Admiral David Dixon Porter
(1813-1891)
United States Navy

Accession number:
1891.04

Maker:
S. Jerome Uhl
(1842-1916)

Historical period:
1891

Miltary branch:

Wars and Conflicts:
,

Type:

Dimensions:
H x W: 30 in. / 25 in.

Acquisition date:
1891

Credit line:
Gift of Navy Members of the Army and Navy Club

Location:
,

Provenance:

From 1891: The Army and Navy Club, gift of its Navy members

Label:

Admiral Porter began his naval career early, sailing at age ten with his father, Commodore David Porter, against pirates in the West Indies. He served in the Mexican-American War, taking part in the 1847 Battle of Veracruz, and rose to prominence during the Civil War. Commanding a flotilla of mortar boats, Porter played a key role in the capture of New Orleans in 1862 and later directed naval operations along the Mississippi, contributing to the Union victory at Vicksburg.

Porter’s postwar influence was also significant. As Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, he modernized training and professional standards for future officers. In 1870, he became the second officer in U.S. Navy history—after David G. Farragut—to hold the rank of admiral. His strategic thinking and reforms helped lay the foundation for American naval successes in the Spanish-American War a generation later.