succeeding eighteen years, as well as memorials from various legislatures, and on 28 Dec., 1882, a bill for his relief was presented in the senate, under the action of an advisory board appointed by Presi- dent Hayes, consisting of Gen. John M. Schofield, Gen. Alfred H. Terry, and Gen. George W. Getty. On 4 May, 1882, the president remitted so much of the sentence of the court-martial as forever dis- qualified Gen. Porter from holding any office of trust or profit under the government; but the bill for his relief failed in its passage. A technical ob- jection caused President Arthur to veto a similar bill that was passed by the 48th congress, but another was passed subsequently which was signed by President Cleveland, and he was restored to the U. S. army as colonel on 5 Aug., 1886. Gen. Grant, after his term of service as president had ended, though he had refused many petitions to open the case, studied it more thoroughly, and published his conclusions in December, 1882. in an article en- titled " An Undeserved Stigma," in which he said that he was convinced of Gen. Porter's innocence. After leaving the army, Gen. Porter engaged in business in New York city, was subsequently superintendent of the New Jersey asylum for the insane, and in February, 1875, was made commis- sioner of public works. He was police commis- sioner in 1884-'8, and then became commissioner of the fire department. In 1869 the khedive of Egypt offered him the post of commander of his army, with the rank of major-general, which he declined.
PORTER, Eliphalet, clergyman, b. in North
Bridgewater, Mass., 11 June, 1758; d. in Roxbury,
Mass., 7 Dec., 1833. His father, John (1715-1802),
was graduated at Harvard in 1736, was pastor of
the 1st Congregational church of North Bridge-
water from 1740 till his death, and published sev-
eral controversial pamphlets in defence of Calvin-
ism. The son was graduated at Harvard in 1777.
studied theology with his father, and was ordained
over the Congregational society of Roxbury on 2
Oct., 1782, where he continued until his death. In
1830 Rev. George Putnam was associated with him
in his pastorate. He was a member of the Academy
of arts and sciences, an overseer of Harvard and a
member of its corporation, an original trustee of
the Massachusetts Bible society, and a founder of
the State temperance society. Harvard gave him
the degree of D. D. in 1807. He published several
sermons, and a " Eulogy on Washington " (1800).
PORTER, George W., soldier, b. about 1796;
d. in Memphis, Tenn., 7 Nov., 1856. He was a
lieutenant in the 38th U. S. infantry from May,
1814. till June, 1815, and made many valuable in-
ventions, including the Porter rifle.
PORTER, James, clergyman, b. in Middle-
borough, Mass., 21 March, 1808: d. in Brooklyn,
N. Y., 16 April. 1888. At the age of sixteen he
entered a cotton-factory in his native town with
the intention of learning the business of a manu-
facturer, but three years later he determined to
study for the ministry. He attended the Kent's
Hill seminary at Readfield, Me., and at the age of
twenty-two was admitted a member of the New
England conference of the Methodist Episcopal
church. During the early period of his ministry
Dr. Porter held many pastorates in and near Bos-
ton. For several years he was a presiding elder
of the conference, and from 1844 till 1872 he was
a delegate to the general conference. From 1852
till 1855 he was a member of the board of over-
seers of Harvard, being the first Methodist clergy-
man to hold that office. From 1855 till 1871 he
was trustee of Wesleyan university, which con-
ferred upon him the degree of A. M. In 1856 he
was elected one of the book agents in New York
i-ity. having in charge the Methodist book concern,
which office he held for twelve years. From 1868
till 1882 he was secretary of the National temper-
ance society, and he was also one of the earlier
members of the New England anti-slavery society.
He was closely connected with the abolition move-
ment, and was at one time in danger from the mob
while delivering a speech in Boston upon the sub-
ject. He was a preacher of the old school, collo-
quial in manner, but of commanding presence.
In 1856 he received the degreee of D. D. from
MeKendrick college. Illinois. Besides contributing
frequently to various periodicals. Dr. Porter pub-
lished "Camp Meetings Considered" (New York,
1849) ; " Chart of Life " (1855) : " True Evangelist "
(1860): "The Winning Worker; or the Possibili-
ties, Duty, and Methods of Doing Good to Men "
(1874); "Compendium of Methodism" (1875);
" History of Methodism " (1876) ; " Revival of Re-
ligion " (1877) ; " Hints to Self-educated Ministers,
etc." (1879); "Christianity Demonstrated by Ex-
perience, etc." (1882); "Self-Reliance Encouraged,
etc. "(1887); and " Commonplace Book."
PORTER, James Davis, governor of Tennessee, b. in Paris, Henry co., Tenn., 7 Dec., 1828. He was graduated at the University of Nashville in 1846, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1851, and practised his profession. He was elected to the legislature in 1859, and served through the civil war in the Confederate army as adjutant on the staff of Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham, after which he resumed the practice of law, was a delegate to the Constitutional convention of Tennessee in 1870, and in that year was elected circuit judge for the 12th judicial circuit of the state, which post he resigned in 1874. From 1874 till 1879 he was governor of Tennessee. In 1880 he was chairman of the Tennessee delegation to the Democratic national convention, andfrom that year till 1884 he was president of the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis railroad company. In 1885-'7 he was assistant secretary of state. Gov. Porter is vice-president of the Tennessee historical society for west Tennessee, a trustee of the Peabody fund, and is president of the board of trustees of the University of Nashville, from which he received the degree of LL. D. in 1879. PORTER, John Addison, chemist, b. in Catskill, N. Y., 15 March, 1822 ; d. in New Haven, Conn., 25 Aug., 1866. He was graduated at Yale in 1842, and after further study in Philadelphia became in 1844 tutor and then professor of rhetoric at Delaware college in Newark, Del. In 1847 he went abroad and studied agricultural chemistry for three years under Liebig, at the University of Giessen. On his return to the United States he was assistant at the Lawrence scientific school of Harvard for a few months, but in 1850 he was appointed professor of chemistry applied to the arts at Brown, and in 1852 he was called to succeed Prof. John P. Norton in the chair of agricultural chemistry in Yale (now Sheffield) scientific school. In 1856 he was given charge of the department of organic chemistry, and so continued until 1864, when failing health led to his resignation. Prof. Porter was particularly interested in the welfare of the scientific school, and did much to ensure its success. He married a daughter of Joseph E. Sheffield (q. v.), and his influence and efforts were potent toward securing the generous donation from the latter that resulted in placing the school on a firm financial basis. The present great interest in obtaining a knowledge of scientific agriculture is largely the outcome of his work. Prof. Porter was a member of scientific societies, and contributed va-
