Andrew Porter (Revolutionary War officer)
| Andrew Porter | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 24, 1743 Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | November 16, 1812 (aged 69) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth McDowell Eliza Parker |
| Children | 13, including George, David, James |
| Parent(s) | Robert Porter Lileous Christy |
| Relatives |
Horace Porter (grandson) Andrew Porter (grandson) |
Andrew Porter (September 24, 1743 – November 16, 1813) was an American officer during the Revolutionary War.
Porter was born on September 24, 1743 at Norriton, his father's farm near Norristown, Pennsylvania. He was one of the fourteen children of Robert Porter (1698–1770) and Lileous (née Christy) Porter (1708–1771). His father had immigrated from Derry, Ireland to New Hampshire in 1720, and later moved to Pennsylvania.
Andrew moved to Philadelphia as a young man, where he became a schoolmaster and amateur astronomer. In 1776, he joined the American forces in the Revolutionary War as a captain of marines. He later moved to the artillery, in which branch he served at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, and Tioga Point. He was later directed by General George Washington to supervise the preparation of artillery ammunition for the Siege of Yorktown. By the end of the war, he had been promoted to the rank of colonel.
After the end of the war, Porter continued to serve in a military role with the Pennsylvania militia, rising to the rank of major general. He also served as the state's surveyor-general, and was one of the commissioners tasked with determining the boundaries between Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio.
He was offered the position of Brigadier general in the U.S. Army, at the end of the War, and United States Secretary of War by President Madison, but he declined both due to his advanced age.
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