Military Officer - May 2007 - (Page 59)

That naval force became known as the “Mosquito Fleet,” because it used small, shallow-drafted ships. The name held another meaning for the sailors serving under Porter, because the insects prevalent in southern Florida carried yellow fever and malaria. Before long, the island’s naval hospital was ﬁlled with sailors experiencing high fevers. The ﬂeet’s smaller boats could travel more rapidly, chasing pirate ships into shallow waters. Porter’s force also included 16 vessels made up of naval brigs, converted Baltimore schooners, barges, a sloop of war, a paddle steamer, and one decoy merchant ship heavily armed with hidden guns. Key West was chosen because of its proximity to pirate waters. The island was known as Thompson’s Island, and under Porter’s command it soon had one of the most active naval bases in the U.S. Porter’s orders were simple and direct: Suppress and eradicate piracy, end the pirates’ slave trading, protect the commerce of American business interests, maintain security for citizens traveling in the Caribbean, and provide safe passage when necessary. Although the orders were simple, the mission was complex: Pirates were plentiful, and the numerous islands of the Caribbean provided ample hiding places. Nevertheless, Porter and his sailors scoured the entire Caribbean, the Bahamas, and the Gulf of Mexico. They targeted pirate bases in Cuba, the Florida Keys, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Wherever pirate ships and bases were discovered, they were destroyed. Cuba presented a unique challenge for Porter, because the Spanish resented any American presence. (Spain argued that the U.S. had stolen its land in areas that are now Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Would Cuba be another American land grab?) Spain often looked the other way when pirates attacked ships. But as Porter’s successes continued, even Spanish merchants saw the advantages of a sea without pirates. They encouraged Cuban authorities to support Porter in his pirate hunting. With increasing support from home and abroad, Porter’s triumphs grew. One of the most notable was the defeat of a notorious Cuban pirate called Diabolito or Little Devil. Porter’s forces surprised Diabolito and his pirates off the northern coast of Cuba, forcing them to abandon their ship and hide on land. Without a ship, their piracy was effectively over. As head of the antipiracy squad, Porter often had to walk a diplomatic tightrope, which he managed quite well. However, he experienced one disastrous diplomatic blunder, in Farjardo, Puerto Rico, in November 1824. Spanish authorities had arrested one of Porter’s ofﬁcers, who was surveying the island for pirate activity. Incensed, Porter immediately dispatched 200 armed sailors into the town, demanding a formal apology. He received the formal apology, but the armed excursion onto Spanish territory drew objections from Spain. As a result, Porter’s detractors in the Navy Department used the event as a pretext to dishonor him. Porter was court-martialed in a military tribunal in 1825 and received a sixmonth suspension from duty. The sentence so angered Porter that he resigned his commission and left the U.S. for Mexico, where he was welcomed and made commander in chief of the Mexican navy. Mexico needed his services, because the country was engaged in a war of independence from Spain. Porter led the Mexican navy for three years and returned to the U.S. in 1829. Upon his return, President Jackson made him consul general of Algiers. Ten years later, Porter was made minister to Turkey at Constantinople. He died of yellow fever while serving in that capacity March 3, 1843. Among Porter’s many victories, perhaps none was as great as his reduction of piracy in the waters of the Caribbean. His work effectively ended the careers of famous pirates such as Diabolito, Charles Gibbs, and Jean Laﬁtte as well as hundreds of their lesser-known brethren. Porter and his crew secured the safety of maritime trade, and by 1825, piracy had virtually ceased to exist in Caribbean waters. MO Modern Pirates No Jolly Rogers Piracy has changed much in the past 200 years. Instead of large wooden ships bearing the skull and crossbones, today’s sea robbers stealthily approach their prey in small, high-powered speedboats. The cutlasses and blunderbusses of yore have been replaced by machine guns and rocketpropelled grenades. Modern-day pirates’ objectives also are different, notes the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Pirates still seek the traditional booty of money and jewelry, but they’re not above hijacking entire cargo ships and holding crews for ransom. The African coast, especially off Somalia, is one of the most treacherous when it comes to piracy, the IMB reports. But there is some good news: Greater awareness and increased government reaction has led to a global decrease in piracy reports in recent years. In 2006, there were 239 reported attacks on ships, compared to 276 in 2005 and 329 in 2004. — Don Vaughan 59 M AY 2 0 0 7 MILITARY OFFICER

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - May 2007

Military Officer - May 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: Back Home Capt. David Porter, Pirate Hunter Where Valor Rests Emblems of Courage MOAA Member Services Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index Member Books MOAA Calendar MOAA Scholarship Donors Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - May 2007

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