Page:History of the newspapers of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.djvu/135

 BEAVER FALLS PAPERS. of English ancestry; was educated in the public schools of Xew York and was married October 26, 1864, at Bayonne, N. J., to Minnie Florence Bird. At the out- break of the Civil War, Mr. Porter enlisted as a private in the 84th 'Sew York Vols. (14th X. Y. S. N. G., Brooklyn), was wounded at Groveton, Va., August 29, 1862; was promoted to Second Lieutenant of the Pierr- pont Kifles N. Y. Infantry, which was consolidated with the 14th Kegiment N. Y. C. Volunteers; was com- missioned Captain October 8, 1862; resigned April 1864; re-entered the service and was commissioned Captain Co. H 25th X. Y. C. Volunteers August 22, 1864; com- missioned Major, and Brevet Lieuenant Colonel by General Sheridan, for gallantry at Fisher's Hill. The oft told incident of Col. Porter's gallantry on the field, was graphically told the writer many years ago. In the fall of 1864, General Sheridan in supreme com- mand of the Union forces in the Shenandoah valley, was sent for by General Grant at Harper's Ferry for con- sultation. On the morning of his return, he heard the booming of cannon and started on his "twenty miles away" ride. Col. Porter was acting on the staff of Greneral A. T. A. Torbet and in the dawn, sharp firing not more than a thousand yards away, told of Early's sur- prise. The Confederates had foimd a gap in our picket line, and not a shot was fired until their whole force was fairly on top of our sleeping army. The confusion was great and even to find one's own horse was impossible, and Col. Porter seized the first horse he could, and cleared out where the zip of bullets was less hot and thick. Possibly two thousand yards from where were gathered a knot of soldiers, was a hastily thrown up earthwork, from behind which a scattering rifle fire came. The aide who received his order, dashed over to this small crowd of unorganized soldiers, and seeing Major Porter