Battle of Valparaíso

28 March 1814, Off Valparaíso, Chile

British victory; Essex captured

David Porter had taken Essex round Cape Horn in 1813 and spent the year among the Galápagos Islands taking British whalers, one of which he armed as Essex Junior. In February 1814 James Hillyar arrived at Valparaíso with the frigate Phoebe and the sloop Cherub, and for six weeks the two sides watched each other from the neutral harbour. On 28 March Porter tried to slip out to sea, but a squall carried away his main topmast and he anchored in a bay just outside the port. Hillyar, knowing Essex was armed mostly with short-range carronades, stood off and pounded her with Phoebe's long 18-pounders. Porter tried to close, then to run his ship ashore, and fought on for over two hours with his ship on fire, until with 58 killed and 65 wounded he struck. Phoebe and Cherub lost five killed between them.