Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/408

 POTTER

POTTER

in 1861. Dr. Potter was chosen fiftli bishop of New York, thi' dioceses of Long Island and Albany being set aiwirt during his episcopate. He was a member of the Lambeth conferences in England in 1867 and 1877. and of the general convention held at Pliiladelphia in 1865. On the celebration of the tweiity-liftli annivereity of his consecra- tion. Nov. '29, 1879. at the Academy of Music, New York city, a testimonial was presented him, in the form of a casket of gold, silver and steel, motleled after the ancient Ark of the Covenant. In 1883 liis health broke down, and his nephew, the Rev. Henry Codman Potter, was elected as- sistant bisiiop of New York. The honorary de- gree of D.D. was conferred on him by Trinity in 183S. that of LL.D. by Hobart in 1856, and D.C.L. by Oxford, England, in 1860. He died in New York city, Jan 2, 1887, and his remains were in- terred in the cemetery at Poughkeepsie.

POTTER, James, soldier, was born in Tyrone, Ireland, in 1729; son of John Potter, who immi- grated to America with his wife and children in the sliip Dunucgall, landing at New Castle, Del., in 1741. and settled in 1746 in what became Cumberland county, Pa., in 1750, and was high sheriff of the county in 1750, 1754 and 1755. James Potter was commissioned ensign in Lieut.- Col. John Armstrong's battalion. Feb. 17, 1756, and was wounded in the expedition against Kit- tanning. Sept. 7, 1756. He was promoted lieu- tenant. 2d battalion, Oct. 23, 1757; captain, Feb. 17, 1759. and in 1764 commanded three companies on the northern frontier. He removed to Sun- bury, Pa., in 1769; was appointed a justice of Northumberland county in 1772, removed to Union county, and settled in Penn's Valley in 1774. He was elected colonel of the upper bat- talion of Pennsylvania patriot militia, Jan. 24,

1776. and commanded a battalion in the battles of Trenton, Dec. 26. 1766, and Princeton, Jan. 3,

1777, l)eing wounded at Princeton. He was pro- moted brigadier-general of Pennsylvania militia, April 5, 1777, and commanded a brigade at Brandywine and Germantown. He also served on the outi)osts of Washington's army at Valley Forge; during the summer of 1778 he assisted in refx'lling Indian invasion in Penn's Valley, and in July. 1779, he removed to Middle Creek, Pa. He was a meml>er of the supreme executive council in 1780, vice-president of Penn.sylvania in 1781, and was defeated as president by John Dickinson. He was appointed major-general of Pennsylvania militia, May 23, 1782, and was a member of the council of censors in 1784. He was marrie<l, first, to Elizabeth Cathcart; sec- ondly, to Mrs. Mary (Patterson) Chambers. He died \n Franklin county. Pa., in November, 1789.

POTTER, John Fox, representative, wajiborn in Augusta. Maine, May 11, 1817; son of John and

Caroline (Fox) Potter; grandson of the Rev. Isaiah and Elizabeth Edwards (Barrett) Potter of Lebanon, N.H., and of John Fox of Portland, Maine, and a descendant of William Potter, who emigrated from Lincoln, Eng., to New Haven, C^nn., in 1637. He was educated at Phillips academy, Exeter, N.H., studied law in Augusta, was admitted to the bar in 1837, and removed to East Tracy, Wis., in 1838. He was married, Oct. 15, 1839, to Frances E. Lewis, daughter of George and Rebecca (Lewis) Fox of Portland, Maine, and secondly, to Sarah Fox. He was judge of Walworth county, Wis., 1842-46; a member of the assembly of Wisconsin in 1856, and a Republican representative from the first district of Wisconsin in the 35th-37th congresses, 1857-63. In 1860 a debate brought about by a si)eech of Representative Owen Lovejoy, an- nouncing the death of liis brother, Elisha P., caused Mr. Potter to be challenged by Represen- tative Roger A. Pryor of Virginia, and in accept- ing the challenge, he named bowie-knives as the weapons; but on the objection of Mr. Pryor's seconds to the weapons as " barbarous," the challenge was withdrawn. He was a delegate to the Crittenden peace congress of 1861; chairman of the investigating committee appointed by the 37th congress for unearthing treason and dis- loyalty in government offices and departments; was defeated for election by James S. Brown in 1862; commanded a battery in the Wisconsin volunteer artillery in the civil war, and declined the governorship of Dakota Territory, offered him by President Lincoln in 1863, but accepted the appointment as U.S. consul-general at Mon- treal, serving, 1863-66. He was a delegate to the Whig national conventions of 1852, 1856. 1860 and 1864. He died in East Troy, Wis., May 18, 1899.

POTTER, Joseph Hayden, soldier, was born in Concord, N.H., Oct. 12, 1822; son of Thomas Drake and Eunice (Marden) Potter; grandson of Joseph and Nancy (Drake) Potter, and of John Marden of Chichester, N.H., and a descendant of Robert Potter, who came from Coventiy, Eng- land, to Lynn, Mass., in 1630. He was graduated at the U.S. Military academy in 1843, served in the military occupation of Texas, 1845-46, and was promoted 2d lieutenant, 7th infantry, Oct. 21, 1845. He served during the Mexican war, being engaged in the defense of Fort Brown, and for gallantry at Monterey, where he was severely wounded while storming the enemy's works, he was brevetted 1st lieutenant, Sept. 23, 1846. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, Oct. 30, 1847; captain, Jan. 9, 1856; served on the Utah expedition, 1858-60; at Fort Webster, New Mexico, in 1860; on court-martial duty at Fort Bliss, Tex., and on frontier duty. Fort McLane, New Mexico, 1860-61. He was captured by