William D. Porter
| William David Porter | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
March 10, 1808 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | May 1, 1864 (aged 56) New York City, New York |
| Buried | The Woodlands, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1823–1855 1859–1864 |
| Rank |
 Commodore
|
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Relations |
|
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).
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 Franklin, 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 St. Mary's. He patrolled the Pacific coasts of Mexico and Central America for two years protecting American interests in that area.
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, Essex, in honor of the frigate Essex, which Porter's father had commanded during the War of 1812.
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