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Battle of Valparaíso: HMS Phoebe and Cherub capture USS Essex off Chile

When
1814
Where
Valparaíso
Episodes
1

The Battle of Valparaíso occurred on 28 March 1814, involving USS Essex and USS Essex Junior against HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub. Captain David Porter attempted to break out from neutral Valparaíso but was defeated by Captain James Hillyar's squadron, ending the Essex's Pacific cruise.

Episodes

  1. 28 March 1814 · ValparaísoBattle of Valparaíso

    Porter attempted to break out but was defeated by HMS Phoebe and Cherub, ending the cruise.

Background and detail

Blockade. HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub arrived at Valparaíso on 8 February 1814, trapping USS Essex in neutral waters for six weeks. Captain James Hillyar commanded the British squadron, which had been ordered in 1813 to operate against American whaling fleets. Essex remained trapped in the neutral port during this period.

Engagement. On 28 March 1814, Porter attempted to gain the open sea, fearing British reinforcements. He was driven into a nearby bay and defeated in a short engagement. The battle resulted in the capture of USS Essex and USS Essex Junior by HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub, ending the American frigate's cruise.

People involved

Sources

  1. Battle of Valparaíso Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
  2. David Porter (naval officer) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-06
  3. HMS Phoebe (1795) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-16
  4. USS Essex (1799) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-01-22
  5. James Hillyar Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-24

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.