The New York herald., 1862-12-26
the PORTER COURT MARTIAL.

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Address or General Porter 20 the Court
Testimony or Gen. Pa~ke, Col. Cieary,
Major Fineld, Captain Monteith and
WASHINGTON, Dec. "a, 1852.
The Fitz John Porter Court Martial held lengthy
session to-day.
General Jno Parke testified that he Chief Of General
Burnsdes sta and that General Porers headquarters
with his headquarters, and thar, Chief Of General
Burasdes staff he necessarily with the
orders BY telegraph otherwise which would virtually
pass between General Burnside and General Porter.
General Porter addressed the Court as folows-May
please the Court oertan teerams have been presented
to shis Court evidence Of spirit by which is sup
posed actsated toward my commanding officer, Ma
or General John Pope during the time covered by the
charges against Isolated these telegrams from
ali reference 70 surrounding circumstances and
the orders accompanying them or explanations,
IL is manifest tha. their true meaning and
spirit can be but very imperfectly perceived.
In that this Court In ts search for truth and desire
to administer JUSTICE may be fully enlightened all the
POINTS Of evidence understand in all their bearings
the relations these elsgrams bear the subjects Of
investigation present In this the opening OF my do
fence all The ssams and ua message in ny possession
70 the subject matter OF investigation, all Of
which deem material evidsnce 10 my. defence.
which confident viii enable tho Court to give
them attention and consideration they deserve and the
subject demands. have reason 10 believe the govern
ment 10 in possession Of all my kilograms aud the tec-
grams Of those who we're in communication with
have striven TO obtain them from officers. have
tanned copies. l sent all out for the pur-
pose Of using them In my defence. have secured
only two the originals. One is in possession Of
tho prosecution is an imperfect copy The other viii
furnish, well any others may be possessed OF
the government will produce may be ignorant Of what
hun ~ha n hnx haon I
sn9 and s sS funssed %sss
have said in secret | will here openly as-
knowledge and abide BY. have nothing TO conceal.
wish the Court to bear in mind what shall prove
that while was on the Rappahannock was directly
sponsble Gen Burnside and Gen. Mcclellan for all my
military acts that after reporting to Gen. Pope was in
communication with Cen Burnside, aud conveying to
him, at his request Information tending TO aid in his
operations and in securing his own forces and the
line Of the Rappahannock-left unprotected By
same time | was relying on General Burnside
fer the only supplies which would keep alive my
mand. II will be seen that giving him inf formation
which knew he communicating 10 tho government,
tending 70 make him feel secure, and which caused me
for one reason 70 wish to be recalled 70 operate over the
nerabe point 10 my Judgment, IN which the enemy could
be struck. IF the documents presented by the
government show my feelings and disposition
before during and after the actions do these and
they constitute material evidence In my case. Ssk the
Court TO maturely weigh and consider all this evidence
for evidence be IL the documents presented by
the prosecution be evidence Some Of these papers have
been proved. Az the witnesses appear viii have tho
copies now presented identified.
Colonel Ceary, OF General Pope's stat, who next
called testified mainly as the condition Of the road
from warrenton Junction 70 Bsstow station When the
the Fifth corps from the former TO the latter place. he
said that the road was filed with army wagons, and
almost impossible for infantry, and that the night was
very dark In his examination he stated that the
road his opinion, could have been cleared in time 70
enable the march TO have been made as ordered the
ordar had bea " 0arv n the morning
Major Feld, also OF General Pope sta corroborateA
the evidence Of Colonel CIeary as TO the condition OF the
road question at the time alluded to- He stated further
that railroad cars were running all night between various
points the road and that all the bridges destroy
ed and culverts open Tho night dark could
hardly his hand before him lie found IL exceedingly
difficult TO get along on horseback In his view the march
could not have been made that night.
Corporal Monteth, Abide Camp OF General Porter,
said that company with Capt. McMode, the evoning
Of the 2Ith Of August he went, by direction OF General
Porter TO ascertain the Greenwich. and condi
ton Of the road. They found the road from Catetts
Station toward Greenwich open, but long wagon trains
from warrentcn Junction TO warrenon obstructed the
road TO ristow station The next morning he aud Lieut.
Weld were by General Porter to clear the wagons
out Of the road, and open the way for the troops TO
march. lie was present when Captain Pope
brought the order from General Pope to attack the
2gth This order received about sundown After
the reception Of the order to move TO the Bull run battle
August so, he went with an order commanding General
Morrill, TO follow with his troops aud General Sykes dvi.
Lieutenant 8 NJ weld, r. Of General Por.er's stafr,
testified that the night Of August 81 dark and drzzy
He took despatch the afternoon OF August 20 TO Gen
Pope from Gen Porter, stating that Con. Morrill, would
be strongly engaged. This despatch was delivered
TO Gen Pope at Ave r. N. On the way TO Gen Pope he
met General Hatch who said that we had whipped the
enemy and driven them Into the woods. Witness sent
this statement In writing TO General Porter General
Pope requested him TO tell General Porter that
having hard fight. At this time General Mcdowell
was with General Pope and the latter directed the for
to send his division 70 the right 10 repcl an an
ticipated attack on cur flank by the enemy. II
after sundown whom no got hack 20 General Porter
About fifteen minutes after his return messenger arrived
from General Pope with despatch for General Porter
which the latter read and immediately rode the front
Witness showed the messenger the direct road back to
time.
The Court adjourned to eleven O'Clock on Friday
morning nH
In ha