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Well, Mister President, with all due deference to you, I don't believe in natural-born generals except where they have had proper military training, and it seems to me the siege of Vicksburg is too important a matter to trust to anybody except a scientific military man; besides, if you take troops from Grant and Sherman to give them to McClernand, you will weaken the army.

— David Dixon Porter Incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War (1885)

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The navy and the powder-boat would be all-sufficient, and I rather liked the notion, as the expedition would be entirely a naval affair.

Incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War (1885)

He did not say a monument to what, but he meant, I am sure, to leave it as a monument to the loyalty of our soldiers, who would bear all the horrors of Libby sooner than desert their flag and cause.

Incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War (1885)

As to the navy, it is said the several commanding officers grounded on the beef-bones thrown overboard from their flag-ships, but this I do not believe.

Incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War (1885)

I think every man should be obliged to take that oath, for I have seen more treason in the last ten days than I ever supposed could exist in the United States Navy.

Incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War (1885)

Regulations of the Navy provide that medical officers shall exercise no military authority. If I give you a flag, the line officers will think I have gone crazy.

Incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War (1885)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: David Dixon Porter (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.