Sling

Object Name:

Sling

Object ID:

2016.036.03

Date:

1861-1862

Description:

Saber sling. Worn by General Fitz-John Porter (1822-1901) during Civil War. Red patent leather body with two parallel gilded brass wire bands sewn on front. Square brass buckle. Kid leather and wire band loop. Engraved brass hooks on two ends.

Material:

Leather
Metal
Brass

Dimensions:

W-0.8 L-40 inches

Provenance:

This sling and other uniform accessories descended from General Porter to his son, Holbrook Fitz-John Porter (1858-1939), then to his grandson, Fitz-John Porter (1889-1973), then to his great-granddaughter Peggy Porter Poole (1916-2014), then to his great-great-grandson, David Dixon Porter Poole, who gave them to a cousin, the donor, David Cornell Adams.

Fitz-John Porter was born in Portsmouth, NH, on August 31, 1822, the son of Captain John and Eliza Chauncy (Clarke) Porter. He was the nephew of War of 1812 naval hero Commodore David Porter (1780-1843) and the cousin of Civil War naval hero David D. Porter (1813-1891). Porter attended private schools and graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, in 1845. He went on to serve in Mexican-American War and was an artillery and cavalry instructor at West Point.

When the Civil War began, Porter was commissioned a colonel in the 15th U.S. Infantry but was soon promoted to brigadier general and placed in command of a division of the Army of the Potomac. On July 4, 1862, in recognition of his admirable performance as commander of V Corps during the Peninsula Campaign, Porter was promoted to major general of volunteers. Porter's corps was then sent to reinforce Major General John Pope's Army of Virginia. Porter was openly hostile toward Pope, so when the two generals repeatedly clashed over the disposition of troops at the Second Battle of Manassas, and the battle ended in disaster, Porter was court martialed, found guilty of disobedience and misconduct, and was dismissed from the army on January 21, 1863.

Credit Line:

Gift of Deborah Stewart Adams and David Cornell Adams, in honor of Peggy Porter Poole and David Dixon Porter Poole

People:

Porter, Fitz-John (1822-1901)

Subjects:

Civil War, Military uniforms