The incidents of spy hunting and spy catching on the Atlantic coast during World War II are but history of conflict repeating itself, for every time the United States has gone to war, watchers from the armed services and from civilian life have taken up their vigil, especially along more isolated and lonely stretches of shore.
So it is not surprising to learn from old records that, in the evening dusk of July 5, 1814, alert townsmen of Babylon, Long Island, thought they had caught a British officer landing on an espionage mission. And it took a lot of convincing before they were satisfied that their catch was Captain David Porter, U.S. Navy, who had fought an heroic frigate action thousands of miles away, lost his ship, the U.S.S. Essex, and then finally escaped from his captors, thanks to Yankee stubbornness and some daring small boat handling.
Captain Porter had ruined Britain’s Pacific whaling fleet by the capture of 12 ships before the British Commodore James Hillyar found the Essex in Valparaiso Bay. Porter fought a two and a half hour action of great bitterness with the 46 guns of his ship, 40 of them short range carronades, against the frigate Phoebe, mounting 53 guns, and her consort, the-sloop of war Cherub, mounting 28 guns. By luck a second consort, the 22-gun sloop of war Raccoon, was too late for the battle.
When Porter’s flag finally came down, his frigate was on fire and only 75 of 255 officers and men were on their feet to fight the ship.
The smoke of battle had hardly shredded out over the Chilean shore when events began to build one upon another to reach their climactic denouement on a Long Island beach.
Captain Porter entered into an arrangement with Commodore Hillyar to transport the survivors of his crew to the United States in the Essex Junior on parole, on condition that the British commodore would provide the ship, formerly the 353-ton British whaler Atlantic, with a passport to secure her from recapture and detention.
This passport read as follows:
“I hereby certify that I have on the part of his Britannic Majesty, entered into an agreement with Captain David Porter of the United States Navy, and late commander of the frigate Essex, who, on the part of his government engages as follows, to wit: That himself, his officers and crew will proceed to the United States, in the ship called the Essex Junior, as a cartel, commanded by Lieutenant John Downes, of the United States Navy, and having a crew, consisting of the officers and men named in the annexed list.
“The said Captain Porter, his officers and crew, a list of which is subjoined, will remain as prisoners of war under parole, not to take arms against Great Britain until regularly exchanged, and that he pledges his honor to fulfil the foregoing conditions. I therefore request that said ship, the Essex Junior, may be permitted to pass freely to the United States without any impediment, and that the officers commanding the ships of war of his Britannic Majesty, as well as those of private armed vessels, and all others in authority under the British government, as also those in alliance with his said Majesty, will give the said David Porter, his officers and crew, and the crew of the aforesaid ship, called the Essex Junior, every aid and assistance to enable them to arrive at the place of their destination.
“And as it may become necessary for the Essex Junior to touch at one or more places for the purpose of obtaining refreshment and supplies, it is requested, that in such case all to whom this passport may be presented, will give the persons on board said ship every facility in supplying their wants, and permit them to depart with her without hindrance.
“Given under my hand, on board his Majesty’s ship Phoebe at Valparaiso, April, 1814.”
On the 5th of July, the Essex Junior fell in with H.M.S. Saturn, 56, Captain Nash, who examined Hillyar’s passport. Captain Porter later said he was treated with great civility, furnished with late newspapers and some oranges. The boarding officer endorsed the passport and permitted the ship to proceed.
The Essex Junior stood on the same tack with the Saturn for about two hours when she was brought to again, her papers examined, and the ship’s hold overhauled by the boat’s crew and an officer.
Captain Porter expressed his astonishment at such proceedings, and was informed that Captain Nash “has his motives.” The boat officer, evidently voicing the stand of his captain, declared that Commodore Hillyar had no authority to make such an arrangement; that the passport must go on board of the Saturn again, and that the Essex Junior must be detained.
Captain Porter then insisted that the smallest detention would be a violation of the contract on the part of the British, and that he should consider himself as the prisoner of Captain Nash, and no longer on his parole. He offered his sword, the same sword that had been returned to him with considerable feeling by Commodore Hillyar. It was refused by the boarding officer who informed Captain Porter that the Essex Junior must remain all night under the lee of the Saturn.
“Then,” said Captain Porter, “I am your prisoner. I do not feel myself bound by any contract with Commodore Hillyar, and I shall act accordingly.”
At 7 o’clock the next morning, the wind being southerly and light, the ships being about 30 to 40 miles from the land off the eastern part of Long Island, and about musket shot from each other, Captain Porter determined to attempt his escape since the enemy showed no inclination to liberate the Essex Junior.
A yawl boat was lowered with a picked crew of five men, all well armed, and Porter, before going down into the stern sheets, ordered Lieutenant Downes to inform Captain Nash that he was now satisfied that most British naval officers were not only destitute of honor, but regardless of the honor of each other; that he was armed and prepared to defend himself against their boats if sent in pursuit of him.
“Hereafter,” he said, “they must meet me as an enemy.”
With that the indomitable captain ordered the boat away and his crew rowed furiously, while Porter steered a course to keep the Essex Junior in a direct line between him and the ponderous Saturn.
The little yawl had made good a distance of extreme gunshot when she was discovered in the offing by the British ship. At this instant a fresh breeze had sprung up and the Saturn made all sail in pursuit. Fortunately a typical Long Island fog bank took this time to wander in from sea, and Porter quickly changed course to hide within its welcome folds, thereby eluding the Saturn.
While the fog continued Porter and his men heard gunfire, and when the weather cleared there was the British razee chasing the Essex Junior which was making her own try at escape. Downes lost, but before being brought to he had taken the peevish Nash so far from Porter that the latter need fear no more molestation.
After rowing and sailing about 60 miles, Captain Porter reached shore at the town of Babylon, Long Island, confidently expecting a warm welcome from his countrymen.
The “welcome” proved to be a most uncompromising view held by those countrymen that Porter was a British officer bent on some dire business, probably spying, since he was in the uniform of a captain in the United States Navy, and what would such an officer be doing in a small boat along their stretch of beach? A most unlikely story was Captain Porter’s in their opinion. They’d been watching the shore for just such strangers as he and his men, and their long whetted suspicions were at fever pitch as they interrogated him closely.
Porter, astonished by their disbelief, found it impossible to win over the “reception committee” until he showed his commission. This brought an abrupt change of attitude. Friendliness and hospitality fairly engulfed him, and every effort was made to expedite his urgently desired return to New York where he could report to naval authorities.