Porter family

Biographical Note

David Porter

• 1780, Feb. 1: Born, Boston, Mass.
• 1798: Appointed midshipman, United States Navy Duty on Constellation (frigate)
• 1799: Duty on Experiment (schooner), West India Squadron
• 1801: Duty on Enterprize (schooner), Tripolitan War
• 1803: Duty on Philadelphia (frigate), Tripolitan War
• 1803 - 1805 : Prisoner of war, Tripoli
• 1808: Married Evelina Anderson
• 1808 - 1810 : Commandant, New Orleans Naval Station
• 1811 - 1814 : Commanded Essex (frigate)
• 1812: Promoted to captain
• 1815: Published Journal of a Cruise Made to the Pacific Ocean. Philadelphia: Bradford & Inskeep
• 1815 - 1823 : Commissioner, Navy Board
• 1823 - 1825 : Commander in chief, West India Squadron
• 1825: Published An Exposition of the Facts and Circumstances Which Justified the Expedition to Foxardo. Washington: Printed by Davis & Force
• 1826: Resigned from United States Navy
• 1826 - 1829 : Commander in chief, Mexican Navy
• 1830: Appointed United States consul general, Algiers
• 1831: Appointed United States chargé d’affaires, Turkey
• 1835: Published Constantinople and Its Environs. New York: Harper. 2 vols.
• 1839: Appointed United States Minister, Turkey
• 1843, Mar. 3: Died, Pera, Constantinople

David Dixon Porter

• 1813, June 8: Born, Chester, Pa.
• 1827: Appointed midshipman, Mexican Navy
• 1829: Appointed midshipman, United States Navy Duty on Constellation (frigate), Mediterranean Station
• 1839: Married George Ann Patterson
• 1842: Duty on Congress (frigate)
• 1847: Duty on Spitfire (side-wheel gunboat)
• 1849: Commanded Panama (steamer)
• 1850 - 1853 : Commanded Georgia (steamer)
• 1855: Commanded Supply (ship)
• 1857: Duty at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va.
• 1861: Commanded Powhatan (side-wheel steamer)
• 1863: Commander, Mississippi Squadron Promoted to rear admiral
• 1864: Commander, North Atlantic Blockading Squadron
• 1865 - 1869 : Superintendent, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
• 1866: Promoted to vice admiral
• 1866 - 1867 : Diplomatic mission to Santo Domingo
• 1870: Promoted to admiral
• 1875: Published Memoir of Commodore David Porter. Albany, N.Y.: J. Munsell
• 1877 - 1891 : Chairman, Naval Board of Inspection
• 1885: Published The Adventures of Harry Marline. New York: D. Appleton Published Allan Dare and Robert le Diable. New York: D. Appleton. 2 vols. Published Incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War. New York: D. Appleton
• 1886: Published The Naval History of the Civil War. New York: Sherman Publishing Co.
• 1889: Published Arthur Merton. New York: D. Appleton
• 1891, Feb. 13: Died, Washington, D.C.

From the guide to the Porter Family Papers, 1811-1881, (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)