Beschreibung:

Naval action between HMS Phoebe and the American Frigate Essex off Valparariso, Chile.
signed `Wilm Wilson' lower right, inscription on verso of original backing sheet `Wilm. Wilson/ 53 Paddington Street/ Portman Square/ London/ 1815. July. 18th./ Action between H.M.S. Phoebe and the American Frigate Essex/ off Valparaiso - Chili - 28th March 1814 -' Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour. (18 x 25 3/4 in). An important contemporary record of an early american naval engagement and events leading to the capture of Captain David Porter and his crew. Early in 1813 Captain David Porter (1780-1843) of the frigate Essex sailed with orders to meet up with Commodore Bainbridge off Brazil. Having missed the rendezvous he turned south along the Brazilian coast where `he captured a small brig with $50,000 in specie… Porter… relished the thought of plundering the British whaling fleet in the Pacific. To this end he weathered Cape Horn in February 1813. By March, he was at Valparaiso. Since Britain had no warships in the Pacific, her whalers were at Porter's mercy. During the ensuing five months he captured a dozen whalers heavily laden with supplies, money, and rum. Captain Porter's next adventure was a three-thousand-mile passage to the Marquesas Islands… Porter at once cultivated the goodwill of the tribal chief only to find that he had to come to the aid of the chief, who had problems with the enemies of another tribe. Finally, Porter annexed the island and renamed it for President Madison. After stabilizing matters on the island, Porter set sail for Chile, leaving a skeleton crew to guard the prizes. Meanwhile, the British had reacted to these Pacific raids and sent out a squadron to deal with Porter. Two vessels of the British squadron managed to find the Essex at Valparaiso, which was a neutral port. The Essex and the Essex Junior were bottled up there for six weeks, then Porter decided to run the blockade. In the middle of her attempt to escape, the Essex was hit by a severe squall which dismasted her, Porter tried to beach his vessel and escape on land but this attempt also failed, and he was finally forced to surrender. In due course Porter and his crew were repatriated and enjoyed a hero's welcome.' (E.N. Smith American Naval Broadsides p.164). The present image, clearly by an eyewitness or taken from an eyewitness account or sketch, shows the Essex dismasted by the squall, swapping broadsides with HMS Phoebe, before Porter tried to ground the ship and escape over land. It seems that the only recorded images of this important action are two small woodcuts (one a later version of the first) originally published in Abel Bowen's `The Navel Monument'.