PORTER
PORTER
at a cost of $130,000. In 1883 he retired to his
farm at Claverack, N.Y. He received the hon-
orary degree D.D. from Rutgers college in 1854,
and was president of the first general synod of
the church held after the name was changed to
Reformed Church of North America. He was
editor of the Christian Intelligencer, the organ of
the church, 1852-68, and subsequently contributed
to other religious periodicals. He is the author
of: A History of the Reformed Dutch Church
in the United States ; The Pastor's Guide, and
hymns. He died at Claverack, N.Y., Feb. 26, 1888.
PORTER, Eliphalet, clergyman, was born in
North Bridge water, Mass., June 11, 1758 ; son of
John and Mary (Huntington) Porter, and grand-
son of Samuel Porter. John Porter (1715-1802),
Harvard, A.B., 1736, A.M., 1739, was a cele-
brated Calvinist clergyman. Eliphalet H. Por-
ter was graduated at Harvard, A.B., 1777, A.M.,
1780. He was ordained, Oct. 2, 1782 ; was pastor
of the Congregational church at Roxbury, Mass.,
1782-1830, and had as his assistant, the Rev. George
Putnam, 1830-33. He was married in October,
1801, to Martha, daughter of Major Nathaniel
Ruggles of Roxbury. He received the degree
S.T.D. from Harvard in 1807 ; was a fellow of
Harvard, 1818-33 ; a fellow of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences ; an original
trustee of the Massachusetts Bible society, and a
founder of the State Temperance society. He
published sermons and a Eulogy on Washington
(1800). He died at Roxbury, Mass., Dec. 7, 1833.
PORTER, Fitz=John, soldier, was born at
Portsmouth, N.H., June 13, 1822; son of Capt.
John and Ehza Chauncy (Clarke) Porter, and a
nephew of Com. David Porter. He attended the
school of Benjamin Hallowell, Alexandria, Va. ;
Phillips Exeter acad-
emy, and the school
of Stephen M. "Weld,
Jamaica Plain, Mass.,
and was graduated
from the U.S. Mili-
tary academy, and
assigned to the 4th
artillery, July 1,1845.
He served at tlie mil-
itary academy and in
garrison at Fort Mon-
roe, Va., 1845-46;
was promoted 2d lieu-
tenant, June 18, 1846,
and in July, 1846,
reported at Point
Isabel, Texas, taking part in the battle of Buena
Vista. He engaged in the siege of Vera Cruz ;
in the battle of Cerro Gordo ; was promoted 1st
lieutenant. May 29, 1847, and served at Con-
treras, where his company re-captured two of
their guns taken at Buena Vista. He was
brevetted captain, for gallant conduct at Molino
del Rey, Sept. 8, 1847, and major, for services at
Chapultepec, Sept. 13, 1847. He was wounded in
the assault and capture of the Belen Gate, Sept. 13,
1847 ; was in gari-ison at Fort Monroe in 1848 ; at
Fort Pickens, Fla., 1848-49, and served as assistant
instructor in natural and experimental philosophy
at the Military academy, 1849-53 ; as assistant
instructor in artillery, July -Sept., 1853, and as
instructor in artillery and cavalry, 1854-55. He
was brevetted captain of staff and assistant
adjutant-general, June 27, 1856, and served under
Gen. Persifor F. Smitli at Fort Leavenworth,
Kan., during the Kansas troubles of 1856. He
was married, March 19, 1857, to Harriet Pierson,
daughter of John and Hannah (San ford) Cook
of New York city. He was on the staff of Gen.
A. S. Jolmston in the Utah expedition, 1857-60,
and was sent to Texas in 1861 to re-enforce the
garrisons at Key West and Dry Tortugas. He
commanded the troops engaged in protecting the
railroad between Baltimore and Washington,
immediately after the riot in Baltimore. He was
assigned to the staff of Gen. Robert Patterson,
of the Department of Pennsylvania ; was pro-
moted colonel, 15th infantry. May 14, 1861, and
commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers.
May 17, 1861. He took part in the action of
Falling Waters, Va., July 2, 1861 ; commanded a
division in the defences of Washington, D.C.,
1861-62 ; in the Virginia Peninsular campaign,
March-May, 1862, and directed the siege of York-
town, April 5-May 4, 1862. He commanded the
5th army corps. Army of the Potomac. May-
Aug., 18G2, in the battles of New Bridge, Han-
over Court-House, Mechanicsville, Gaines's Mill,
Turkey Bridge and Malvern Hill ; was brevetted
brigadier-general, U.S.A., June 27, 1862, for gal-
lant conduct at Chickahominy, Va. ; commis-
sioned major-general of volunteers, July 4, 1862 ;
transferred to northern Virginia in August,
1862 ; took part in the battle of Manassas under
Pope, Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 1862, and protected
Washington by occupying the west bank of the
Potomac, Sept. 2-13, 1862. He commanded the
5th army corps under McClellan at Antietam,
Sept. 17, 1862, where his corps formed the centre
of the line of battle, and with his corps alone,
fought the battle of Shepherdstown, capturing
four guns, Sept. 19, 1862. In November, 1862,
he was relieved of his command and ordered to
Washington to appear before a military com-
mission to answer the charges preferred against
him by Gen. John Pope. This order was re-
voked and a court-martial ordered. On Nov. 25,
1862. lie was arrested, but it was not until Dec.
1, 1862, that the charges against him were made
known. He was accused of disobedience to the
