Robert Potter

    GENERAL ROBERT B. POTTER DEAD.
   DYING INDIRECTLY FROM WOUNDS RE-
        CEIVED DURING THE WAR.
 NEWPORT, R.I., Feb. 19.--General Robert B. 
Potter, died at his residence, on Kay and Bull
streets, here this evening. His death, which had
been expected for some time, was indirectly
caused by wounds received while defending the
Union during the rebellion. His sister,
Mrs. J.A. Stevens, Mrs. Potter's sister, and her
husband and family, who are spending the Win-
ter here, were at the bedside of the General.
Others near were Mrs. William B. Rice, another
sister of Mrs. Potter; Mr. and Mrs. J. Lawrence
Breeze, son-in-law and daughter of the deceased,
Howard Potter, his brother, who has been there
several days, and his three sons. A funeral 
service will be held here, after which the body
will be taken to New-York, where a further
service will be held at Trinity Church.
 General Potter was the son of Bishop Potter, of
Pennsylvania, and was born at Schenectady, N.
Y., about the year 1831. He was educated at
Union College, of which his grandfather, Dr.
Nott, was at one time President. He was grad-
uated about 1860, and studied law, being ad-
mitted to the Bar in New-York City.
 Gen. Potter had practiced law hardly a year
before the rebellion broke out. His motto
was Per castra ad astra. He was appointed
Major of the Shepard Rifles, Fifty-first New-York
Regiment, and soon went to the front. His first
engagement was at Roanoke Island, where
he was shot through the body. He re-
turned to his regiment as soon as he re-
covered, and soon after was promoted to the
rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, and soon to that of
Colonel. At Antietam he was again wounded,
and in the assault on Petersburg he received
what was at the time supposed to be a mortal
wound. For several weeks he lay in the hos-
pital, the doctors having little hope of his re-
covery.
 He took part in the Western campaign with
Gen. Burnside, with a position on the latter's
staff. He was subsequently given an independ-
ent command by Gen. Grant. His achievement
during the seige of Knoxville deserves
mention. He checked the advance of Gen.
Longstreet and was instrumental in relieving
and reinforcing the beleaguered city of Knox-
ville. He was ever at the front during the cam-
paign of the Wilderness. He took a promi-
nent part in the memorable explosion
of the mine at Petersburg. He was spoken
of in high terms by Gens. Grant, Han-
cock, and McClellan, and also by President
Lincoln. He was honored by being appointed
Colonel of the Forty-first United States Infantry,
(colored), but did not take the position, and,
at the close of the war, he was assigned to the
military command of Rhode Island and Connec-
ticut, with headquarters in Newport, where he
was always a great favorite.
 He will be remembered as the successful Re-
ceiver of the Atlantic and Great Western Rail-
road, a position of trust as well as of hard
labor. Later he went to England, whre he resided
a few years in Warwick County, and where he
occupied a prominent position in the social
and sporting world. He was also a great favor-
ite in society at Newport, where he owned
"The Rocks," at the Spouting Rocks, and
which is now the property of Henry Clews,
of New-York. He entertained liberally
and was always found with his wife at all the
notable society events. He usually spent his
Winters in Washington. He was a member of
the leading New-York clubs, and was also a
member of the Newport Club.
 He was twice married. His first wife was the
daughter of William M. Tillotson, of New-York.
Mrs. Potter died about a year after her marriage
and left one daughter, who was a great society
belle, and who married James Lawrence
Breeze in Newport a few years ago, the wed-
ding being the event of Newport's fashionable
season. At the close of the war he married a
daughter of John A. Stevens, of New-York, by
whom he had three sons, who are students
at the Peabody Institute, at Groton. A
great compliment was paid to Gen. Potter when
he married Miss Stevens, who, for a wedding pres-
ent from Secretary Stanton, had a genuine sur-
prise, it being the receipt, under seal of the War
Department, of a full commission as Major-Gen-
eral of volunteers, his brevet having already
been received.