Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-09-10
Our Next Governor.
A Brief Sketch of JAS. ID. Porter

James Davis Porter is now
forty five years of age; he was
born in Paris, Henry county
Tennessee, where he has ever
since resided. His father DR.
Thos. X. Porter, was an eminent
physician,o ,one Of the earliest set
tiers in Henry county, and was
"a prominent citizen until his
death. His mother was Miss
Geraldine Horton, sister to the
late Joseph w. Horton Of Nash
vile.
James d. Porter graduated
at the Nashville University in
1916, and was always noted as
a good scholar, and prompt and
punctual in his classes, and a
leader in the debating society,
Though a hard student, he was
a genial jovial schoolfellow.
and an active partlclpator IN al
boyish sports.
He studied law under James t,
Dunlap at Paris, and then grad
uated in the law school at Leb-
anon. Locating at Paris, he
married the daughter of Mr..
John Dunlap, of that place, and
began the practice Of his pro-
fession. He soon gained a
high standing at the bar 10y the
practice of those sterling vir-
tues, industry and attention to
business; and, though he pos
sessed strong will and great
perseverance and determina-
alton, yet his mild manner and
his being, under all circumstan-
ces, a gentleman in the highest
sense of the term, he won friends
of all the bar, and usually won
his cases.
In the midst of a successful
and popular practice, he was
called out for the Legislature in
1859, and was elected to the
House from the counties of
Henry, Carroll, Gibson, and
Madison, and he served his con-
stituents with great satisfaction
to them, and was the author of
the celebrated "Porter Resolu-
tions," which were Immediately
adopted by Kentucky and 9th
er Southern States. These were
passed by Tennessee when on
Ily three States had seeded.
When Tennessee decided to
cast her lot with the other South
ern States, Mr.. Porter at once
volunteered, and was assigned
soon after as Assistant Adju-
tant General to. Gen. Frank
Cheatham's command as chief
Of staff, and he was with Gen.
Cheatham in the battles of Bel
mont and Shiloh. At Corinth
he was prostrated by the dis
ease which proved fatal to so
many Confederates, and left the
army for a brief period on sick
leave. He soon resumed his
duties, and was ever at his post
with Gen Cheatham's command,
until the end Of the war, per-
forming all his duties and shar-
ing in all the dangers which his
hard-fighting commander en-
countered. When the army
had surrendered at BentOnville,
| North Carolina, and had gone
to Salisbury to draw their last
rations, a South Carolina Major
at the head of a mob of six or
seven hundred marched up to
sack the commissary storehouse.
Gen. Cheatham perceived the
movement, and calling Col. Por-
ter to his aid, they two unaided,
rushed in front of the mob, and
by their determined stand saved
the supplies, drove back the
marauders, and prevented the
suffering which would have en-
sued to the Western troops had
the stores been robbed, Gen,
Cheatham, in his emphatic way.
having throttled and thumped
the Major who had led the mob.
Col. Porter had the unlimited
confidence of his superior and
fellow offers and discharged the
arduous duties of Assistant Ad-
iutant General for four years
with the greatest ability and
promptness, and received the
highest concentrations from
General Cheatham as a courte-
Gus and chivalrous gentleman
an able and trusty officer, as {
gallant soldier in the field, and
a saoacious counsellor in camp
Col. Porter had three broth
ers in the Confederate service
one was killed, and his brother
Capt. Thomas Il. Porter, al
officer in the old ITnited State.