George A. Porterfield

George Alexander Porterfield
George Alexander Porterfield
Born	Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age; Berkeley County, Virginia, U.S.
Died	February 27, 1919 (aged 96); Martinsburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Military officer, banker
Known for	Confederate colonel during the American Civil War; Battle of Philippi; banking in Charles Town, West Virginia

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article George A. Porterfield, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

George Alexander Porterfield (November 24, 1822 – February 27, 1919) served as a junior officer in the United States military during the Mexican–American War, held the rank of colonel in the Confederate States Army during the initial year of the American Civil War, and later became a prominent banker in Charles Town, West Virginia. He led Confederate troops at Philippi in northwestern Virginia, an area that would become West Virginia, where his forces were unexpectedly defeated by Union Army troops on June 3, 1861. After fulfilling various staff and temporary field assignments for nearly a year, Porterfield resigned from Confederate service following an unsuccessful regimental election. In 1871, he helped establish a banking institution in Charles Town and remained active in banking for many years. At the time of his passing, he was among the few remaining officers who had served in the Mexican–American War.

Early life

Born on November 24, 1822, in Berkeley County, Virginia, Porterfield was the son of George and Mary (Tabb) Porterfield and descended from William and Rachel (Vance) Porterfield. His grandfather had served as a captain during the American Revolutionary War, acted as a justice in Berkeley County in 1785, and held the position of high sheriff in 1803. His father was a veteran of the War of 1812.

Porterfield completed his studies at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 1844. In May 1846, while in Richmond, Virginia, he played a role in organizing Virginia’s first volunteer company for the Mexican–American War and was elected to the rank of first lieutenant. During his service in Mexico, he acted as adjutant for the 1st Virginia Regiment and served as assistant adjutant general at the Battle of Buena Vista.

Following his military service, Porterfield took on roles as editor of the Martinsburg Gazette and as an educator. After holding a government post with the United States Coast Survey in Washington, D.C., he returned by 1855 to Jefferson County to pursue farming, residing on his property when hostilities began.

On July 9, 1849, Porterfield married Emily Cornelia Terrill, daughter of Colonel William Henry Terrill—a lawyer who also served as prosecuting attorney, delegate to the Virginia House, and provost marshal during the Civil War. Emily’s brothers included Confederate General James Barbour Terrill and Union General William Rufus Terrill; two additional siblings also participated and died during the conflict. George and Emily had seven children—four sons and three daughters—with their son John later joining George in banking.

Command in northwestern Virginia

Following the passage of Virginia’s secession ordinance by the Secession Convention on April 17, 1861, Governor John Letcher received authorization to raise an army and navy for state defense pending ratification. Letcher appointed recently resigned U.S. Army Colonel Robert E. Lee as major general to lead Virginia’s military forces, which cooperated with Confederate authorities until formal state entry into the Confederacy.

Porterfield was commissioned as colonel and inspector general of militia at Harpers Ferry. On May 4, 1861, Lee directed him to organize troops at Grafton in northwest Virginia (now West Virginia) with the objective of securing key Baltimore and Ohio Railroad lines including its main route and Parkersburg branch. Arriving on May 14, Porterfield found Grafton occupied by pro-Union militia alongside predominantly Union-supportive Irish railroad workers. With no secessionist officers present locally, he established his headquarters nearby at Fetterman where volunteer units were inadequately armed.

At Fetterman, Porterfield encountered Capt. William P. Thompson’s Marion Guards who possessed approximately 175 muskets procured by Thompson himself. Utilizing intercepted Federal telegraph communications, Porterfield reported that companies were forming across Clarksburg, Pruntytown, Philippi, Weston, and Fairmont—although most lacked sufficient weaponry or ammunition. These companies eventually became part of the 25th and 31st Virginia Infantry regiments along with the 9th Battalion of Virginia Infantry. Porterfield communicated to Richmond that significant troop reinforcements were necessary to maintain control over this region; however, Lee and other commanders hesitated to dispatch forces westward so as not to provoke Union sympathizers.

After pro-Union Grafton Guards departed for Wheeling to join Union forces, Porterfield took control of Grafton on May 25 but soon judged his position there insecure. Unable to conduct raids on Wheeling for supplies as directed by Governor Letcher and facing advancing superior Union troops under Major General George B. McClellan, Porterfield ordered destruction of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridges between Farmington and Mannington to impede Union progress—a task carried out by Colonel William J. Willey on May 25.

Commanding roughly 550 poorly equipped men without receiving requested arms or ammunition shipments, Porterfield learned that Union regiments led by Colonels Benjamin Franklin Kelley and James B. Steedman were moving toward Grafton to secure railroad access for Union purposes. Consequently, he withdrew his forces on May 28 to Philippi—a town about thirty miles south known for strong secessionist sentiment. McClellan assigned approximately 3,000 Union soldiers under Brigadier General Thomas A. Morris to western Virginia; on May 30 Colonel Kelley reoccupied Grafton and restored previously destroyed bridges.

During this redeployment to Philippi, Porterfield gained two additional companies but was compelled to dismiss two others due to lack of weapons. A subsequent Confederate court of inquiry indicated that by early July 1861 Porterfield commanded approximately 600 effective infantrymen alongside 175 cavalry troops stationed at Philippi.

Battle of Philippi

On June 2, 1861, General Morris ordered two separate columns led by Colonels Kelley and Ebenezer Dumont to engage Confederate forces stationed at Philippi. At daybreak on June 3, the larger Union contingent caught Porterfield’s Confederate troops off guard, who were largely asleep in their encampment near Philippi. Due to ineffective picket placements combined with rainy weather, the Union soldiers advanced unnoticed until an early discharge of firearms exposed their presence. Following a brief skirmish, the Confederate troops retreated chaotically, leaving behind most of their supplies with little resistance. Casualties remained low; Union Colonel Kelley was wounded and several Confederate soldiers were taken prisoner. Estimates of losses differ, with some reports indicating up to 26 Confederate casualties and 4 Union.

Because of the swift Confederate withdrawal, this engagement earned the moniker "Philippi Races." Porterfield and his surviving forces regrouped and withdrew roughly southward to Beverly, Virginia. Some sources mention that the Confederates continued retreating further to Huttonsville, approximately beyond Beverly, within days.

Aftermath of Philippi

Following the defeat at Philippi, Porterfield faced criticism and requested a court of inquiry. The investigation concluded on July 4, 1861, finding that pickets had been posted and a significant portion of his command had left the battlefield in an orderly fashion. Porterfield had been preparing to abandon Philippi in response to the threat posed by a superior Union force. Although General Lee reprimanded Porterfield for inadequate preparedness, no severe punishment was imposed. On June 13, 1861, Brigadier General Robert S. Garnett replaced Porterfield and took command of troops stationed at Beverly. Garnett’s force of about 5,000 men suffered a more decisive defeat at the Battle of Rich Mountain on July 11, 1861; Garnett himself was killed two days later at Corrick's Ford.

Subsequent assignments and resignation

On August 9, 1861, Porterfield joined the staff of Confederate Brigadier General William W. Loring as chief of ordnance. He briefly led a brigade under Brigadier General Edward "Allegheny" Johnson from April 21 to May 1, 1862. During the May reorganization of the 25th Virginia Regiment, Porterfield was not re-elected as commander—a decision he challenged as unfair and unlawful. Despite General Johnson’s endorsement for his promotion to brigadier general, Porterfield resigned shortly afterward. He was captured by Union forces commanded by General Nathaniel P. Banks in mid-1862 but was soon paroled. Having never been formally exchanged, he did not participate further in the conflict.

Post-war; death

In 1871, Porterfield co-established the Bank of Charles Town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, where he served as cashier for many years. Previously, he had acted as secretary for the Valley Insurance Company, which he helped transform into the bank.

Porterfield remained actively involved in the Aztec Club of Mexican–American War veterans, holding positions as vice president from 1914 to 1915 and president from 1915 to 1916. As one of its longest-surviving members, his leadership highlighted his enduring military heritage.

George A. Porterfield passed away on February 27, 1919, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and was laid to rest at Greenhill Cemetery.

References

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Bushong, Millard Kessler. A History of Jefferson County, West Virginia [1719-1940]. Westminster, MD: Heritage Books, 2007 reprint of 1941 edition. .
Carman, E. A. West Virginia Campaign of 1861 In Beach, Frederick Converse and George Edwin Rines The Americana: A Universal Reference Library. Volume 16. p. 646. New York: Scientific American, 1904–06. .
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Hall, Granville Davisson. Lee's Invasion of Northwest Virginia in 1861. Chicago: Press of the Mayer & Miller Co., 1911. .
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Lesser, W. Hunter. Rebels At The Gate: Lee and McClellan On The Front Line Of A Nation Divided. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2004. .
Miller, Thomas Condit and Hu Maxwell. West Virginia and Its People, Volume 3. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1913. .
Moore, ed., Frank. The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events. Volume 1. New York: G.P. Putnam, 1862. .
Newell, Clayton R. Lee vs. McClellan, The First Campaign Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, Inc., 1996. .
Scharf, John Thomas. History of the Confederate States Navy From Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel. New York: Rogers & Sherwood, 1887, p. 39. .
Wallace, Lee A. Jr., A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865. Richmond: Virginia Civil War Commission, 1964. .
Wise, Jennings C. The Military History of the Virginia Military Institute from 1839 to 1865. Lynchburg, VA: J. P. Bell and Company, 1915. .

External links