b. 14/11/1838 McComb, Ohio. d. 17/10/1923 Dayton, Ohio.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 04/1862 Big Shanty, Georgia.
John R Porter MOH
Porter was a native of Delaware County, Ohio. He joined the United States Army in 1861 as a private in Company G, 21st Ohio Infantry. In April 1862, he was to take part in a daring raid with 21 others (later known as “Andrews’ Raiders” because they operated under the command of James J. Andrews). He overslept and missed out on the raid but was captured and imprisoned along with his fellow raiders within two weeks. Porter and 14 others managed to escape, but only six of them reached friendly lines. Porter was one of the six who managed to reach Union held territory. He served with the Union Army for the remainder of the war and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. By the war’s end he was promoted to first lieutenant. Following the war, he returned to Ohio and was the last raider to die in 1923. He was buried in the McComb Union Cemetery, in McComb, Ohio.
MOH CITATION:
One of 19 of 24 men (including two civilians) who, by direction of Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchell, penetrated nearly 200 miles south into enemy territory and captured a railroad train at Big Shanty, Ga. in an attempt to destroy the bridges and track between Chattanooga and Atlanta.
BURIAL LOCATION: MCCOMB UNION CEMETERY, MCCOMB, OHIO.
1ST ADDITION, ROW 10, GRAVE 9.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
