PORTER. 266' PORTER. Chiefs, dealing with the times "f Bruce and Wallace. This book was translated mto Ger- man and Russian, and won European fame. It is bv far the best historical romance before beott. Slie' composed, with her sister Anna ilaria. Talcs Hound u ^mtcr Hearth (182C) and The Field of Forhj Footsteps (1S28). Her last novel. Sir Ed.nnd Scaivard's Diary (1831), purporting to be founded on fact, created a great sensation. PORTER, .JosiAS Leslie Porter (1823-89).
Kii'dish Presl)vterian minister and educator,
born in Burt Paiish, Donegal County, Ii;eland Educated in Londonderry and the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, he studied theology under Dr. Chalmers at New College, and was licensed to preach in 1844. He was pastor of a church in Newcastle-on-Tyne from 184b iiiitil 1840 when the Irish Presbyterian Board of Mis- sions sent him to Damascus. For the next ten vcars he was a missionary to the Jews m Syria and Palestine, was then called to the chair of biblical criticism in the Presbyterian College, Belfast, and became president of Queen's College. in the same city in 1879. His publications in- clude- Fire Years in Damaseiis (2 vols., 18o5) ; Murray's Handbook for Travellers in Syria and Palestine (1858); The Giant Cities of Bashan (1865); Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Bethany (1S87) ; and Through Samaria (1888). PORTER, XoAK (181192). An American professor of philosophy and a president of Yale University, born in Farmington. Conn., where his father. Rev. Noah Porter, was for more than fifty years minister of the Congregational Church. After graduating at Yale in 1831, he was for a short time rector of the ancient Hopkins Gram- mar School and subsequently was a tutor in Yale College. He then entered the Congrega- tional ministry, and was successively a pastor in New Milford,"Conn. (183G), and in Springfield. Mass. (1843-4G). The Clark professorship of metaphysics was then established at Yale, and the young minister became the first incumbent of the "chair, which he held from 1846 until his death. In the winter of 1853-54 he studied under Trendelcnbuig and other professors in the University of Berlin. When Dr. Woolsey resigned the Yale presidency in 1871. Porter was chosen as his successor, and for fifteen j'ears he dis- charged the dillieult duties of that station, lec- turing also as a professor, preaching in the col- lege pulpit, and engaging in many literary and scholastic avocations. He resigned the presi- dential chair in ISSfi, being followed by Timothy Dwight. His principal publication is a well- known text-book on The Human Intellect (1868), which was supjilcmented by one entitled The Elements of Moral Science (1885). He is also widely known as the editor-iii-chief of two quarto editions of ^Ve^JSfcr<< Diclionary (1864-1900). His minor works included: Books and Reading (1870); Science of 'Sature rs. Science of Man (1881); Science and Sentiment (1882): and a commemoration of Bishop Berkeley (1885). Many of his best essays appeared in periodicals. After his death the tributes to his memory by some of his friends and colleagues were printed in a small volume. One of the sisters of Presi- dent Porter, ^Miss Sarah Porter (1813-1900), established and mnintnined in Farmincton a school for sirls. which acnuired a national repu- tation and is still distinguished by the excellent character of those who have enjoyed its training.
brother, Samuel Porter, spent his life as one of
the professors in the Gallaudet College for Deaf ilutes in Washington, and wrote the guide to pro- nunciation for the edition of Webster's dictionary of 1890. PORTER, Peter Buel (1773-1844). An American political leader and soldier: born at Salisbury, Conn. He graduated at Yale in 1791, and after 1795 practiced law first at Canandai- •nia, N. Y., and tlicn at Black Rock, now part of the city of Buffalo. He was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 1808, and there became a con- spicuous advocate of internal improvements. He was reelected in 1810, and for a time was chair- man of the Committee on Foreign Relations. At the outbreak of the War of 1812 he resigned his seat in Congress and led a body of New York niid Pennsylvania volunteers to the Niagara frontier, where' he joined the forces nnder Gen. Alexnmler Smyth. Porter soon became disgusted with his superior's management of the expedition, and charged him with being a coward. This led to a bloodless duel on Grand Island. Afterwards, -svhen General .Jacob Brown (q.v.) led the Ameri- cans into Canada. Porter commanded one of three brigades into which the army was divided, and.] participated in the battles of Chippewa and Dun- dy's Lane, and the siege of Fort Erie. In 18151 he again entered Congress, and served until the! following year, when he was ajipointed one of thel commissioners under the Treaty of Ghent to de-j termine the northwestern boundary. In 1828 hej became Secretary of War in .Tolin Quincy Adams's j Cabinet, and served until the end of the adminis- tration a year later. His interest in internal im- provements made him erne of the most zealous pro-1 jectors of the Erie Canal, and he was appointed ai member of the first commission. PORTER, Sir Robert Ker (1775-1842). Ai English historical painter and traveler, born il Durham, and a brother of >Tanc Porter, the noveH ist. He was a pupil of the Royal Academy. Hia earlier works include some religious pictures! hut he first attracted attention by his panoramij painting, "The Storming of Seringapatam'^ (1800) Other historical "paintings by him are "The Battle of Lodi;" '"The Defeat of the French at Devil's Bridge. Mont Saint Gothard. in 1804;' '•Agincourt;" and the "Siege of Acre." In 1804 he was appointed battle painter to the Czar of Russia and did some large decorative works for him iii the Admiralty Hall, Saint Petersburg. He accompanied Sir .John Moore to Spain in 1808, and wrote Letters from Portugal and Snmn (1809). From 1820 until 1841 he was consul to Venezuela, and lived at Caracas. He wrote: Traveling Sketches in Russia and Sweden During the Years 1S05-0S (1809): Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, Ancient Bahylon (1821), his most valuable work; and ^'arrative of the Cam- paign in Russia During J81.i (1813). PORTER, Robert P. (1852—). An American journalist, born at Jlarhani Hall, Norfolk. Eng- land. He emiTi-ated to the JTnited States and be- came one of the original staff of the Chicago Inter Ocean, devoting his attention chiefly to economic questions. He made reports for the Tenth Census on wealth, debt, taxation, and transportation in the United States, and in 188- was appointed a member of the Tariff Commission. The New York Tribune and the Philadelphia
