The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-11-20
GOLDEN WEDDING
 ANNIVERSARY OF DR. AND MRS. PORTER
Quiet Family Celebration at Couples Home in This
 City
Noted Surgeon, Soldier and
 Scholar Who Was Called to
 Battle on His Wedding Day

ANOe@N ONA 6CVAs SOsuaCk dl1O
 Scholar Who Was Called to Battle on His Wedding Day When the country was ali stirred up over the impending war, 50 years ago. today, over in the little Grace church in Providence. R. l., now one of the wedding ceremony wes performed which united pr. George Lorirg Por- ter Of this city, one. of the best Connecticut. to Miss Maria Catherine Chaffee of Providence. This anniver- sary was observed today by the we'll known couple who have contributed so much in the last 40 years or so to the life and welfare of this com
 nunity-
 Theirs was one of the romantic weddings of the. old war days. MT. Porter, then a young graduate of medical school, fired with an ambition to settle down to practice his profes- sion. had already enlisted in the war but had not as yet been mustered in in the morning. Late that afternoon. Nov. 20, 1862, orders came to the happy groom to prepare for the mar l. He departed with hundreds of other brave youths who gave their all for the love and sake of their country and left his bride of a few hours to brave away would separate them Throughout the war pr. Porter served in the northern armies, having enlisted in the Sixth United States Cavalry as~a surgeon. Then after the truce had been declar- ed, the troopers ordered home he con- tinued service, being located at Camp enviable record during this period of American history and it has many times been told to friends
 Only immediate relatives participat- ed in today's formal observance of the golden wedding anniversary. A fami- 1y reunion and dinner was held this afr and Mrs Porter;e family. In the af teruooTa nnanys friends called upon fhe1 !,befoved couple to tender their eofl-1 gTatuiations. This part of the day was not formal however and was made the more delightful because of that Hundreds of bouquets ahd gifts pour ed into the happy home at 372 ate3 street where pr. and Mrs. Porter have lived these last 40 years.
 ] pr. Porter is native of Concord N. H., and son of the late MT and Mrs. Geo. Porter. His father became identified with the Porter. Dil1worth company which became widely sreputed figured prominently in the early in- dustrial history of the United States MT. Porter's family didn't remain in Concord long however as the business enterprise of his father located in Pittsburgh. This took Mir. Porter
 away from the city of his birth dur ing his boyhood but not until after he had gained considerable schooling from the public schools of the New
 
 left school in Concord he was ready
 for his academic career and went tol Brown University in Providence. Iti
 was during his school days in that city that he met the woman who be-
 came his bride on that eventful day 50 years ago.
 Brown, where he studied to prepare himself for a medical profession. he went to the Jefferson Medical college in Philadelphia During his student days at this sinstitution he. became very intimately acquainted with pr w w. Kean and pr. William Mitchell two of the cOuntry'S most noted medi- cal and surgical men, now located at Philadelphia
 It was about the time that he grad uated that the war broke out and with many other companions he forthwith enlisted. Before he was actually call
 ed into service, however, he visited sweetheart in Providence and planned the marriage, the anniversary Of
 which was so ffttingly observed today
 In the Civil War few men of the medical profession figured as promi- nentiy as did Dr. Porter His war rec ord and career is one continuous per forrnance r of deeds which marked him down in the pages of history and gain ed for him country wide reputaIIon as physician and and sur, surgeon na, or note note ham Lincoln went. to his death by me assasein's bullet pr. Porter was To- cated at the Washington arsenal 10
 
 was taken.
 Dr. Porter was entrusted with the l m edical attendance of Booth and was l the only non commissioned officer who had charge of the execution and
 the burial of Booth. There are glow ing accounts to be told of the heroic l
 deeds of Dr. Porter on the battle fields of Gettysburg, Bull Run and the i large battles of the civil war. The war over, Dr. Porter brought 1 his bride to Bridgeport. Mrs. Porter ! was the daughter of M. and Mrs Ed 1
 her father being prominent rubber
 manufacturer who located in Bristol, 1 R. l. Edwin M. Chaffee was one of 1
 the prominent men of his day and 1 the bride was a society belle in Provi- |
 dence society. Her father was an in l ventor of the famous Corliss engine, 1 and had some part in the planning !
 and manufacturing of the famous en- | zine which was exhibited in the cen i tennial at Philadelphia of 1876- This famous engine was recently consign- 1
 ed to the scrap heap, after havins 1 been fir. service all these long years. l pany.
 It was 42 years ago or thereabouts 1 when the couple settled in Fridge l port. Dr. Porter took up the prac- 1 tice of his profession and met with i immediate success. He has been one l
 During his early career he was as- sociated with Dr. Robert Hubbard l
 one of the prominent doctors of his | day. Dr. Hubbard died about 1 5 years | ago. Dr. Porter continued practice 1
 up to a few years ago when he re- l tired.
 In all movements and matters per | taiuine to the welfare and upbfiild-