John Singleton Porter was born 23 January 1873 in Blount County, Tennessee to Robert and Maggie Porter. He had at least two brothers, Samuel and Robert S. Porter, and a sister Jennie.
On 25 September 1888, he was appointed to the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, at the age of 15, the minimum age allowed. He graduated in 1892, after which he embarked on the last requirement, a two-year cruise. He served aboard the USS Baltimore and the USS San Francisco. He returned to Annapolis in April of 1894 to take his final exams. Following a two-month leave, he was commissioned an ensign on 1 July 1894 and was appointed assistant engineer.
He was assigned to take additional instruction in marine engineering in Paris, France, on 3 October 1894. While there, he contracted a respiratory ailment, probably tuberculosis. Upon his return to the United States in June 1896, he took sick leave and travelled first to Denver in the hope that a warmer climate would aid his recovery.
Porter went back east for the funerals of his parents in 1896-1897, which only aggravated his condition. He was in the last stages of consumption when he came to Phoenix in December 1897. After seeking care from army surgeon Dr. Alex S. Porter, his health improved marginally, but he suffered a relapse and died suddenly on 11 February 1898 at Sisters Hospital. - Donna Carr
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