Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-13
CHARLES II. PORTER.

The sudden dcatn al Ndiio' ~. IL VI
The Hon. Charles II. Porter, has received
but brief notice at the hands OF our
newspapers; yet Mr.. Porter was
prominent man in his day and In his
vav. He appeared in this vicinity soon
after the occupation OF Richmond by the
Federal army. and became favorte
leader OF the negroes and white radicals
He was n man OF fair education and was
an orator Of some pretensions. Wheh
Congress- ordered a constitutional con-
ven.ion TO be assembled to ratify the
amendments 10 the Federal Constitution
and 10 provide a new Constitution lor
Virginia Mfr. Porter was elected one OF
tie members from the district composer
Of Chesterfield and Powhatan.
In that convention our city was repre-
scented by James w. Hunnicutt, james
Morrissey. Lewis Lindsey, Judge Under
wood and Joseph Cox. other members
Of the convention were: James II. Piatt,
Jr. c. Y. Thomas. Samuel f. Maddox
John l.. Marye Democrat. j. Catlett
Gibson DemocraO. Edgar Allan, Eustace
Gibson DemocraD, James c. Southah
DemocraD, Il. Taylor Scott Demo
craD. Joseph A. Waddill Oemocrao'
James H. Clements, Luther Lee, Jr''
George Teamoh, John Hawxhurst, Frank
Moss. James w. ID. Bland, Peter n
Jones. DIR. Norton, Dr. Bayne, Henry NJ.
Bowden. etc. Lindsey, Cox, Teamoh'
Moss. Bland, Jones. Norton, and Bayhe
were among the most prominent of the
colored members.
After the convention had done its
work. and it had been approved by the
vote taken on July 6. 1869. Mr.. Porter
became a candidate for Congress and
was elected He served two terms ana
during most of that time he resided in
Richmond, in house on the south side
Of Marshall street, between Adams and
First.
Mr.. Porter was a Republican OF the
radical type. He wanted all OF the ex-
Confederates DISTINGUISHED. and would
have been more than satisfied had the
political destnies of Virginia been com
mitted 10 those who had been untrue 10
our State in time of war and 10 the
newly-made freedman. Many of his
harangues were of an incendiary charac-
ter and infamed the whites against him
very much, yet it was often said that
he was, by no means, a bad-hearted
man.
For something that Porter had said
l., n1 INN
our streets by well-known Irish
American Democrat named Pat Woods
AS we remember, Pat used no weapons
but his fists, but these were very hard,
and were welded with uncommon dex-
terity and force.
The details of this affair have long
since escaped our memory. but it is all
recorded at Washington. for Porter had
Pat arrested for assaulting him while
he was on his way to Congress, and was
thus able to charge Pat with contempt of
the House.
The Porter-Woods case cut great
figure in the newspapers in those days
There was a tedious examination before
a committee Of the House, and the House
finally ordered that Pat be committed TO
the crypt for three months. The crypt
was room in the basement of the Capt.
tol. said to have been built with the ex-
pectation that the remains of George
Washington would be removed there;
but having never been used for that
purpose, it was at the command of the
House for this purpose. The office Of
Keeper of the Crypt" long maintained
uselessly, became a synonyme for a
sinecure. Pats imprisonment was a
farcical one and he came back TO Rich
mond good deal OF a hero
For some years after Porter ceased
to be a congressman he held position
in the custom-house here. Then he was
out of employment for good while,
and then he went back to the North.
And so he passed entirely out Of our
sight his name being recalled by the
opnouncemept of his death by aDODleXV