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General Fitz John Porter
Born August 31, 1822, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Fitz John Porter bucked a family naval tradition and attended the US Military Academy at West Point, graduating 8th in the Class of 1845. In the Mexican War he won promotions for gallant and meritorious conduct. Porter subsequently spent 6 years as an artillery instructor at West Point and then served on the staffs of Albert Sydney Johnston and Robert Patterson. As a corps commander under General George B. McClellan during the Peninsula Campaign, Porter displayed great tactical ability but his promising career turned after Second Manassas. Following his court-martial conviction, Porter sought to vindicate his record. In 1878 Porter's case was reopened and he was ultimately cleared of all charges in 1879. President Cleveland approved Porter's reinstatement in 1886 and he retired from the army shortly afterward. Porter died at his Morristown, New Jersey home May 21, 1901. |