A Civil War Biography
William David Porter
He invented a less than successful exploding shell and spent his
time adjusting light house deployments along the coast. Known as
"Dirty Bill" he was court-martialed for a long list of charges then
placed on the retired list in September 1855. He was reinstated in
1859 and returned to active duty with the rank of Commander.
The beginning of the Civil War found Porter commanding the sloop of
war "Saint Mary's" stationed in the Pacific. To prove his somewhat
suspected loyalty he divorced his Southern-born second wife. He was
assigned to the Western Gunboat Flotilla in the Mississippi and
given command, on 4 October 1861, of the converted gunboat "New Era"
which he renamed the "Essex" after the ship his father commanded
during the War of 1812.
At Fort Henry the "Essex" was hit by the fort's batteries and its
boiler was pierced. Porter was blown from his ship and so severely
burned that he would never fully recover. The "Essex" was sent to
St. Louis fro repairs which were completed at the enormous cost of
more than $90,000. He ran the batteries between Cairo and New
Orleans, took part in an attack on Vicksburg, tried to take credit
for destroying the rebel ram "Arkansas" which actually was scuttled
by its own crew near Baton Rouge, and assisted in the attack on Port
Hudson.
He was promoted to commodore to date from 16 July 1862, but forced
to give up the "Essex" in September 1862 and sent to New York to
answer charges from Charles H. Davis concerning a letter Porter
wrote the department to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles who
described Porter as a courageous, daring, troublesome, reckless
officer. He would not again see service afloat. Porter spent the
rest of his service on various commissions. He died in New York on 1
May 1864. Porter had two sons who fought for the Confederacy.
Admiral David G. Farragut was Porter's foster brother (although some
sources state half-brother), his father having taken in the future
hero of Mobile Bay when Farragut was nine. Fitz-John Porter was a
cousin.
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