Obituary of Porter Henry
Departed this life at his mother's in Sevier County, Tenn., Porter Henry, son of Samuel Henry, dec'd, in the 18th year of his life. Porter had been some 8 years a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church during which time he was a faithful and regular in attendance on the means of grace and as a christian had the confidence of those that knew him. He had been for some years subject to fits of which he gradually got worse; but it is suggested the fever caused his death. He was truly a son of affliction to the last.
Three weeks ago, he was at preaching and just as that time seemed to be as well as ever, and his prospects for a better world bright; but on that same morning he was more seriously attacked, and died yesterday evening July the 10th, making, no doubt, a happy exchange of affliction for joy, of sorrow for everlasting lilies. He left an afflicted mother and 2 brothers at home and one sister in Alabama with many friends to mourn their loss.
Source: The Knoxville Register, July 30, 1845, p. 3. col. 3.
Transcribed and submitted by Debbie Painter.
Details submitted by Doris Noland Parton
This was a son of Samuel Henry and Margaret (Bryan), and grandson of Major Hugh Henry.
Here is info on one of Porter's brothers, Samuel Henry
SAMUEL HENRY, Merchant, Gadsden, was born in Sevier County, East Tenn., July 17, 1825, and is a son of Samuel and Margaret (Bryan) Henry.
The senior Mr. Henry was born in the same county in 1788, and his wife in 1798. They reared three children: Mary A., wife of A. G. Henry; John B., merchant and farmer; and the subject of this sketch. John B. was a soldier in the Confederate Army during the war, and the senior Mr. Henry, a farmer all his life by occupation, was with General Jackson in the War of 1812, and by him appointed collector of commissary, associated with Judge Porter. He died at Henry's Cross Roads, East Tenn., 1835. His widow died in 1845. They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The family came from Virginia into Tennessee away back in the early settlement of the latter State.
Colonel Herbert [see Ramsay's History of Tennessee], the maternal grandfather of our subject, was a distinguished Indian fighter during his days. He was a prominent farmer, and served many times in the Legislature of Tennessee.
Samuel Henry was reared on a farm, and received a West Point education. At the age of twenty-three years he entered mercantile business with his cousin, A. G. Henry, at Gunter's Landing, and was there until 1861. In April, 1861, he raised a company and went into the war, and was a member of the Ninth Alabama Infantry; and later became a member of the Eighth Alabama Cavalry, Clanton's Brigade. He left the service with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
In the spring of 1866, he located at Gadsden, where he has since been in the mercantile business. He was married in 1856 to Miss Charity E. Fennell, daughter of Dr. James W. Fennell.
Mr. Henry is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Knights of Honor.
Source: McCalley, Henry. Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, AL: Smith & De Land, 1888, pp. 835.
Update to Above Sketch, Submitted by Tim Henry
There is an error in this sketch. John Bryan Henry's mother was Margaret Bryan. Her father was Allen S Bryan and her mother was Elizabeth Hubbart(or Herbert in this article). Elizabeth's father was James the Indian fighter.
