George A. Porterfield
Encyclopedia
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
(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 one of the last three surviving veteran officers of the Mexican-American War.
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
.
He became an editor of the Martinsburg Gazette and a teacher after the war. After a few years in a government job with the United States Coast Survey in Washington, D.C., he returned to Jefferson County
as a farmer in 1855. He was living with his family on his farm when the Civil War began.
On July 9, 1849, George Porterfield married Emily Cornelia Terrill. She was the daughter of Elizabeth (Pitzer) Terrill and Colonel William Henry Terrill (1800–1877), a lawyer and prosecuting attorney in Bath County, Virginia
, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from Allegheny County, 1829–1831, and provost marshal for Bath County during the Civil War. She was the sister of Confederate General James Barbour Terrill, Phillip M. Terrill, a lieutenant in Company B of the 12th Virginia Infantry Regiment and Union General William Rufus Terrill
. All three brothers were killed in action. A fourth brother, George Parker Terrill, who was an 1849 graduate of VMI and 1853 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania
medical school, survived the war. George Parker Terrill started his Confederate service as Colonel of the 157th Virginia militia. Later in the war, Doctor Terrill served as a recruiter and post surgeon.
George and Emily Porterfield had four sons and three daughters. Their son John followed George in the banking business.
by passing an ordinance of secession
on April 17, 1861, the Convention authorized the Governor of Virginia
John Letcher
to form an army and a navy to protect the State pending a popular vote to ratify the State's secession on May 23, 1861. Letcher appointed recently resigned U.S. Army Colonel Robert E. Lee
as major general to command the Virginia forces, which closely cooperated with the Confederacy until Virginia officially seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy.
George Porterfield initially was appointed colonel and inspector general
of militia
at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. On May 4, 1861, General Lee ordered Porterfield to organize forces at Grafton
in northwest Virginia, now West Virginia. Porterfield was expected to hold and protect both the main line and the Parkersburg branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
at that location. Porterfield arrived in Grafton on May 14, 1861. He found that the townspeople, being mostly Irish railroad workers, mainly supported the Union and that the pro-Union Grafton Guards militia company occupied the town. He found no secessionist officers and men at Grafton and, setting up at the more friendly location of Fetterman
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Grafton, he soon discovered that the few volunteer companies in the area were poorly armed, if they were armed at all.
In Fetterman he found Capt. William P. Thompson and his company, the Marion Guards, equipped with 175 muskets which had been purchased by Capt. Thompson. Porterfield was also able to intercept Federal telegraph messages with local support. Porterfield reported to Lee that companies were being organized in Clarksburg, Pruntytown, Philippi, Weston, and Fairmont, but that only two were armed, and one had only "old flint-lock muskets, in bad order, and no amunition...". The companies raised under Porterfield were later organized into the 25th Virginia Infantry
, the 31st Virginia Infantry
, and the 9th Battalion of Virginia Infantry. He advised authorities in Richmond that they would need to send a large force to hold the area for the state but the leaders in Richmond, including General Lee, were unwilling to send soldiers from the eastern part of the state to the western counties at that time for reasons that included not irritating Union sympathizers in the area. On May 19, General Lee advised Colonel Porterfield that several companies from Staunton, Virginia would be sent to Beverly, Virginia for his command.
Since the Grafton Guards had departed for Wheeling to be mustered into the Union Army, Porterfield occupied Grafton on May 25. He did not keep his force there long. Porterfield then decided that he could not capture or even raid Wheeling, Virginia
for supplies as desired by Governor Letcher and that his position at Grafton was threatened. In order to prevent the advance of Union forces, Porterfield decided to burn two bridges on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
between Farmington
and Mannington, West Virginia
. He ordered Colonel William J. Willey to carry out this mission on May 25. Since Porterfield continued to have only a few poorly equipped companies numbering about 550 men under his command, had not yet received requested arms and ammunition and was given information on May 27, 1861 that Union regiments under the overall departmental command of Major General
George B. McClellan
were headed toward Grafton, he decided that his position at Grafton was untenable. Porterfield learned that Union forces from both Wheeling
under the immediate command of Colonel
Benjamin Franklin Kelley
and from Parkersburg
under the immediate command of Colonel James B. Steedman
were headed toward Grafton to protect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
for the Union. On May 28, Porterfield withdrew his force to Philippi, strongly secessionist in sentiment, in Barbour County
about 30 miles (48.3 km) to the south of Grafton. Also on May 28, McClellan placed the entire Union force in western Virginia, about 3,000 men, under the command of Brigadier General
Thomas A. Morris
. On May 30, Colonel Kelley occupied Grafton. He had spent two days working with his force to restore the two bridges that had been burned. Since the bridges were mainly iron structures, only wooden sills and ties needed to be replaced. Porterfield picked up two companies of additional men in his move to Philippi but had to send two more companies home for lack of arms and ammunition. A Confederate court of inquiry concluded on July 4, 1861 that Porterfield had 600 effective infantry and 175 cavalry available at Philippi.
to attack the Confederates at Philippi. At about dawn on June 3, 1861, the larger Union force surprised the Confederates under Porterfield's command who were mostly still asleep in their tents in their camp just outside Philippi. The Confederates had few poorly positioned pickets on duty on the rainy night of June 2–3 and the Union force was able to approach close to the camp before being discovered because of the premature firing of guns. After the attack began, some Confederates fired a few return shots but soon the entire Confederate force began to flee in disorder without putting up a serious fight and without taking most of their supplies. Only a few men were wounded during the brief fight, including Union Colonel Kelley, but at least a small number of Confederates were captured. This rout led the Battle of Philippi
to being called the "Philippi Races." Porterfield and those of his men who were not dispersed or captured reorganized down the road and retreated to Beverly, Virginia
about 30 miles (48.3 km) to the south.
on June 13, 1861, ten days after the battle. Porterfield was left in command of troops at Beverly. Garnett's force of about 5,000 men in turn suffered an even greater defeat at the Battle of Rich Mountain
on July 11, 1861 and Garnett himself became the first general to be killed in action in the Civil War two days later in a rear guard action at the Battle of Corrick's Ford
.
and became his chief of ordnance on August 9, 1861. He briefly commanded a brigade under Brigadier General (later Major General) Edward "Allegheny" Johnson
from April 21, 1862 to May 1, 1862. In the reorganization of the 25th Virginia Regiment on May 1, 1862, with the addition of several companies of the 9th Battalion Virginia Infantry, Porterfield was not re-elected to his command. Feeling unfairly treated and gaining no satisfaction from an appeal, nor any consideration for promotion to brigadier general as recommended by General Johnson, Porterfield soon resigned. He was found by Union forces under General Nathaniel P. Banks in June or July 1862 and arrested. Soon after Porterfield was taken prisoner, however, Banks ordered Porterfield to be paroled. He was never formally exchanged and took no further part in the war.
Porterfield was a member of the Aztec Club of Mexican-American War veterans. As one of the longest lived members of the Aztec Club, and one of the last three surviving members, he served as Vice President, 1914–1915 and President, 1915–1916.
George A. Porterfield died on February 27, 1919 at Martinsburg, West Virginia
. He was buried at Greenhill Cemetery in Martinsburg.
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the first year of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(Civil War) and longtime banker in Charles Town, West Virginia
Charles Town, West Virginia
Charles Town is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,907 at the 2000 census. Due to its similar name, travelers have sometimes confused this city with the state's capital, Charleston.-History:...
after the war. He was in command of Confederate forces at Philippi
Philippi, West Virginia
Philippi is a city in — and the county seat of — Barbour County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 2,870 at the 2000 census. In 1861, the city was the site of the Battle of Philippi, known as "The Philippi Races"...
in northwestern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, later West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, when they were surprised and routed, though with only a few soldiers wounded or captured, by Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National 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 one of the last three surviving veteran officers of the Mexican-American War.
Early life
George Alexander Porterfield was born in Berkeley County, VirginiaBerkeley County, West Virginia
Berkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population is 104,169, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
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
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, a justice of Berkeley County in 1785 and high sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
of the county in 1803. His father was a veteran of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Porterfield was a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
(VMI) in the class of 1844. At Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
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
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, he was appointed adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the 1st Virginia Regiment, then acting assistant adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of his brigade and later assistant adjutant general of the division at Buena Vista, Mexico
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista , also known as the Battle of Angostura, saw the United States Army use artillery to repulse the much larger Mexican army in the Mexican-American War...
.
He became an editor of the Martinsburg Gazette and a teacher after the war. After a few years in a government job with the United States Coast Survey in Washington, D.C., he returned to Jefferson County
Jefferson County, West Virginia
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 53,498. Its county seat is Charles Town...
as a farmer in 1855. He was living with his family on his farm when the Civil War began.
On July 9, 1849, George Porterfield married Emily Cornelia Terrill. She was the daughter of Elizabeth (Pitzer) Terrill and Colonel William Henry Terrill (1800–1877), a lawyer and prosecuting attorney in Bath County, Virginia
Bath County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,048 people, 2,053 households, and 1,451 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 2,896 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...
, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
from Allegheny County, 1829–1831, and provost marshal for Bath County during the Civil War. She was the sister of Confederate General James Barbour Terrill, Phillip M. Terrill, a lieutenant in Company B of the 12th Virginia Infantry Regiment and Union General William Rufus Terrill
William R. Terrill
William Rufus Terrill was a United States Army soldier and general who was killed in action at the Battle of Perryville during the American Civil War...
. All three brothers were killed in action. A fourth brother, George Parker Terrill, who was an 1849 graduate of VMI and 1853 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
medical school, survived the war. George Parker Terrill started his Confederate service as Colonel of the 157th Virginia militia. Later in the war, Doctor Terrill served as a recruiter and post surgeon.
George and Emily Porterfield had four sons and three daughters. Their son John followed George in the banking business.
In command in northwestern Virginia
After the Virginia Secession Convention effectively took the state out of the UnionUnion (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
by passing an ordinance of secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
on April 17, 1861, the Convention authorized the Governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
John Letcher
John Letcher
John Letcher was an American lawyer, journalist, and politician. He served as a Representative in the United States Congress, was the 34th Governor of Virginia during the American Civil War, and later served in the Virginia General Assembly...
to form an army and a navy to protect the State pending a popular vote to ratify the State's secession on May 23, 1861. Letcher appointed recently resigned U.S. Army Colonel Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
as major general to command the Virginia forces, which closely cooperated with the Confederacy until Virginia officially seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy.
George Porterfield initially was appointed colonel and inspector general
Inspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
of militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. On May 4, 1861, General Lee ordered Porterfield to organize forces at Grafton
Grafton, West Virginia
Grafton is a city in, and county seat of, Taylor County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 5,489 at the 2000 census. The only two national cemeteries in West Virginia are located in Grafton. Mother's Day was founded in Grafton on May 10, 1908; the city is the home to the International Mother's...
in northwest Virginia, now West Virginia. Porterfield was expected to hold and protect both the main line and the Parkersburg branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
at that location. Porterfield arrived in Grafton on May 14, 1861. He found that the townspeople, being mostly Irish railroad workers, mainly supported the Union and that the pro-Union Grafton Guards militia company occupied the town. He found no secessionist officers and men at Grafton and, setting up at the more friendly location of Fetterman
Fetterman, West Virginia
Fetterman is a community or populated place located in Taylor County, West Virginia. The elevation is . Fetterman appears on the Grafton U.S. Geological Survey Map. Taylor County is in the Eastern time zone and in postal zip code 26354. Fetterman was one of the early settlements in what became...
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Grafton, he soon discovered that the few volunteer companies in the area were poorly armed, if they were armed at all.
In Fetterman he found Capt. William P. Thompson and his company, the Marion Guards, equipped with 175 muskets which had been purchased by Capt. Thompson. Porterfield was also able to intercept Federal telegraph messages with local support. Porterfield reported to Lee that companies were being organized in Clarksburg, Pruntytown, Philippi, Weston, and Fairmont, but that only two were armed, and one had only "old flint-lock muskets, in bad order, and no amunition...". The companies raised under Porterfield were later organized into the 25th Virginia Infantry
25th Virginia Infantry
The 25th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of the Northwest and Army of Northern Virginia...
, the 31st Virginia Infantry
31st Virginia Infantry
The 31st Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....
, and the 9th Battalion of Virginia Infantry. He advised authorities in Richmond that they would need to send a large force to hold the area for the state but the leaders in Richmond, including General Lee, were unwilling to send soldiers from the eastern part of the state to the western counties at that time for reasons that included not irritating Union sympathizers in the area. On May 19, General Lee advised Colonel Porterfield that several companies from Staunton, Virginia would be sent to Beverly, Virginia for his command.
Since the Grafton Guards had departed for Wheeling to be mustered into the Union Army, Porterfield occupied Grafton on May 25. He did not keep his force there long. Porterfield then decided that he could not capture or even raid Wheeling, Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
for supplies as desired by Governor Letcher and that his position at Grafton was threatened. In order to prevent the advance of Union forces, Porterfield decided to burn two bridges on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
between Farmington
Farmington, West Virginia
Farmington is a town in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 387 at the 2000 census. It is best known for being the site of the 1968 Farmington Mine disaster.-Geography:...
and Mannington, West Virginia
Mannington, West Virginia
Mannington is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States located in the hills of North-Central West Virginia. Known as Mannington since 1856, the town is rich with history and heritage – from Native American relics to frontiersmen and their settlements to Civil War legends...
. He ordered Colonel William J. Willey to carry out this mission on May 25. Since Porterfield continued to have only a few poorly equipped companies numbering about 550 men under his command, had not yet received requested arms and ammunition and was given information on May 27, 1861 that Union regiments under the overall departmental command of Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
were headed toward Grafton, he decided that his position at Grafton was untenable. Porterfield learned that Union forces from both Wheeling
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
under the immediate command of Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Benjamin Franklin Kelley was an American soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in several military campaigns in West Virginia and Maryland....
and from Parkersburg
Parkersburg, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing...
under the immediate command of Colonel James B. Steedman
James B. Steedman
James Blair Steedman was an American soldier, printer, and politician. He also served during the American Civil War as a general in the Union Army, most noted for his performances at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863 and the Battle of Nashville in 1864.-Early life and career:Steedman was born in...
were headed toward Grafton to protect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
for the Union. On May 28, Porterfield withdrew his force to Philippi, strongly secessionist in sentiment, in Barbour County
Barbour County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there are 15,557 people, 6,123 households, and 4,365 families residing in the county. The population density is 46 people per square mile . There are 7,348 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
about 30 miles (48.3 km) to the south of Grafton. Also on May 28, McClellan placed the entire Union force in western Virginia, about 3,000 men, under the command of Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Thomas A. Morris
Thomas A. Morris
Thomas Armstrong Morris was an American railroad executive and civil engineer from Indiana and a soldier, serving as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
. On May 30, Colonel Kelley occupied Grafton. He had spent two days working with his force to restore the two bridges that had been burned. Since the bridges were mainly iron structures, only wooden sills and ties needed to be replaced. Porterfield picked up two companies of additional men in his move to Philippi but had to send two more companies home for lack of arms and ammunition. A Confederate court of inquiry concluded on July 4, 1861 that Porterfield had 600 effective infantry and 175 cavalry available at Philippi.
Battle of Philippi
On June 2, 1861, General Morris sent two columns of soldiers, one under the command of Colonel Kelley and one under the command of Colonel Ebenezer DumontEbenezer Dumont
Ebenezer Dumont was a U.S. Representative from Indiana, as well as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
to attack the Confederates at Philippi. At about dawn on June 3, 1861, the larger Union force surprised the Confederates under Porterfield's command who were mostly still asleep in their tents in their camp just outside Philippi. The Confederates had few poorly positioned pickets on duty on the rainy night of June 2–3 and the Union force was able to approach close to the camp before being discovered because of the premature firing of guns. After the attack began, some Confederates fired a few return shots but soon the entire Confederate force began to flee in disorder without putting up a serious fight and without taking most of their supplies. Only a few men were wounded during the brief fight, including Union Colonel Kelley, but at least a small number of Confederates were captured. This rout led the Battle of Philippi
Battle of Philippi
The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian and the forces of Julius Caesar's assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus in 42 BC, at Philippi in Macedonia...
to being called the "Philippi Races." Porterfield and those of his men who were not dispersed or captured reorganized down the road and retreated to Beverly, Virginia
Beverly, West Virginia
Beverly is a small town in Randolph County, West Virginia, USA. It is situated along the Tygart Valley River and had a population of 651 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Beverly is located at ....
about 30 miles (48.3 km) to the south.
Aftermath of Philippi
Porterfield was blamed for the disastrous display of the Confederate force at Philippi and he asked for a court of inquiry. The court of inquiry concluded on July 4, 1861 that pickets were on duty before the attack, that much of Porterfield's command left the field in good order and that Porterfield was preparing to evacuate Philippi as soon as the day of the attack because he realized that he was in danger of attack by the larger Union force. Yet, General Lee decided that Colonel Porterfield deserved censure, though no more serious punishment, for unpreparedness. In any event, Porterfield was replaced in command of the Confederate forces in western Virginia by Brigadier General Robert S. GarnettRobert S. Garnett
Robert Selden Garnett was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army until the American Civil War, when he became a Confederate States Army brigadier general. He was the first general officer killed in the Civil War.-Early life and career:Garnett was born at the family plantation...
on June 13, 1861, ten days after the battle. Porterfield was left in command of troops at Beverly. Garnett's force of about 5,000 men in turn suffered an even greater defeat at the Battle of Rich Mountain
Battle of Rich Mountain
The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War.-Background:...
on July 11, 1861 and Garnett himself became the first general to be killed in action in the Civil War two days later in a rear guard action at the Battle of Corrick's Ford
Battle of Corrick's Ford
The Battle of Corrick's Ford took place on July 13, 1861, on the Cheat River in western Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. By later standards the battle was a minor skirmish...
.
Subsequent assignments; resignation
Porterfield joined the staff of Confederate Brigadier General William W. LoringWilliam W. Loring
William Wing Loring was a soldier from North Carolina who served in the armies of the United States, the Confederacy, and Egypt.-Early life:...
and became his chief of ordnance on August 9, 1861. He briefly commanded a brigade under Brigadier General (later Major General) Edward "Allegheny" Johnson
Edward Johnson (general)
Edward Johnson , also known as Allegheny Johnson , was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
from April 21, 1862 to May 1, 1862. In the reorganization of the 25th Virginia Regiment on May 1, 1862, with the addition of several companies of the 9th Battalion Virginia Infantry, Porterfield was not re-elected to his command. Feeling unfairly treated and gaining no satisfaction from an appeal, nor any consideration for promotion to brigadier general as recommended by General Johnson, Porterfield soon resigned. He was found by Union forces under General Nathaniel P. Banks in June or July 1862 and arrested. Soon after Porterfield was taken prisoner, however, Banks ordered Porterfield to be paroled. He was never formally exchanged and took no further part in the war.
Post-war; death
In 1871, George Porterfield became one of the founders of the Bank of Charles Town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, which he served for many years as cashier.Porterfield was a member of the Aztec Club of Mexican-American War veterans. As one of the longest lived members of the Aztec Club, and one of the last three surviving members, he served as Vice President, 1914–1915 and President, 1915–1916.
George A. Porterfield died on February 27, 1919 at Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
. He was buried at Greenhill Cemetery in Martinsburg.