Nameplate

Object Name:

Nameplate

Object ID:

2016.036.04

Date:

1855-1860

Description:

Nameplate. Used by Major Fitz-John Porter (1822-1901). Case fragment. Rectangular silver nameplate, engraved "Maj. F.J. Porter / U.S. Army". Plate mounted on rectangular cowhide panel with hand-tooled border decorations.

Material:

Leather
Metal
Silver

Dimensions:

H-6.2 W-4.4 D-0.3 inches

Provenance:

This nameplate and other military 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)