When Captain Porter learned of this outrage he entered the harbor with several of his vessels and sent a letter to the alcalde or governor, notifying him that he had one hour in which to send an explanation of his action.  While waiting for the return of the flag of truce Captain Porter saw one of the shore batteries getting ready to fire upon him.  Instantly, he sent a detachment, which captured the battery and spiked the guns.  Then Captain Porter landed, and, after spiking another battery, made his way to the town.  By and by the alcalde and captain of the port appeared and made such profuse and humble apologies that the officer could not refuse to accept them, and returned to his ship.

Such is a truthful account of the incident as it occurred.  It would seem that there was nothing in the course of the gallant naval officer that deserved censure.  One of his officers had been insulted and he compelled the offenders to make a suitable apology.  Fearing with good reason a treacherous attack from the batteries on shore, he spiked their guns.  But when the news reached our Government Captain Porter was ordered home, tried by court martial and sentenced to be suspended from the service for six months.  Feeling himself unjustly treated, Captain Porter resigned and entered the Mexican navy, where he remained until 1829.  In that year Andrew Jackson became President of the United States.  He had been through trying and stormy times himself and would never submit to insult from any man or nation.  He appointed Porter consul general at Algiers.  He afterward became minister to Turkey and died March 28, 1843.

Captain Lewis Warrington succeeded Porter in the West Indies and followed out his aggressive policy.  The buccaneers were hunted down without cessation and nest after nest broken up until, at the close of 1825, piracy in those waters was practically suppressed.  For several years, however, a squadron was maintained there and more than once its services were needed, but the work was completed and since then no trouble in that quarter of the world of the nature described has plagued either ourselves or any other nation.

Even in the Mediterranean our navy had similar work to do.  While little Greece was making so gallant a struggle for freedom against Turkey a number of her vessels played the role of pirate and attacked ships of other nations.  Among others, an English brig had been seized, but Lieutenant Lewis M. Goldsborough, after a furious fight, recaptured the vessel.  Lieutenant John A. Carr singled out the Greek captain and in the fierce hand-to-hand conflict killed him.  Lieutenant Goldsborough—­who afterward became rear-admiral—­received the thanks of several of the Mediterranean powers for his assistance in ridding the waters of the pirates who, though few in number, became exceedingly troublesome.

It was by such prompt, vigorous and brave measures that the American navy compelled the respect not only of civilized but of barbarous peoples in all parts of the world.  This fact is proven by a remarkable occurrence, not often mentioned in history, the particulars of which are given in the next chapter.