The New York herald., 1862-12-31
THE ARMY INVESTIGATIONS.
The Porter Court Martial.
INTERESTING TESTIMONY OF GENERAL REYNOLDS
MAJOR HYLAND AND GENERAL SYKES.

wAsusoToN, Fec. 80. 1859.
The Fitz John Porter Court Martial met u the usual
| hour.
General j. f. Reynolds swornWas attached 70 Genera
Porters corps OF the Army Of the Potomac and was Of
the rst troops join the army After leaving Rapp
| hammock Station temporarily attached 70 Gep'a
McDowei's corps, the remainder Of General Pr'ers
| corps not having come up His troops bvoAacked at
Buckland Mills just before on the 9th lnat ngnt
was very dark as well az succeeding ne; should con-
| slider 1t too dark . night TO macn troops WIN
| out having q good guide, or narchisg on the
road in an unfamiliar country. should have considered
precar,ous TO have marches troops had there been
no considerable obtructions without guide. marched
on the 2ssn Manassas. extending my division n open
order by brigades three columns my artillery 10 the
intervals Thecountry became broken that had
10 bring them into single column and march them TO-
wards old battle field Of Bun The character Of
the country between New Market and Groveton very
broken. In my judgment force with artillery In order
TO face an enemy could have passed that ooun
try did not have knowledge Of General Porters sltua
ton at that time must have been three or three and
half miles from my lett across this broken country Be-
fore halipast p. M. OF the 10th the character
OF the battle was by artillery The infantry firing BY
volIeys did not commence till between four and FIVE
O'Clock r. NJ. l served under General Porter on the
peninsula, and up the time he embarked from Harri
sons Landing, my division going by water while the
rest went by land. l have witnessed his conduct and
have always considered him faithful and energetic
officer.
tross-eyamination by Judge Holt-I suppose It would
have been possible have marched troops through
the 27th with familiar guides. There firing at
intervals between eleven and three P. M the 29th
The enemy had turnpike leading down TO the position
between New Market Groveton, which would have
abed him to tile in with artillery and get position The
effect upon the battle If General Porter had engaged
tho enemy's right successfully would have been DIFF.
ferent The enemys right had been extended late in the
evening by fresh troops acossthe pike About noon had
attacked the enemys right whom they not the
pike supposng General orer 10 have been on the road
betw cen Gainesville and Manassas Junction vigorous
attack tho enemy's right ought to have been favor.
able our success contributed to it, Witness pro-
nounced the Inaccurate and required to point
&C. as testified 10 by him previously On the 10Th the
enemy outaI ked lett late in the afternoon towards
dusk Witness here pointed out his position on the map
MY division lost its connection with brigade Of Sigel,
and sunset think, he fanked his force extending
beyond ours-not near enough however TO be engaged
with US. had no knowledge where Gen. Porter was.
think the enemy was between Porter and myself.
Question by accused--The movement on the 29th, by
which the enemy turned the flank OF army,
opposed for the greater part Of the morning as
they got the ridge early In the morning supposed
them to be gathering for an attack, as found them IN
heavy force TO front and left by personal reconnos
The main attack Of the enemy suppose was from
twelve to two r. N.
General Popes left commenced about O'Clock
the 18th Reinorcements Of the enemy continued 70
acksons right and place this extended right on
Major George Hyland, Thirteenth New York Volunteers
swornWas on the march with Gen. Porters corps from
Kelley ford Warrenton. Arrived In camp about dusk
the 9th Of August, the troops, much fatigued and
out, and needing provisions. Marched at three
NJ the 2Sth. and on The morning OF the 10th march
ed from Brstw 10 Manassas Junction. The thirteenth
New York were depoyed ~ skirmishers 70 the front
on the goth until daylight the 30th Tho Twenty
Massac achusets the Berdan Sharpshooers with
them in the afternoon. The enemy were before us in
heavy force They came from Inoroagnare Gap 10 Two
T. pointed out the position Of his skrmishers and the
enemy Heard the movements Of the enemy's artillery,
and the commands gwen to form the infantry The
eney's artillery opened the right Of his skrmishers.
On cross-exarnination by Judge Advocate Holt-The
enemy passed very short distance from to right
and front I could hear them distinctly. heard The
commands to form and the movements OF artillery get
ting into position The artillery TO the right Of my skir
or one Thousand yards front OF General More towards
the In front Of US was heavy timber and short
scrub pines There appeared heavy Of
the enemy in front Judge from the commando given
there larger force than reported to Colonel
Marshall, my commanding officer these facts. think
the sufficient TO have made successful resist
General Porter's entire corps. base this upon
the superstition that thought there werc at the lowest
ten thousand the enemy before u.s. judging from the
immense clouds Of dust take into consideration the
Cen sykes sworn-Is Brigadier General Of Volunteers;
commanded division under General Porter In the Fifth
army corps present in Gen. Porters tent when the
order from Gen. Pope received. directing him to
march O'Clock A. NJ. on the 2Sth This order was
brought by Capt Drake De Kay. The three commanders
that nothing to be gained by moving at midnight
rather than at dawn gave Gen Porter my reasons.
sac nend was - shss nv
had already marched twelve or fourteen miles that
day. that tho darkness would cause confusion that
that constant stream OF wagons was before us,
and that only few hours would eapse before day.
light thought The march would be facilitated than
II we marched at the hour prescribed in the order.
General Porter made the decision to march until
dawn after this consultation The night was unusually
dark and before directed the advance be sounded
sent my aid TO lind the road He returned short time
afterwards and reported TO me that he could not dis
tngush the road though he assisted by several SOL
diers. AZ anticipated, the wagons after we had gonc
about two miles from camp, encountered the roads
for miles Myself and my saG officers we're constantly
ON several occasions had TO take my mounted escorts
aud place them the road, with drawn sabres,
To prevent the closing OF tho road do think
in all military experience ever hal so mich trouble
with trains had this march. The wagon masters
and the drivers were alike insu6ordnate. was obliged
TO halt my command the Brstow side o. Manassas
| 10 order that Il should not be separated AS under
stand, nothing whatever would have been gained By
leaving Bristow at O'Clock A. NJ on the 9th. and
understand General Pope was there at haf.past ten
O'Clock A. NJ. Ny command was there al that
| time, and encamped all night, and II did
| Pope being there meanwhile In person, the only
inference is that he sanctioned our encampng there that
night My mon, when they arrived there were fresh,
could have gone wherever General Pope desired them
u CO. During the whole Of the month Of August in
ter never the least ndisposton want OF de.
sire TO do bis duty TO his brother commanders or his
country. General Porter 10 ofcer whose zeal s 30
we'll established that hardly the necessity OF being
questioned this point General Porers foresight aud
attention 70 the minut@ and details o. DIS corps was SO
division commanders He seemed 70 do everything him.
SELF His command was pushed vigorously from Falmouth
70 the scene Of action.
On cross examination by Judge Advocate Holt and In
certain questions OF the Court witness stated
substantially follows:n the urgency OF the order d.
rectng TO march AZ one A. M on the 28h had appear
cd u.s. should have moved, undoubtedly, at once.
Knowing the obstacles that would have 10 encounter
and the darkness OF tho night, and believing that we
would reach the point designated By marching BY day
| light well ~ by the time named In the order,
did think the terms Of the order sufficiently urgent
20 cause the movement earlier hour heard
General Porter cricse the military conduct capacity
gencrashp OF General Pope the 27h 2S,h or 2eth OF
August. commenced my march on the 28th At three
O'Clock, or ss soon as could distinguish the road II
had received ordor from General Porter 70 march
soouer, Of course would have obeyed H. My command
| In oil four Thousand seven hundred and hfty
| mon. Il would not have been entirely impractica-
Il bic TO have moved the infantry the midnight
OF the 2sth but would have resulted In breaking them
into confusion IL would have been Ia utter violation OF
military order had they left ~ A. NJ the 2sth OF
August according General Pope's order. had been
l MIA NO