> the naval observatory in Washington, and in 1846 he was sent by the gov- ernment on a secret mission to Hayti. and reported on the condition of affairs there. He served dur- ing the entire Mexican war, had charge of the na- val rendezvous in New Orleans, and was engaged in every action on the coast, first as lieutenant and afterward as commanding officer of the "Spitfire." Subsequently he returned to the coast survey, and, on the discovery of gold in California, obtained a furlough and commanded the California mail- steamers " Panama " and " Georgia " between New York and the Isthmus of Panama. At the begin- ning of the civil war he was ordered to command the steam frigate "Powhatan," which was de- spatched to join the Gulf blockading squadron at Pensacola, and to aid in re-enforcing Fort Pickens. On 22 April. 1861, he was appointed commander, and subsequently he was placed in command of the mortar fleet, consisting of 21 schooners, each car- rying a 13-inch mortar, and, with 5 steamers as convoys, joined Farragut's fleet in March, 1862, and bombarded Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip, below New Orleans, from 18 till 24 April, 1862, dur- ing which engagement 20,000 bombs were exploded in the Confederate works. Farragut, having de- stroyed the enemy's fleet of fifteen vessels, left the reduction of these forts to Porter, and they sur- rendered on 28 April, 1862. He assisted Farragut in all the latter's operations between New Orleans and Vicksburg, where he effectively bombarded the forts and enabled the fleet to pass in safety. In- forming the secretary of the navy of the surrender of Vicksburg, Admiral Porter writes: "The navy has necessarily performed a less conspicuous part in the capture of Vicksburg than the army ; still it has been employed in a manner highly creditable to all concerned. The gun-boats have been con- stantly below Vicksburg in shelling the works, and with success co-operating heartily with the left wing of the army. The mortar-boats have been at work for forty-two days without intermission, throwing shells into all 'parts of the city, even reaching the works in the rear of Vicksburg and in front of our troops, a distance of three miles. . . . I stationed the smaller class of gun-boats to keep the banks of the Mississippi clear of guerillas, who were assembling in force and with a large number of cannon to block up the river and cut off the transports bringing down supplies, re-enforcements, and ammunition for the army. Though the rebels on several occasions built batteries, and with a large force attempted to sink or capture the transports, they never succeeded, but were defeated by the gun- lioats with severe loss on all occasions." While the Confederates were making efforts to repair the " Indianola," which they had captured, Com. Porter j fitted an old scow to look like one of his " turtle " gun-boats, with two canoes for quarter-boats, a smoke-stack of pork-banvK and mud furnaces in which fire was kindled. This was called the " Tur- reted Monster" and set adrift with no one on board. A tremendous cannonade from the Con- federate batteries failed to stop her, and the au- thorities at Vicksburg hastily destroyed the "In- dianola," while the supposed monitor drifted for an limn- amid a rain of shot before the enemy discov- ered the trick. In July. Commander Porter was ordered with his mortar flotilla to Fort Monroe, where he resigned charge of it, and was ordered to command the Mississippi squadron, as acting rear- admiral, in September, 1862. He improvised a navy-yard at Mound City, increased the number of his squadron, which consisted of 125 vessels, and, in co-operation with Gen. Sherman's army, captured Arkansas Post in January, 1863. For his services at Vicksburg Porter received the thanks of congress and the commission of rear-admiral, dated 4 July, . Soon afterward he ran past the batteries of Vicksburg and captured the Confederate forts at Grand Gulf, which put him into communication with Gen. Grant, who, on 18 May, by means of the fleet, placed himself in the rear of Vicksburg, and from that time the energies of the army and navy were united to capture that stronghold,' which was accomplished on 4 July, 1863. On 1 Aug., 1863, he arrived in New Orleans in his flag-ship "Black Hawk," accompanied by the gun-boat "Tuscumbia," and during the remainder of 1863 his squad- ron was employed to keep the Mississippi river open. In the spring of 1864 he co-operated with Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks in the unsuccessful Red river expedition, and through the skill of Lieut.- Col. Joseph Bailey (q. v.) the fleet was saved. In October, 1864, he was transferred to the North At- lantic squadron, which embraced within its limits the Cape Fear river and the port of Wilmington, N. C. He appeared at Fort Fisher on 24 Dee., . with 35 regular cruisers, 5 iron-clads, and a reserve of 19 vessels, and began to bombard the forts at the mouth of Cape Fear river. " In one hour and fifteen minutes after the first shot was fired," says Admiral Porter. " not a shot came from the fort. Two magazines had been blown up by our shells, and the fort set on fire in several places, and such a torrent of missiles was falling into and bursting over it that it was impossible for any human being to stand it. Finding that the bat- teries were silenced completely, I directed the ships to keep up a moderate fire, in hope of attracting the attention of the transports and bringing them in." After a reconnoissance. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, who commanded the military force, decided that Fort Fisher was substantially uninjured and could not be taken by assault, and returned with his command to Hampton Roads, Va. Admiral Porter requested that the enterprise should not be abandoned, and a second military force of about 8,500 men, commanded by Gen. 'Alfred H. Terry (q. v.), arrived off Fort Fisher on 13 Jan., 1865. This fleet was increased during the bombardment by additional land and naval forces, and, after seven hours of desperate fighting, the works were cap- tured on 15 Jan., 1865. by a combined body of sol- diers, sailors, and marines. According to Gen. Grant, "this was the most formidable armada ever collected for concentration upon one given point." Rear-Admiral Porter received a vote of thanks