Andrew Porter

Andrew Porter (September 24, 1743 – November 16, 1813) was an American officer during the Revolutionary War. Early life Porter was born on September 24, 1743, at Norriton, his father's farm near Norristown, Pennsylvania. He was one of the fourteen children of Robert Porter (1698–1770) and Lileous (née Christy) Porter (1708–1771). His father had immigrated from Derry, Ireland, to New Hampshire in 1720, and later moved to Pennsylvania. Career Porter moved to Philadelphia as a young man, where he became a schoolmaster and amateur astronomer. In 1776, he joined the American forces in the Revolutionary War as a captain of marines. He later moved to the artillery, in which branch he served at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, and Tioga Point. He was later directed by General George Washington to supervise the preparation of artillery ammunition for the Siege of Yorktown. By the end of the war, he had been promoted to the rank of colonel. Post Revolutionary War After the end of the war, Porter continued to serve in a military role with the Pennsylvania militia, rising to the rank of major general. He also served as the state's surveyor-general, and was one of the commissioners tasked with determining the boundaries between Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio.