The second David Porter was born at Boston on the 1st of February, 1780. Thus he was but thirty-two years of age at the outbreak of the war with Great Britain, and his school of training had been the same as that of all the younger officers who now found themselves for the first time in command. He was with Bainbridge in the _Philadelphia_ when that frigate was captured by the Tripolitans in 1803, and he suffered imprisonment with the rest of the officers during the time that Preble was endeavoring to liberate them. He had the honor of making the first capture of a regular navy vessel of the war, when, in July, the _Essex_ compelled the _Alert_, of 20 guns, to lower her flag. XIII THE “PEACOCK” AND THE “EPERVIER” [April 29th, 1814] [Illustration: MEDAL PRESENTED BY CONGRESS TO CAPTAIN LEWIS WARRINGTON] “Captain L. Warrington, of Virginia, has been given the command of the _Peacock_, sloop of war of 18 guns. He expects soon to set sail and cruise to the southward in search of the enemy.” Such is the personal note appearing in that enterprising newspaper _The Register_, published in March, 1814. The Captain Warrington referred to was but little known to the country at large, but those in a position of influence in the Navy Department must have discerned his worth and well estimated his valor, for they had given him command of the gallant little _Peacock_, of 18 guns (really mounting 22) and a crew of one hundred and sixty men. In the middle of March he sailed from New York Harbor, and cruised, without events of much importance, along the Florida shore as far as Cape Canaveral. On the 29th of April, in latitude 27° 47´ north and 80° 9´ west longitude, the lookout spied three sails off to the windward. From the cut of the third, a brig, it was easy to mark her as a man-of-war. Upon the appearance of the _Peacock_ the merchant men hauled their wind, and the brig bore away for the American. She gallantly commenced the action, and at no time showed a disposition to take advantage of being to windward and escaping with her consorts. Neither vessel hailed, and there was little manoeuvring. They began to fire at each other as soon as they were within range. In the beginning of the action the _Peacock_ received two 32-pound shot in her fore-yard, and her head-sails were rendered almost useless. She was compelled to run at large; and again was proved, what no authority on the other side could ever deny, the infinitely superior gunnery that existed under the system in vogue in the American navy. For a long time after the war there was much controversy concerning the weights of armament of the vessels engaged in single actions between this country and Great Britain. In this affair it is only just to say that the _Peacock_ carried thirty-two more in her crew; the number of guns was exactly the same, but the _Peacock’s_ broadside was about one and one-quarter pounds heavier to the gun.