Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-05-30
Last Of Grants Staff.

Brlgadier General Horace Porter of
the union army in the civil war was the
last survivor among the members of
General Grants military staff. He ac-
companied Grant to Appomatox and
was with his chief when Grant AMI Lee
discussed the terms of the latter's sur
render. After the war. when Grant
served as secretary of war, General
Porter acted as his assistant. When
Grant became president General f'or
ter accompanied him to the White
House as executive secretary, and re-
manned during the first term of office
When Grant died it was General Por
ter who organized the popular sub
scription that yielded 100000 and
built Grants tomb in New York city.
Altogether General Porter spent 20
years in public service as soldier.
gressional medal of honor was award
civil war The grand cross of the Le-
gion of Honor from France testified
to his services as ambassador at Paris.
He received the degree of LII. D. from
Harvard, Princeton. Union and VIII
liams.
Fought With Great Bravery.
Born at Huntington, Pa. April Is,
1887, the son of governor of Penn
sylvania. he studied at Harvard and at
West Point and was graduated into the
regular army. He fought in turn with
the union armies of the Ohio. the Cum
berland and the Potomac. He won six
brebets for bravery on many battle
fields. At Chattanooga his bravery at
tracted the attention of General Grant,
who selected him as member of his
staff and kept him by his side during
the remainder of the war.
General Porter was by profession
railroad man. At 36 years of age he re-
signed from the army and became vice
president Of the Pullman Co. Later he
was president of the New York, West |
Shore & Buffalo. and the st. Louis & |
San Francisco railroads. During his |
business career of "a years he was !
lirector in IA railroad companies and |
financial institutions.
Ambassador to France. /
General Porter again entered public
ife at the age of 60. President McKin-
ey appointed him ambassador to ,
France in 1897 and he remained at that |
,ost for eight years. He became one /
# the most distinguished of the diplo-
matte corps in Paris, serving his coun-
ry during the period of war with
Spain. His term also embraced the as
embling Of the peace commission
vhich signed a second treaty of Paris
IN the same table upon which Franklin
nd his colleagues after the Revolu-
ion signed the first treaty of Paris.
The long search through Paris for
he remains, Of John Paul Jones the
american admiral. was conducted BY
Porter. He spent six
ears and more than $4,000 of his
ersonal fortune in this search, and
7hen he found the body. he grace
ully refused reimbursement from
0ngress.
General Porter closed his career as
n earnest advocate of universal peace
Il the age of 20 he represented the
Fnited States at the second Peace
Conference at The Hague. General
orter possessed rare gifts as an ora
,r and after-dinner speaker. /.
: An inventor and Writer.
His mechanical tastes and power of
,vention were marked. He invented
,e; ticket box in use on all elevated
,ilroads and most of the ferries in this !,
,untry. An interior mechanism mutil-
es the tickets as they are dropped into
!, making their reuse impossible.
During his long military, business
i'd diplomatic career, he found time to
vote himself to considerable literary
ork. He was author Of West Point
ife," "1s6O," Campaigning With |
rant" and he also contributed to I
,n1crOue maQaxines and n0wanan ners /;