Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-04
A GRAND OLD RACE
The Porters Of Pennsylvania, Who
Made History for IFS Years-The
Grandfather Of General Horace
Porter a Montgomery
County Man
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

| By GEOhGE NUN MCOhIN
| GOVERNOR DAVID RITTENHOUSE
| VI PORTER was the father of General
Horace Porter, who died in New York on
| Saturday last
General Horace Porter. although compare
| lively unknown TO the present generation,
| was one of the most distinguished and
| brilliant men Pennsylvania ever produced.
He came of long line of splendid an
cestors.
The original Porter, Robert by name, was
a North Of Ireland farmer who came to
America early in the eighteenth century;
Montgomery County. and settled down to
| raise his family. Montgomery and Hunt
ingdon Counties are linked up with the Por-
| ters and their career.
| Even those Of the family who remained
behind in Ireland left the impress Of their
lives on their own people.
The Rev. J. l.. Porter, D. D., Ill. D.,
| was for years professor of sacred literature
in the college Mt Belfast. He was noted as
an Oriental scholar.
Major General Andrew Porter, the grand
| father of General Horace Porter, was born
not far from Norristown ir 1743.
| THERE existed for years the impression
| l. among prominent men of New York that
| General Horace Porter was OF pennsylvania
! Dutch ancestry.
1t was doubtless because he came from a
| Pennsylvania Dutch county--in part.
| General Stewart l.. Woodford at brill
| liant banquet in New York years ago, en-
| balmed this idea in now famous wittcism.
In the course of his after dinner speech
| he alluded to General Horace Porter, In
whose honor the affair was given, in this
| erroneous connection.
HE comes" said General Woodford, "of
| that sturdy race that we find in Eastern
Pennsylvania the Pennsylvania Germans; ;
godiy, brave and thrifty-so thrifty, in fact,
that they cross their bees with lightning
bugs SO they can see to work at night
A NDREw PORTER, the grandfather Of
"A Horace Porter, was failure as farm
ers boy. He was always fussing with fig
ures and arithmetical problems.
His father gave him up. One day when
he was about twenty he visited DR.. David
Rittenhouse to borrow a book on huxions
or comic sections.
The doctor, who lived in Norrton Town
ship, told him he couldn't understand the
book which he wished to borrow.
In the conversation that followed DIR.
hlttenhouse was so amazed at his prof.
cheney that he encouraged him to come to
Philadelphia and open n mathematical school.
During his residence in Philadelphia he
associated with Drs. Rush, Rttcnhouse,
Ewing, Franklin and others.
Then he became n captain of marines in
the Revolution. but tired of sea life and was
transferred to the artillery.
Here is a comparatively unknown episode
of the War for Independence:
When the siege of Yorktown was deter
mined on. Porter, then colonel, was ordered
to Philadelphia to superintend n laboratory
at which the various kinds Of ammunition
were prepared and tested.
Colonel Porter objected. He wanted to
fight. He wrote to Washington In hope of
effecting a transfer.
He demonstrated against being taken from
the field and put to work in "a mere chemi-
cal laboratory" as he expressed it,
To this appeal General Washington made
this reply tall the more remarkable, seeing
that we regard the chemists experiments and
laboratory work as purely modern war meas
ureS)
You say you are dcsrous of being placed
in that situation in which you can render
your country the most efficient services Our
success depends much on the manner in
which our cartridges, bombs and matches are
prepared.
The eye of science is required TO SUPER
intend their preparation; and if the infor-
nation of General Knox, who knows you
well and intimately, is to be depended on,
there is no officer in the army better qualified
than yourself for the station l have as
signed you
A T THE battle Of Germantown Captain
~ Porter was commended on the field by
Washington for his bravery.
Nearly all his company were killed or
taken prisoners in that engagement.
One of the most remarkable things in his
picturesque career occurred in 1T79 when he
was assigned to General Clinton's brigade
TO operate under General Sullivan against
the Indians.
From Canajoharie, on the Mohawk River
Clinton and his men marched to the head of
Lake Otscgo.
While viewing the lake Captain Porter
turned to Clinton and unfolded plan 70
dam the outlet to the lake and thus collect
sufficient water to convey the troops In boats
to Tioga Point, where they were to join
General Sullivan's detachment.
The experiment was tried and the water
in the lake raised, by closing the outlet. to a
height of three feet
An artificial frcshet vas thus created
which effected Porter's purpose and the
troops were sent down by water
1t is said that the frcshet was noticeable
as far as Northumberland.
A FTER the Revolution, Colonel Porter
n retired TO private life on his farm in
Norrton Township, outside Norristown.
But he was not permitted to rest on his
well earned reputation.
The trustees of the University of Pennsyl-
vania offered him tho chair of mathematics in
that institution, but he declined it.
Subsequently he was named by the Su-
| preme Executive Council Of the State a COM
missioner for running, by astronomical OBJ
! servations the dividing lines between Penn
| sylvania and Virginia. Pennsylvania ond
what is now Ohio and this State and New
! York.
Governor Snyder In 1909 appointed Cen
eral Portcr-hc having been raised to the
| rank of brigadicr general in the mlitia-
| Surveyor General.
In 1872 he was tNndcred the position of
brigadier general in the regular army.
President Madison offered him the place
of Secretary Of War in his Cabinet, but he
| declined both appointments. lie said that
his advanced age would prevent the cxecm.
tion of the duties of either station with eff
| cheney.
General Porter left ten children. six sons
| and four daughters. lie was married twice,
his trst'w wife dying within a year of their
| wedding.