Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/97

Rh PORTER, Benjamin Curtis, artist, b. in Mel- rose, Mass., 27 Aug. 1843. He has had no regular art instruction. For some years he gave much attention to figure-painting, accomplishing some notable work in that line, but subsequently he devoted himself entirely to portraiture. In 1867 he first exhibited at the Academy of design, New York, and he was elected an associate in 1878 and acade- mician in 1880. He has made several trips to Europe, visiting and studying in England, Hol- land, France, and Italy. Besides his studio in Boston, he has had another for several years in New York during the winter. His works include "Henry V. and the Princess Kate "(1868); "The Mandolin-Player" and "Cupid with Butterflies" (1874) ; " The" Hour-Glass " (1876) ; " Portrait of Lady, with Dog," in the Corcoran gallery, Wash- ington (1876) : " Portrait of Boy with Dog'" (1884) ; and numerous other portraits.

PORTER, Benjamin Fanenil, lawyer, b. in Charleston in 1808; d. in Greenville. Ala., June, 1868, was admitted to the bar of Charleston at an early age, but afterward studied medicine, and practised in Alabama, where he removed in 1830. He returned to the law, was chosen to the legisla- ture in 1832, and became reporter of the state in 1*3.">. In 1840 he was elected to the bench, but doubted the constitutionality of his election and declined the office. He was frequently an orator on public occasions, contributed to periodicals, translated the " Elements of the Institutes " of Heineccius, and published " Reports of Supreme Court of Alabama" (9 vols., Tusealoosa. 1835-'40); " Office of Executors and Administrators " (1842) ; and a collection of poems (Charleston).

PORTER, David, clergyman, b. in Hebron, Conn., 27 May, 1761; d. in Catskill, X. Y.. 7 Jan.. 1851. He served ten months in the Revolutionary army, was graduated at Dartmouth in 1784, and taught in Portsmouth, N. H., where he studied theology, and was licensed to preach. From 1787 till 1803 he was pastor of a Congrega- tional church in Spencertown, N. Y., and from 1803 till 1831 he had charge of the 1st Presby- terian church in Catskill, N. Y. Williams gave him the degree of D. D. in 1811. Dr. Porter pub- lished nine sermons (1801-'28), and " A Dissertation on Christian Baptism" (1809).

PORTER, David, naval officer, b. in Boston, Mass., 1 Feb., 1780; d. in Pera, near Constan- tinople, Turkey, 3 March, 1843. Five generations of this family have served in the navy. His grandfather, Alex- ander, commanded a Boston merchant- ship, giving his aid to the colonies, and his father, Capt. Da- vid, with his brother Samuel, command- ed vessels commis- sioned by Gen. Wash- ington in the Conti- nental navy for the capture of >hip> car- rying stores to the British army, which was a perilous ser- vice, the patriots often fighting their way to escape from the foe. In 1778 Capt. David Porter commanded the sloop " Delight," of 6 guns, fitted out in Maryland, and was active against the enemy, and in 1780 commanded the " Aurora," of 10 guns, equipped in Massachusetts, but was captured by the British and confined in the "Jersey" prison- ship, where he suffered many hardships. Escaping, he fought throughout the Revolutionary war, after which he resided in Boston until he was appointed by Gen. Washington a sailing-master in the navy, having charge of the signal-station on Federal Hill. Baltimore, Md. One of his two sons, John, entered the naval service in 1806, and died in 1831, having attained the rank of commander. His other son, David, made voyages to the West Indies, and was twice impressed by British ships-of-war, but escaped and worked his passage home. On 16 April. 1798, he was appointed midshipman in the U. S. frigate "Constellation," and participated in her action with the French frigate " Insurgente," on 9 Feb., 1799, receiving a prize for his service. He became lieutenant on 8 Oct.. 1799, and served on the West India station. In January, 1800, his schooner, the " Experiment," while becalmed off the coast of Santo Domingo, with several merchant- men under her protection, was attacked by ten pic- aroon barges, but after a conflict of seven hours, in which Lieut. Porter was wounded, they with- drew. Subsequently this vessel had several suc- cessful affairs with privateers and captured the French schooner " Diane," of 14 guns and 60 men. In August, 1801, the schooner " Enter- Erise," of 12 guns, to which Porter was attached, guns, which surrendered after an engagement of three hours. While attached to the frigate " New York" he commanded a boat expedition which destroyed several feluccas in the harbor of Tripoli, and was again wounded. In October, 1803, he was captured in the frigate " Philadelphia" and im- prisoned in Tripoli until peace was proclaimed. On 20 April, 1806, he became master-commandant, and he was made captain on 2 July, 1812. At the beginning of the war of 1812 he sailed from New York in command of the frigate " Essex," of 33 guns, carrying a flag with the words " Free- Trade and Sailors' Rights," and in a short cruise captured several British merchantmen and a transport that was bearing troops to Halifax. On 13 Aug., 1812, he was attacked by the British armed ship " Alert," which, after an action of eight minutes, surrendered in a sinking condition. This was the first British war-vessel that was captured in the conflict. On 11 Dec. he also took, near the equator, the British government packet " Nocton," with $50,000 in specie on board. He cruised in the South Atlantic and upon the coast of Brazil until January, 1813, when he determined to destroy the English whale-fishery in the Pacific, and sailed for Valparaiso, where he learned that Chili had be- come an independent state, and that the viceroy of Peru had sent out cruisers against those of the Americans. After refitting he went to sea. and on 25 March captured the Peruvian privateer " Nerey- da," of 19 guns, which had taken two American whale-ships and had their crews on board as pris- oners. The latter were transferred to the " Essex," and the armament and ammunition of the " Nerey- da " were thrown overboard, when she was released. One of her prizes was recaptured shortly afterward and restored to her commander. After this Capt. Porter cruised about ten months in the Pacific, capturing a large number of British whaling-ships. The British loss was about f 2,500,000, with 400 prisoners, and for the time the British whale-fish- eries in the Pacific were destroyed. The captured " Georgiana " was converted into a vessel of war
 * 11 in, off Malta, with a Tripolitan cruiser of 14