Atlantic was a French-built prize used by a British whaling firm before Porter captured her near the Galápagos Islands and renamed her Essex Junior. She was an improvised auxiliary rather than a warship capable of matching Phoebe or Cherub. During the battle the British could ignore her fire, and after the surrender they converted her into the cartel ship that carried Porter and other prisoners toward New York. American authorities then seized and sold her, although condemnation proceedings found that she had little value. The vessel's history prevents a misleading two-versus-two reading of the action.
Notable Point · 1:29:31-1:30:53
Essex Junior was a captured whaler, not a second frigate
The vessel paired with Essex had begun as the captured whaler Atlantic and lacked the combat value implied by presenting the encounter as an even two-ship fight.