Military officer; born in
Schenectady, N. Y., July 16, 1829; son of
Bishop Alonzo Potter; was a successful lawyer in New York City when the
Civil War broke out. He entered the military service as major of the Shepard Rifles, and led the attack with
Reno's Zouaves and the 9th New Jersey Regiment on
Roanoke Island, Feb. 8, 1862.
He was wounded at
Newbern; behaved gallantly at the head of his regiment in battles in
Virginia, and at
Antietam carried the stone bridge on the
National left, when he was again wounded.
He was in the
battle at Fredericksburg, and was made brigadier-general of volunteers in March, 1863.
He commanded a division in the
siege of Vicksburg, was active in the defence of
Knoxville, and commanded a corps against
Longstreet in
Tennessee.
In command of a division in the Army of the Potomac, he was distinguished throughout the
Richmond campaign in 1864-65, and was shot through the body at
Petersburg (April 2, 1865), but recovered.
He was promoted major-general of volunteers in 1865, and was mustered out of the service in 1866.
He died in
Newport, R. I., Feb. 19, 1887.