Re: Daniel Porter: War of 1812
-
In reply to:
Daniel Porter: War of 1812
David Maynard 1/12/07
Cathy,
Daniel Porter served as a private in Captain Thomas S. Jack’s Company in Lieutenant Colonel Richard Patterson’s 2nd Regiment in Brigadier General Richard Crook’s 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade. This brigade was attached to the right wing of Brigadier General William Henry Harrison’s Army of the Northwest in the fall of 1812 and early winter of 1813.
The other two brigades attached to this wing were the Western Virginia Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General Joel Leftwich, and the 2nd Ohio Brigade under Brigadier General Simon Perkins.
Brigadier General Reasin Beall’s 2nd brigade of the 4th division of the Ohio militia built a military road from Canton to Upper Sandusky, Ohio, passing through Wooster and Mansfield. His brigade merged with Brigadier General Perkins’ 1st brigade of the 4th Division and the 2nd Ohio Brigade was created. Beall was released from duty to serve as a Congressman from Ohio.
The three brigades from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia continued building the military road from Upper Sandusky to the rapids of the Maumee River. The Pennsylvania brigade built Fort Ferree at Upper Sandusky and all three brigades helped on the initial construction of Fort Meigs.
Daniel Porter’s service records are at the National Archives in roll box 167 and roll record 20352. He is also listed in the muster roll of Captain Thomas C. Jacks’ company in the Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth Series, Volume VIII, pages 210-211.
2nd Pennsylvania Brigade
Brigadier General Richard Crooks
The 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade, which was under the command of Brigadier General Richard Crooks, was raised for a six-month tour of duty with the Army of the Northwest. The brigade was raised in western and south central Pennsylvania from existing militia regiments. The brigade was made up of two regiments and an independent battalion. The brigade would serve from 2 October 1812 to 2 April 1813.
The 1st regiment was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Joel Ferree. This regiment consisted of ten infantry companies and two light dragoon companies. Two other light dragoon companies under Captain Joseph Markle and Captain Thomas Seeley would later be administratively attached to this regiment. The four light dragoon companies would operate with Lieutenant Colonel James V. Ball’s Squadron from the 2nd Regiment of U.S. Light Dragoons during their tours of duty.
The 2nd Regiment, consisting of 10 militia companies, was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Patterson while the 5th Battalion, headed by Major David Nelson, consisted of six militia companies.
The brigade was organized at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it began its long march to join the Army of the Northwest on 19 October 1812. From Pittsburgh the brigade headed west towards Lisbon, Ohio, and they continued on to Canton, Ohio, which they reached on October 28th. By November 3rd the unit was in Wooster, Ohio, and on November 13th the brigade entered Mansfield, Ohio. The infantry companies headed to Upper Sandusky were they built a fort, which the brigade named Fort Ferree after the commander of the 1st regiment. The light dragoons companies headed for Lebanon, Ohio, to join the 2nd Regiment of U.S. Light Dragoons.
A battalion of Pennsylvania militia under Major Robert Orr, the Petersburg Volunteers from Virginia, and a company of the 2nd Regiment of U.S. Artillery under Captain Daniel Cushing were ordered to the rapids of the Miami River. They brought with them 20 pieces of artillery and a large quantity of military stores and baggage. Later the rest of the Pennsylvania brigade and a brigade from Virginia, under Brigadier General Joel Leftwich, arrived at the rapids. On 2 February 1813 the brigade helped with the initial construction of Fort Meigs.
On 2 April 1813 the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade was discharged from the Army of the Northwest. The brigade’s infantry and rifle companies were involved in no enemy actions during the conflict.
1st Regiment – Lieutenant Colonel Joel Ferree
Captain William Harper’s Company Infantry Greene County
Captain John Brown’s Company Infantry Greene County
Captain Benjamin Anderson’s Company Infantry Washington County 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1813
Lieutenant Thomas Donalson’s Company Infantry 2 Oct 1812 – 15 Apr 1813
Captain John Wallace’s Company Infantry Armstrong & Indiana Counties 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1813
Captain William Johnson’s Company Infantry Washington County 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
Captain Jeremiah Ferrer’s Company Infantry Allegheny County
Captain Jonathan Grable’s Company Infantry Washington County
Captain John Barrickman’s Company Infantry Allegheny County 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1813
Lieutenant Thomas Warren’s Company Light Dragoons Allegheny County 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
Captain James A. McClelland’s Company Light Dragoons Fayette County 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
2nd Regiment – Lieutenant Colonel Richard Patterson
Captain James Wadsworth’s Company Infantry Fayette County 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1813
Captain Thomas S. Jack’s Company 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
Captain Peter Hartzog’s Company Infantry Fayette County 2 Oct 1813 – 1 Apr 1813
Captain James Whaley’s Company Infantry Fayette County 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
Captain John Williamson’s Company 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
Captain John Hamilton’s Company 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
Captain Joseph Wadsworth’s Company Fayette County
Captain Andrew Moore’s Company Infantry Fayette County 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1813
Captain Thomas McQuade 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
Captain John Colom’s Company 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
5th Battalion – Major David Nelson
Captain James Bowner’s Company 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1813
Captain Mathew Johnson’s Company
Ensign William Hartford’s Company
Captain Frederick Hoff’s Company Somerset County 2 Oct 1812 – 16 Apr 1813
Captain John Junkin’s Company Rifle 2 Oct 1812 – 17 Apr 1813
Captain Mathew Dawson’s Company 2 Oct 1812 – 2 Apr 1812
Montgomery, Thomas Lynch, Pennsylvania Archives, 6th Series, Volume VIII, (Harrisburg Publishing Company, State Printers, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: 1907), Pennsylvania Volunteers, War of 1812-1814 Soldiers, Part I, Troops commanded by Generals William H. Harrison and Richard Crooks, pp. 141-261.
Eric E. Johnson
General Society of the War of 1812