Andrew Porter

Andrew Porter was born on September 24, 1743, at Norriton, near Norristown, Pennsylvania. He was one of fourteen children born to Robert Porter and Lileous (née Christy) Porter. His father, Robert Porter, immigrated from Derry, Ireland, to New Hampshire in 1720 before relocating to Pennsylvania.

In his early life, Porter moved to Philadelphia, where he pursued careers as a schoolmaster and an amateur astronomer. During the American Revolutionary War, Porter enlisted in 1776 as a captain of marines. He subsequently transferred to the artillery branch, participating in notable battles including Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, and Tioga Point. His role extended to supervising the preparation of artillery ammunition during the Siege of Yorktown under the direction of General George Washington. By the conclusion of the war, Porter held the rank of colonel.

Following the war, Porter remained active in military service within the Pennsylvania militia, achieving the rank of major general. He held the position of surveyor-general for Pennsylvania and served as a commissioner responsible for delineating the boundary lines between Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio. Despite being offered the position of Brigadier General in the United States Army and the appointment of U.S. Secretary of War by President James Madison, Porter declined both offers due to his age.

In his personal life, Porter was married twice. His first marriage was to Elizabeth McDowell (1747–1773), with whom he had five children. Their children included Robert Porter (1768–1842), who married Sarah Williams; Elizabeth Rittenhouse Porter (1769–1850), who married Robert Porter Parker and was the grandmother of Mary Todd Lincoln. After Elizabeth's death, Porter remarried Eliza Parker (1750–1821), and they had eight children. Their offspring included Charlotte Porter (1778–1850), who married Robert Brooke of Virginia; David Rittenhouse Porter (1788–1867), who served as Governor of Pennsylvania; Harriet Porter (1788–1864), who married Thomas McKeen; George Bryan Porter (1791–1834), Governor of Michigan Territory; and James Madison Porter (1793–1862), Secretary of War under President John Tyler.

Andrew Porter died on November 16, 1813, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In honor of his contributions, Porter Township in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, was established in 1814 and named after him.

His descendants include notable figures such as his grandson Horace Porter (1837–1921), a Union general in the American Civil War, aide-de-camp to General Ulysses S. Grant, and U.S. Ambassador to France. Horace Porter was awarded the Medal of Honor. Another grandson, Andrew Porter (1820–1872), served as a brigadier general in the Union Army and was a staff officer under General George B. McClellan during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign. Through his daughter Elizabeth, Porter was the great-grandfather of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln.