Here is a wonderful autograph of an early US Navy personality. This document was written in Washington, Oct. 14th, 1818 (or 16). It tells that David Porter agrees to "Patriotic Bank of Washington pay to J. Wirt on order two hundred and one Dollars 95 cents." It is beautifully signed in brown ink "D. Porter." This is the signature of Captain David Porter (1780-1843) who was a U.S. Navy officer who commanded (among other ships) the USS Constitution. He served in the Quasi-war with France, the First Barbary War and the War of 1812. He later also commanded a squadron in the West Indies disrupting British shipping. Porter invaded the town of Fajardo, Puerto Rico to avenge the arrest of an officer but did not have orders to do so. He was court-martialed whereupon he resigned his position and went to Mexico. He became the commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy from 1826-1829. He was then appointed US Minister to the Barbary States in 1829. Porter and his wife had ten children who survived infancy. One was David Dixon Porter who served in the Civil War. He adopted James Glasgow Farragut, the son of a comrade of his father's from Revolutionary War days, and took him to sea at about the age of ten. The boy later changed his first name to David in honor of his adoptive father and achieved great status as David Glasgow Farragut. The document measures 5 inches by 8 inches in overall size. It is accompanied by an image of the Captain.