I need help finding out if John M. L. Porter fought in the War

Cdoug96

Corporal
Joined
Dec 22, 2016
Location
Michigan, United States
I need help finding out if my ancestor John Meyers Lawrence Porter fought in the Civil War or not. Here is what I know of him. He usually just went as John Porter or John M. L. Porter.

Born 6 Nov 1830 in Claryville, Allegany, Maryland.

Died 29 Mar 1901 in Ogden, Lenawee County, Michigan.

Draft Registration Record
Name: John M L Porter

Birth Year: abt 1830

Place of Birth: Maryland

Age on 1 July 1863: 33

Race: White

Marital Status: Married

Residence: Tucker, West Virginia

Congressional District: 2nd

Class: 1

In 1860, he was living in Magisterial District 2, Tucker, Virginia, United States, with his wife Emily (Dumire) Porter, and 3 children, Mary Catherine Porter (born 8 Aug. 1853), Elizabeth Almeda Porter (born 13 Sept. 1855), and John Newton Porter (born 14 Oct. 1858)

Daughter Clarissa Porter born 11 Feb. 1861.

Daughter Anzonetta Jane Porter born 9 March 1863.

Brothers Samuel and Aden plus his sister Martha go to Michigan in 1864.

Daughter Martha Porter born April 8, 1866.

Daughter Florence Porter born 19 Sept. 1869.

There were no children born to him and his wife between 1863 and 1866.

He and his family do not go to Michigan until Nov. 3, 1870.

In addition, my great grandma has researched this side of the family and she has this to say about the Porter family in the 1860's, emphasis my own: "sometime before the births of Martha and Florence J.M.L. Porter must have left this home and gone to live somewhere else in Tucker County. For Florence was born in a frame house on what was probably a temporary farm until they could move to Michigan..."

This means that John M. L. Porter was not with his family sometime between July 1, 1863, which is when he registered for the draft, and the month of July 1865, assuming 9 months gestation for Martha Porter.

If he did fight in the War, there would be no Widow's Pension because his wife, Emma, died in 1883, and he died in 1901.

In addition, John Porter is a common name so finding him on the Census of Union Veterans and Widows in 1890 is exceedingly difficult because they don't include the birth year in it. The common name also makes finding his Pension, if there is one, an issue.
 
I did find a John L Porter in the 3rd West Virginia Cavalry. -- Nevermind, Lost track of the age

Also found a photo of a John M L Porter on Ancestry.
 
This guy is close in age and date of service.

Fold3_Page_12.jpg
 
Ok, I found a pension record.

"United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917", database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4YF-8P8 : 24 March 2016), John Porter, 1892. (you need a free account to access the link, so I put all the info it gave me here)

Name: John Porter
Event Type: Pension
Event Date: 12 Apr 1892
Event Place: West Virginia, United States
Military Regiment: 13
Military Unit: Infantry
Military Rank: P.
Shipping Company: I
File Name: 22732046

What throws me off is the Event Place: West Virginia, United States. I don't know if that is simply telling me if he was in a West Virginia Regiment, or if the Pension was filed in West Virgina in 1892. Sometimes Pension Records also have a death date. Can somebody find the pension record on Fold3 and see if there is more information?
 
I looked at the pension index cards. The suspect who served in the 13th WV Infantry had an application for a minor survivor's pension dated 1892, submitted from Kansas. The name "Emma Everts" is listed under "minor" but in my experience this is often the name of a guardian of a minor heir. Since your guy died in 1901, there should not have been a minor survivor filing for a pension in 1892.

The only other John Porter from West Virginia was in the 1st WV infantry and died about 1890.
 
Follow up - I forgot to check pension index entries WITH a middle initial.

There is a John L. Porter who served in G. 3 WV Cav who, in 1890, was living in WV when he submitted his pension application. (this guy enlisted in 9/62 at the age of 18 then served until 6/65) - not likely him.

There is no "John M." from WV, nor is there any one with the initial "John M. L."
 
I looked in the 1890 veterans schedules for Michigan - there are 4 John Porters. Two of them are listed with middle initials which exclude them from being the "right" John Porter. One is living in Manistee County, and served in 1865 in the 15 Michigan Infanry. The other MIGHT be a suspect - he lived in Oceana county in 1890, but the census listed nothing about his military service or his dates of service.
 
This is all assuming he was in a West Virginia regiment. This is where Tucker County is located:

Wvtucker.jpg


I also know he had a nephew in a Pennsylvania regiment (Washington Cav., and 22nd Cav.) and a cousin in a Maryland regiment (3rd Maryland Potomac Home Brigade). I have checked these already.

Allegany County, Maryland, is where John was born and it is just to the right of Garrett County, Maryland. I would not be shocked at all if he ended up in Maryland or Pennsylvania regiment.
 
I need help finding out if my ancestor John Meyers Lawrence Porter fought in the Civil War or not. Here is what I know of him. He usually just went as John Porter or John M. L. Porter.

Born 6 Nov 1830 in Claryville, Allegany, Maryland.

Died 29 Mar 1901 in Ogden, Lenawee County, Michigan.

Draft Registration Record
Name: John M L Porter

Birth Year: abt 1830

Place of Birth: Maryland

Age on 1 July 1863: 33

Race: White

Marital Status: Married

Residence: Tucker, West Virginia

Congressional District: 2nd

Class: 1

In 1860, he was living in Magisterial District 2, Tucker, Virginia, United States, with his wife Emily (Dumire) Porter, and 3 children, Mary Catherine Porter (born 8 Aug. 1853), Elizabeth Almeda Porter (born 13 Sept. 1855), and John Newton Porter (born 14 Oct. 1858)

Daughter Clarissa Porter born 11 Feb. 1861.

Daughter Anzonetta Jane Porter born 9 March 1863.

Brothers Samuel and Aden plus his sister Martha go to Michigan in 1864.

Daughter Martha Porter born April 8, 1866.

Daughter Florence Porter born 19 Sept. 1869.

There were no children born to him and his wife between 1863 and 1866.

He and his family do not go to Michigan until Nov. 3, 1870.

In addition, my great grandma has researched this side of the family and she has this to say about the Porter family in the 1860's, emphasis my own: "sometime before the births of Martha and Florence J.M.L. Porter must have left this home and gone to live somewhere else in Tucker County. For Florence was born in a frame house on what was probably a temporary farm until they could move to Michigan..."

This means that John M. L. Porter was not with his family sometime between July 1, 1863, which is when he registered for the draft, and the month of July 1865, assuming 9 months gestation for Martha Porter.

If he did fight in the War, there would be no Widow's Pension because his wife, Emma, died in 1883, and he died in 1901.

In addition, John Porter is a common name so finding him on the Census of Union Veterans and Widows in 1890 is exceedingly difficult because they don't include the birth year in it. The common name also makes finding his Pension, if there is one, an issue.

Would John have returned to Maryland ? There is a John M. Porter on the muster-roll of the Union 11th Maryland Infantry. This was a 100-day Regiment. Serving from 6/1/1864 to 10/1/1864. John enlisted in Company K 6/2/1864 and mustered 10/1/1864. They did participate in the Battle of Monocacy.
 
I looked in the 1890 veterans schedules for Michigan - there are 4 John Porters. Two of them are listed with middle initials which exclude them from being the "right" John Porter. One is living in Manistee County, and served in 1865 in the 15 Michigan Infanry. The other MIGHT be a suspect - he lived in Oceana county in 1890, but the census listed nothing about his military service or his dates of service.



1894 Michigan Census

Apparently the Census of the State of Michigan 1894 included a Civil War Soldier count, no John Porter is listed in Lenawee County.

Here is a name or county search. http://www.mifamilyhistory.org/civilwar/1894VetsCensus/resultsbycounty.aspx?id=Lenawee

Here is a list of names from each county, must scroll way down till the counties appear, then scroll down to Lenawee county. https://archive.org/stream/cu31924072676715/cu31924072676715_djvu.txt


His name being absent doesn't mean he didn't serve.
 
1894 Michigan Census

Apparently the Census of the State of Michigan 1894 included a Civil War Soldier count, no John Porter is listed in Lenawee County.

Here is a name or county search. http://www.mifamilyhistory.org/civilwar/1894VetsCensus/resultsbycounty.aspx?id=Lenawee

Here is a list of names from each county, must scroll way down till the counties appear, then scroll down to Lenawee county. https://archive.org/stream/cu31924072676715/cu31924072676715_djvu.txt


His name being absent doesn't mean he didn't serve.

Thanks for the help guys. He was living in Lenawee County at the time and while it still might be possible he was a soldier I think this record just about proves he was not a soldier. Still, the dates in the posted timeline will always keep me wondering. I am continuing my research on this section of the Porter family so perhaps something will come up?
 
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