George A. Porterfield
| George A. Porterfield | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 24, 1822 Berkeley County, Virginia |
| Died | February 27, 1919 (aged 96) Martinsburg, West Virginia |
| Buried at | Greenhill Cemetery Martinsburg, West Virginia |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army Confederate States Army
|
| Years of service | 1847–1848 (USA) 1861–1862 (CSA) |
| Rank |
 First Lieutenant (USA) Colonel (CSA) |
| Unit |
 1st Virginia Regiment (USA) |
| Commands held |
25th Virginia Infantry (CSA) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Relations |
James B. Terrill (brother-in-law) William R. Terrill (brother-in-law) |
| Other work | Banker |
Mexican-American War
American Civil War
George Alexander Porterfield (November 24, 1822 – February 27, 1919) was a junior officer of United States forces in the Mexican-American War, colonel in the Confederate States Army during the first year of the American Civil War and longtime banker in Charles Town, West Virginia after the war. He was in command of Confederate forces at Philippi in northwestern Virginia, later West Virginia, when they were surprised and routed, though with only a few soldiers wounded or captured, by Union Army forces on June 3, 1861 near the beginning of the Civil War. After serving in staff and temporary field positions for 11 more months, Porterfield resigned from the Confederate Army because he lost his position in a regimental election. In 1871 he helped found a bank at Charles Town, West Virginia which he served for many years. At his death he was the third-last surviving veteran officer of the Mexican-American War.
George Alexander Porterfield was born in Berkeley County, Virginia on November 24, 1822. He was the son of George and Mary (Tabb) Porterfield and the grandson of William and Rachel (Vance) Porterfield. His grandfather was a captain in the American Revolutionary War, a justice of Berkeley County in 1785 and high sheriff of the county in 1803. His father was a veteran of the War of 1812.
Porterfield was a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in the class of 1844. At Richmond, Virginia in May 1846, he helped organize the first company of Virginia volunteers for service in the Mexican-American War. He was elected first lieutenant. Soon after arriving in Mexico, he was appointed adjutant of the 1st Virginia Regiment, then acting assistant adjutant general of his brigade and later assistant adjutant general of the division at Buena Vista, Mexico.
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Wikipedia