Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/400

 PORTER

PORTER

revolving rifle, horse-power flat boat, cord-mak- ing niacUine (1825); clock, corn-slieller, churn, wasliing-miicliine, signal telegraph, fire alarm, flying ship, trip-hammer, fog whistle, engine- lathe, balanced valve, rotary plough, reaction wind-wlieel, portable house, thermo-engiue and rotary engine. He died in New Haven, Conn., Aug. 1:5. 1S84.

PORTER, Sarah, educator, was born in Farrn- ington. Conn., Aug. 17, 1813; daughter of Noah and Melietable (Meigs) Porter, and sister of Noah Porter, president of Yale college. In 1845 she opened a day school for girls in Farming- ton, which subsequently developed into a large, well-equipped and successful seminary, with which she was actively connected for fifty-five years. In 1885 Miss Porter was presented with an art-building, tlie gift of her former students. On Oct. 28. 1902, tiie Sarah Porter Memorial Building, a parish house situated next to the old Puritan meeting house in Farmington, was dedi- cated to her memory. She died in Farmington, Conn.. Feb. 18. U>00.

PORTER, Thomas Conrad, botanist, was born in Alexandria, Pa., Jan. 22, 1822 ; son of John and Maria (Buchu) Porter ; grandson of Thomas and Jean (Montgomery) Porter and of John C. and Hannah (Mitinger) Buchu. and a descendant of the Rev. John Con- rad Buchu, D.D., of SchatTiiausen, Swit- zerland, and of Capt. Jacob Mitinger of the American army of tlie Revolution. He was graduated from Lafayette college in 1840 and from the Princeton Theologi- cal seminary in 1843. He wa.s licensed to preach in 1844 ; was stated supply of a Pre!5l)yterian church at Monticello, Ga., 18^45-47 ; was ordained by the clas.sis of Leba- non, Nov. 14, 1848, and was pa.stor of the 2d German Reformed ciiurch, Reading, Pa., 1848- 49. He was marrie<l, Dec. 25, 18.50, to Susan, daughter of John and Katherine Kunkel, of Harrisburg, Pa. He was professor of natural sciences at Marshall college, Mercersburg, Pa., 1849-.53, and removed with the <'oIlege to Lancas- ter, Pa., in 1853, when it consolidated with Frank- lin college. He was .secretary of the board of trus- tees of Franklin and ilarshall college, 1853-66 ; professDr of botany, zoology and general geology at Lafayette. 1800-91 ; pastor of the Third Street Reformed church of Easton, Pa., 1877-84. and a

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member of the committee that framed the order of worship for the German Reformed church in the United States in 18G7. He received the de- gree D.D. from Rutgers in 1865 and that of LL.D. ixom. Franklin and Marshall in 1880. He was the founder and first president of Linnaean society of Lancaster county. Pa., a member or fellow of the leading scientific organizations of America, aTid is the autlior of : a translation of Herman and Dorothea (1854); Life of St. Augustine (1854); Life of Iric Zwingli (1858); Flora of Colorado (1874); Flora in the United States (1892); Flora of Pennsylvania (1902); contributions to Dr. Philip Schaff's Christian Song (1868), besides various verses, essays, articles in reviews and contributions to U.S. government botanical re- ports in Hayden and Wlieeler's surveys. He died in Enston, Pa., April 27, 1901.

PORTER, William David, naval officer, was born in New Orleans, La., March 10, 1809 ; son of Com. David and Evelina (Anderson) Porter. He attended school in Philadelphia, Pa. ; was ap- pointed midshipman U.S.N., Jan. 1, 1823, was pro- moted lieutenant in 1833, and cruised in the Medit- erranean squadron, 1833-43 ; was then transferred to the home squadron ; commanded the store- ship J^n'e in 1849, and the Waterwitch in 1851, and was placed on the reserved list, Sept. 13, 1855, but was promoted commander, Sept. 14, 1859, and served in the Pacific squadron on the U.S. sloop St. Mary's. In 1861 he joined Commo- dore Foote in fitting out a gun-boat flotilla. He converted a ferry-boat into a powerful ironclad, which he named the Essex, in honor of liis father's ship, and in command of this gunboat he accom- panied the squadron up the Tenne.ssee river, and engaged in the attack on Fort Henry, Feb. 6, 1862. He was badly .scalded by the explosion of a boiler during the attack, but soon recovered and commanded the Essex at Fort Donelson, Feb. 14, 1862. In June, 1862, he pa.ssedthe Mississippi batteries to join the fleet at Vicksburg, and on July 15, 1862, met and seriously injured the Con- federate ram Arkansas, near Baton Rouge, La. He was promoted commodore, July 16, 1862 ; commanded the bombardment of Natchez, Miss., Sept. 2,1862; attacked the batteries below Vicks- burg and Port Hudson, and then proceeded to New Orleans. He was relieved of his command on account of failing health, and died in St. Luke's liospital. New York city. May 1, 1864.

PORTER, William Trotter, journalist, was born in Newbury, Vt., Dec. 24, 1809 ; son of Ben- jamin and Martha (Olcott) Porter ; grandson of Gov. Peter Olcott of Norwich, Vt., and of Asa and Mehitable (Crocker) Porter, and a des- cendant of Samuel Porter, who emigrated from the west of England to Plymouth, Ma.ss.. in 1622. He did undergraduate work at Dartmouth college