228 



PORTER 



the rapture of (hi* rily the flotilla was cmpl 



nst Yicks'mirg. and I'orn r with the rank of ft 

 admiral had command of all the n.n.i the 



-issippi. Stcamlx'at-. c.. \cred with iron plat<- were 

 used in many plaii-s for attack and for lruns|>ort 

 karuws Post was captured in January. 1863, and the 

 Grand Gulf batteries de-tio\vd in April I'.n-tcr 's cfli- 

 .; and generous eo-opcnttmn in the siege ol \ 'i.-kshurg 

 was rcpcatcdlv acknowledged by lien. Grunt. He after- 

 wards assisted in Gen Hank- > Red River expedition 

 in April, lsr.4. and in tie ir was transt'crred to 



the James Kiver. Here he had command of tin- 

 naval forces which took part in the expedition again-t 

 Fort Kisher (i;. r.) and captured it Jan. 15. ISi'i.V lie 

 was made vice-admiral in 1866 and was supcrintendeni 

 of the Naval Academy for two years. On the death 

 of Farragut in 1870 Porter succeeded him as admiral 

 of the navy. He has in recent years published several 

 books, among which are Life of Comi>i<l'>ri' lln-id 

 flrrter (1875); Incidents and Anecdotes of ti, 

 Mir (188ft) : two novels. Mint n f>nre and li 

 Diable (18S.V>; Hum/ Marline (1886); and a Jlixton/ 

 nfthe .Y.iry in the \\'nr of the JfiMlioii (1887). 



WII.UAJI DAVID PORTER (1809-1 864) was another 

 son of Commodore David Porter, born at New Orleans. 

 March in. IsO'j. Entering the navy as midshipman 

 in Is23, he retired in 1855, having in the meantime 

 originated the light-house system now in use. He re- 

 turned to the .service in 1 s.V.i. commanded the iron- 

 clad Essex on the Mississippi in 1862, and safely 

 passed the Confederate batteries on his way to New 

 Orleans. For his exploits he was made commodore in 

 July, 1862, but was obliged by ill health to retire from 

 service. He died at New York, May 1, 1864. 



POUTER. 1'ir/ JOHN, general, was bom at Ports- 

 mouth, N. H.. June 13, 1822, being a nephew of 

 Commodore David Porter. He graduated at West 

 Point in lsl.">. entered the artillery and served with 

 distinction in the Mexican war under Gen. Scott from 

 Vera Cruz to the capture of the City of Mexico, 

 where he was wounded Sept 13. is 17. He was after- 

 wards instructor of artillery and cavalry at West 

 Point and in 1856 was transferred to the adjutant-gen- 

 eral's department. He served in the Utah expedition 

 in 1858. At the outbreak of the civil war he was 

 made colonel in the regular army and soon after brig- 

 adier-general of volunteers. He was chief of staff to 

 Gen. Robert Patterson and to (i en. N. P. Banks until 

 August, Isiil. when he had command of a division in 

 the defences of \Vashington. In Gen. HoGleUan'l 

 Peninsular campaign Porter had direction of the 

 siege of Yorktown, afterwards commanded the. fifth 

 corps of the Army of the Potomac. His gallantry was 

 displayed at Meehanicsville. Gaincs's Mill and Malvern 

 Hill. After the failure of the attack on Richmond 

 Fit?. John Porter's corps was transferred to the Army 

 of Virginia under Gen. Pope. At the second battle 

 of Hull Run. Aug. 29. 1862. he was ordered to attack 

 Jackson's flank, but did not move on account of 

 the presence of Gen. 1/ongstrect in front. Gen. Pope 

 afterwards attributed his defeat to Gen. Porter's in- 

 activity and even charged him with treachery. Mc- 

 Clcllan returned to the chief command and Fitz John 

 Porter fought under him at Antietam. but on Novcm- 

 IHT L'7 he was tried by court-martial on a charge of 

 disobedience of orders, and on Jan. 21. 1st.:;, li. 

 cashiered. After many efforts to obtain a rehearing 

 of his case, a board of inquiry was called by Pres. | 

 Hayes in April. 1S7*. which eventually declared ( ieii. 

 Porter free from blame. Pres. Arthur in May, 

 1882, remitted part of his sentence, but vetoed a bill 

 pawed by Congress for his relief, on account of it- 

 unjust effect on other officers. In 1885 a bill free from 

 this objection was passed and signed by I 



land, and on Auc. 7, 1886, Gen. Porter was re 

 stored to the army with the rank of colonel. Gen 

 Porter had in the meantime been engaged in business 

 in New York city, and was superintendent of the New 



insane asylum In 187.1 he was appointed COM- 



ini inner of public works in New York city 



lice ciillllllissin: I Irailt. 



while President, had refused to reopen (ten. Porter's 

 case, but afterwards Ix-came convinced of hi- im. 



and put.li-.hcd an article to that effect in the 



HIM. Ki s ) 



PORTER, .Insi.xs l.i-in. educator and author, 

 was born Oct. -I. lv_M. at Hurt. County Donegal, Ire- 

 land. He graduated at the I niversiiy of (jlasgow in 

 |s|-J. and studied theology at the I'liUer-ity ol Kdin- 

 burgh and the l-'r.-c Church College. In 1840 he was 

 ordained in the Presbyterian Church of England and 

 had charge of a church at Newcastle. In 1849 he was 

 sent by the Irish Presbyterian Church as a missionary 

 to Damascus and resided then until |s.,<i ||,. travelled 

 extensively iii Palestine, Arabia, Kgypt. and Northern 

 Africa. On his return to Ireland lie was made pro- 

 'I' Hihlieal criticism in the Assembly's College, 

 Belfast. Dr. Porter was moderator of the General 

 Assembly in 1875. He took an active part in organ- 

 izing the new system of higher education in Ireland, 

 and, in 1878, was appointed by Parliament commis- 

 sioner of intermediate education. In the next year he 

 was made president of Queen's College, Belfast, and 

 in 1880 senator of the Koyal University of Ireland. 

 He has published /'/ - /AO/KWIW (2 vols., 



1855); Murray's /luinl/mn/.- for Si/fin <nnl nfatuu 

 (1858) ; Tin nUatauA mi&e 0oipZi (1 864) ; (;;<n,t 

 Cities of Bashan (1865); ./> /n^i/'in. liitliain/ and 

 Bethlehem (1886.) He married in 1849 the youngest 

 daughter of Rev. Dr. Henry Cooke (a. v.\ and he lias 

 i.ulilishcd Liff mid Times of Dr. Cooke (1871.) He 

 has contributed to various reviews, magazines, and en- 

 cyclopaedias, chiefly on subjects relating to Biblical 

 geography and history. 



POKTKK. NOAH, philosopher and educator, was 

 born at Fannington. Conn., Dec. 14, 1811. His father, 

 Rev. Dr. Noah Porter (1781-1866), was minister of 

 that parish lor fifty-five years. He graduated at Yale 

 in l.s:il ; and engaged in teaching. In 1833 

 while tutor at Yale College he studied theology, and 

 in April, 1836, was ordained pastor of the Congre- 

 gational church at New Milford, Conn. In 1843 he 

 accepted a will to Springfield, Mass., and in IS-ltl he 

 was chosen professor of metaphysics and moral phi- 

 losophy at Yale College. He became president of the 

 college on the resignation of Rev. Dr. \Yoolsey in 1871, 

 and after a successful career of fifteen years himself 

 resigned in 1886. He has contributed to several lead- 

 ing reviews and has published The llnninn Intellect 

 (1868) ; Books 1 1 nd I{i'<ifli'i>r/(\X~(l) ; Ami i-irun ('ulltffet 

 (mil tin' Anifrimn Piiltlir (1870): Klfmrntt of Litel- 

 PkHotaphy (1871); Th< Selena of Natmrt 



' 



tin' SdeHOe of M'lii (1871) ; Krinif/thne (1882) ; 

 Elements of Moral St ~ : <)'. Bitkon Berkeley 



(1885); Kinit'f Etliirx (1886). Dr. 1 'oiler was the 

 chief editor of the revised editions of Wflistrr's Die- 

 /ioiniry, 1864 and 1880. 



PORTER PBTKH BI-KI. (1773-1844), general, was 

 born at Salisbury. Conn.. Aug. 14, 1773. His father. 

 Dr. Joshua Porter ( I7:;<>- 1 SL'"I). superintended the 

 manufacture of cannon for use in the American army 

 during the Revolution and fought at Saratoga. Peter 

 graduated at Vale in 17'.M. studied law at Litchfield, 

 and settled in Western New York, where he had large 

 II.' was elected to Congress in 1808 and Be 

 was active in the measures leading to a declaration of 

 war against Great Britain in 1812. He then resigned 

 to become quartermaster-general of New York and 

 afterwards had command of volunteers who drove out 

 the British invaders. In IM 1 he led a brigade into 

 Canada under Gen. Brown and fought at Chippewa 

 and Lundy's Lane. On Sept. 17. while Kc-ieged at 

 Fort Erie, lie made a sortie which compelled the enemy 

 to depart. His Mnrieei "ere acknowledged l>y Con- 

 gress with a gold medal and by New York State with 

 a sword. In 181Ghe was employed as commissioner 



