located by the falling of a spar; when his father, then purser of the ship, enquired of him whether he chose still to pursue the profession which he had adopted: a prompt affirmative was the answer, and he continued on board the same ship during a cruise in the West-Indies. At his return, he went out with Commodore Preble, in the ship Constitution, to the Mediterranean. At Syracuse, he was one of the seventy who volunteered on the expedition, to burn the ship Philadelphia, then in the harbour of Tripoli. On the third day of February, 1804, the volunteers, under the command of Lieutenant Decatur of the Enterprise, sailed from Syracuse, in the ketch Intrepid, on a duty, which the Commodore himself would not encourage, on account of the danger with which it must be attended. Mr. Morris was armed with the Commodore's pistols, which were offered him by the Commodore himself-a proof of the good opinion entertained by the Commodore, of his young adventurer. After fifteen days tempestuous weather, the Intrepid, with her seventy men, entered the harbour. The Philadelphia was moored within half gun shot of the Bashaw's castle, and of the principal battery. Two of the enemy's cruisers lay within two cables' length, on the starboard quarter; and his gun-boats within half gun shot, on the starboard bow. All the guns of the frigate, were mounted and loaded. Such were the immediate perils to be encountered with a single ketch, besides the other dangers, that abound in a strongly fortified harbour. It was past eleven o'clock at night, when the ketch came alongside the frigate. Lieutenant Decatur and Mr. Morris instantly sprung on board, and after receiving a reinforcement from the ketch, attacked the Turks, who in great consternation had fled to the quar

ter deck, where Morris was the first of the assailants to set his foot. About twenty of the Turks were killed on the spot. The remainder, either leaped overboard, or were driven below. It was so dark, that at two several times, Mr. Morris was in danger of perishing by the hand of his gallant Commander; once, at the attack of the quarterdeck, and the second time, on going to secure the magazine; in both instances being closely followed by Lieutenant Decatur. The object of this enterprise was accomplished-the Philadelphia was set fire to, and destroyed. On his return, Mr. Morris was promoted to the first Heutenancy on board the ship Hornet, commanded by Capt. Dent; and in that capacity, made a voyage to France, with despatches from the American to the French government.. At Paris, he was presented to the Emperor, being the first instance where that distinction was ever conferred upon a Lieutenant; and presented his Majesty with a model of the ship Constitution. In Captain Isaac Hull's glorious achievements in the Constitution, Mr. Morris took a distinguished part as first Lieutenant. Her escape, on the 17th July, 1812, from a British squadron, consisting of one ship of the line, four frigates, a brig and a schooner, the nearest frigate being within gun shot for twentyfour hours, has justly been considered a masterly exertion of nautical skill.* Captain Hull however insisted, with characteristic magnanimity, that his officers, and particularly Lieutenant Morris, should be partakers in the honour, which pub

*The chase continued for sixty hours, and was finally relinquished by the British Commanders, to their great mortification, in consequence of being completely out-manœuvred.

lic opinion was bestowing with great liberality upon himself. It may well be supposed, that the most consummate seamanship was employed on this occasion, by both parties. On the nineteenth of the following August, in the capture of the Guerriere, carrying fifty guns, the gallantry and skill of Lieutenant Morris were most conspicuous. He was dangerously wounded by a ball, which entered the belly, on the left side, and passed out, grazing the inside of the hip bone in its passage. He survived, however, to hear his name associated with the most distinguished in the navy.

As an expression of their sentiments towards Captain Hull and Lieutenant Morris, the citizens of Philadelphia, after the capture of the Guerriere, presented each of them with a superb piece of plate. In the autumn of the same year, he was promoted to the rank of post-captain. This excited some dissatisfaction, among the officers of subordinate rank, who by this appointment had been passed over. Mr. Lawrence, afterwards Captain of the Chesapeake, but at that time master and Commander of the ship Hornet, addressed remonstrances on the subject, both to the Secretary of the Navy, and to Congress. But this cause of complaint was afterwards removed by the appointment of Messrs. Lawrence, Gordon and Jones, to the same rank with Mr. Morris, with the seniority in their favour, a measure adopted in consequence of the representations of Mr. Morris himself. Captain Morris's commission bears date the day of the surrender of the Guerriere. He was afterwards put in command of the Adams corvette, then in the Potomac; which he repaired, and carried to sea, through the British squadron, which then blockaded Chesapeake bay. Having suffered severely in a gale of wind, he put

into Penobscot bay for repairs; and for greater security, proceeded up the river to Hampden, about thirty miles from Castine. On the first day of September, 1814, while the ship was at Hampden, prepared for heaving down, and in no condition of defence, she was threatened by the appearance of a British force of sixteen sail, off the harbour of Castine. Preparations were instantly made to defend the ship, from the land. The cannon were sent on shore, batteries were thrown up, obstructions were placed in the river, and the militia were called in from the country. Lieutenant Lewis by a forced march arrived from Castine, with a detachment of twenty-eight of the United States artillery, under his command. The militia were ill provided with arms and ammunition, which, as far as practicable, were supplied from the ship. On the third, the enemy made his attack the militia fled and dispersed in every direction; and nothing remained to do, but to prevent the ship from falling into the hands of the enemy, and make the best retreat. Accordingly the ship was set on fire, the guns spiked, and the men brought away, without the smallest injury from the fire of the enemy. Captain Morris's loss, was one seaman and one marine, taken prisoners. That of the enemy, was estimated at eight or ten killed, and from forty to fifty wounded; principally by the 18 pounder, under the charge of Lieutenant Lewis. Since the above period, Captain Morris has been appointed to the command of the ship Congress, at Fortsmouth, the very ship on board of which he first entered. Unpatronised and unobtrusive, Captain Morris may claim as his own, the progress he has made. In personal appearance, he exhibits too much of the pleasing, to justify ideas of the sturdy seamen,

enduring hardships, toils, and wounds. He received, in February, 1815, the hand of Miss Harriet Bowen, daughter of Dr. William Bowen, of Providence, (R. I.) in marriage.

He partook of the honours of Decatur in 1815, in settling affairs with Algiers. In 1817, he was despatched in this ship with an agent from the United States to Hayti, to make certain demands of the Haytian governments of Christophe and Petion, respecting their conduct towards some citizens of America. Having performed this service, he returned to the United States in August of the same year.

COMMODORE

DAVID PORTER.

THE subject of the following memoir, was the son of Captain David Porter, and was born in Boston on the 1st of February, 1780. His father had been an officer in the American navy, during the revolutionary war; and after its conclusion, was appointed to the command of the revenue cutter Active, and removed with his family to Baltimore.

The constitution of young Porter was delicate; but his mind was bent on the profession of a seaman. He made his first voyage, with his father, to the West-Indies, at the age of sixteen; and his second, as mate of a ship, from Baltimore to St. Domingo. In this voyage, his address, courage, and constitution, were put to the trial. He was twice impressed on board a British ship, and as many times effected his escape. Being destitute