OCR Text |
Show AOMIIIAI. I'OKTKK. Another illustrious American gone! Admiral David Dixon Porter, holding in the navy the same relative rank as Ceneral Sherman in the army, died yesterday, nearly 77 years old, iu his home in Washington city, after a protracted pro-tracted illness. What, a Hood of war reminiscences his demise will set loose! Porter was born of a lighting slock, his father having served on board the Constellation Con-stellation in the light with the In surgenle in 17011, and commanded the Enterprise and afterwards the Essex in many a fierce engagement which lilled the country with glory and his body with lead. From his father also the sou inherited his fondness for literature, for both the commander aud tho admiral were authors of somo note. While Admiral Porter's services date back more than sixty years, it is iu connection with the civil war that his name and fame ate most iusolubly linked. New Orleans, Vick.sburg, tho James Kiver and Fort Fisher are the monuments of his valor and skill. He was not a Farragut, but then there was only one Farragut iu this country, just as there was only one Nelson in England. Jealous critics like lien (Sutler, with whom he carried on an angry discussion, resulting from the failure to capture Fort Fisher nt the time of tlie fifst attack, may even try to rob him of his well-earned laurels laur-els and fame, but history will assign him a place among the naval heroes of the world, second only to a few. Nor did his services to tho country end with the rebellion. Iu recent years Admiral Porter was one of tho most persistent advocates of our coast defenses, de-fenses, and it must have been a consola-tionto consola-tionto him iu his last days to sec tho government which he served so nobly adopt a policy iu consonance with his l urgent recommendations. |