Pawlet (VT) One Hundred Years
Hiel Hollister
1867
J. Munsell, Albany
PORTER, Dea. MOSES (by Hon. John K. Porter). He was a native of Connecticut, son of Experience Porter, and a descendant of Thomas Porter, of Farmington, Conn.
He came to Vermont in 1780, where many of his near relatives resided, among whom were Col. Seth Warner, of Bennington, and Nathaniel
Chipman, afterwards chief justice of the state.
In 1765 he married Sarah, the daughter of Phineas and Thankful Killam, and widow of Rev. Paul Park, of Preston, Conn.
She was a lineal descendant of Capt. Miles Standish and was a woman of much culture and intelligence.
She retained to an unusually advanced period the remains of her early attractions, and lived to the extreme age of one hundred and one years, with her mind still clear and her eyes scarcely dimmed.
At the time of her death, in 1843, she had more than one hundred living descendants.
Dea. Porter entered the revolutionary service as one of Putnam’s (Conn.) volunteers and took an honorable part in several of the leading engagements of the war. He exhibited conspicuous gallantry at the battle of Bemis’s Heights, Oct. 7, 1777, where he won his commission as major by his active and efficient part in the charge led by Gen. Arnold, which drove the British forces to their
intrenchments.
He was compelled by failing health to retire from the service, and he afterwards laid aside his military title as inappropriate to a civilian who had religious scruples as to the lawfulness of any but defensive war.
He was a man of resolute purpose, of sterling worth and strong practical sense. He died in 1803, aged 64.
His oldest son, Dr. Elijah Porter, was a learned and eminent physician of Saratoga county, residing at Waterford.
He died in 1841.
His surviving son, John K. Porter, is now one of the judges of the court of appeals, residing at Albany.
Dr. Moses R. Porter, of Ohio, and Hervey Porter, of Oswego, two of the sons of Deacon Porter, died many years since, each leaving a large number of descendants.
One of his daughters was the wife of Timothy Hatch and the mother of Moses Porter Hatch, who was formerly a member of the N.Y. state senate.
Another daughter, Sally, was the wife of Ephraim Fitch.
PORTER, Dea. JOSEPH, youngest son of Moses Porter, m. Sarah, da. of
Dea. Benajah Bushnell, and succeeded to his father’s estate, and to the office of deacon of the Congregational church, made vacant by his death. He was a man of uncommon excellence of character and his influence always beneficially exerted.
He died in 1840, aged 65. He raised a family of six children Dorothy, Sophia, Caroline, Sarah, Benjamin and Moses. Dorothy m. Hon. Dorastus Wooster, of Middlebury, Sophia m. ______ Sampson, of Cornwall, and died in 1832, Sarah m. Jacob Chapin, of Manchester, Moses is a physician at the west and m Helen, da of Phineas Strong, who died recently.
His widow removed west and died some years ago.
