The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-02
esn Pihjohn Porter &leclsd by Gen. Mcclellan
70 Conduct the Siege Operations.
SKETCH THE MAN.
OUR DISPATCHES FROM THE CAMP.
Scouting, Incidents, Skirmiahing, Pre-
parations, Sharpshooting,
sketch Of General Fit,tohn Porter.

sketch Of General Fit1tohn Porter.
Bead,sr General Fitzohn Porter, recently appointed
~ General Mcclellan conduct The siege Of Yorktown
n . native OF New Hampshire, and about forty years
Of age He entered the Military Academy ls41,
bsns Of ths cadets at large appointed by the Prcs
cent He graduated the 30th day OF June, lS45,
seandns number eight bis class consisting Of forty
one members 10 this clzss find the Of Generals
VIM r. Smith Thos. J. Wood, j. ". Davidson and others
= The Union army, and Barnard +. Bee, f. Smith, FL
Cpppee, r. G. Rhett and others the rebel forces
Charles p Stone the general recently sent 10 Fort lafay
se also belonged 10 this class On the LIST OF july ls4t
10 appointed from the District OF Columbia brevet
second Lieutenant Of the Fourth United States artillery
aOd tho 18th Of June ls4e received bis commission
- full second lieutenant He made first lieuten-
ct % the 18th q May. 1s47 and took very active part
- tAe Mexican war IN which he manifested great bra
very m July, 1915 he brevoted captain Tor gallant
- Deritorious conduct tho battle Of Moline del Rey
~ nrsvss dating from The sth Of September s47 70
sstsA with almost extraordinary bravery IL Been
0sts IN the assault upon the city Of Mezgc and
bare, the 18th Of September, lS57, baay wounded
Re was, during March, IS49 breveted Ioa,or fof fa
lant conduct and msritoricus the batc Of
Aap0hspsc, his brsve bearing date September 49, ls47
On the 9th Of July 1S49 he appointed Assistant In
etrDctor Of Artillery at tho Military Academy al West
Point, which position he held until 1855 when be
appointed Adatant Acadsrsy In 1854 he was
appointed Assistant Instructor OF Cavalry and Art
Hsry at West Point and held this position until 1855
when be was, on the 9th OF june, promoted 20 be
Assistant Adutant General with the rank Of captain ard
vent to Utah with the expedition under Albert John.
ston, who had confidence him that he consulted
ASm with others TO the movements OF the troops
was next appointed captain IN the army October,
1850, and renquished his rank the line, holding hrs
position m the Adjatant Generals department This 20
a he Skirpo Of
esncn. On the 14th Of May, 1861, he promoted
we coonelcy OF Of the regiments Of regulars
kpown 40 the Fifteenth regiment Of United States IN.
Anny, and was commissioned at the extra ssesion OF
oOogrsss brigadisr general OF volunteers with
his commission dating from May IL. 1861 Since or.
GarfzatoI OF the army under General Mcclellan General
Porter has always held position N the Army q
tAspotomac either commander Of brigade divi
sion Az tie latter end Of last year he 10 command
~ she Third division Of that army, then stationed
eYect line with the sqneduct leading into the capital
Since then he has been transferred 70 tho peninsula and
AAs been or time il command CT the advance guard
q the enemy and had and sti has the whole direction
u afirs Mcclellan has his head9u three miles
A,s rear and General Porter, who has the
AHwk, 10 pevcr He trusts nobody . eyes or IN
pressions but his own, ard exposes himself 10 most
dangerous places WI lie the
ser the siege While reccnnciteTing the rebel works
shot killed the horse Of Of his aids
shan shell has burst before behind him He
was three times ~ a balloon one day, carefully
pssonnoitsrng the position Of the rebels. General
Mcclellan has fol- confidence General Porter and Las
setrusted 70 him tho execution Of mis- plans.
While abiding 30 his1baoon "Reminiscences very
01citinR Incident occurred during which he
Shs 18th day OF April last He that day made balloon
rescnnossarcc scale Of rather larger magnitude
than WAS intended. AZ Ave o'clock N tbs mornisg
General Porter took bis place IN Professor Lowe. balloon
Ss supposed the usua number OF ropes attached 70
-, whereas thero was ony one, and place this a.
Afterwards asoerainsd had been burned by vriol
ssss b generating gas. Taking bie 10 the car IN
accompanied by any ono, the rope nearly
~ full iength-abcut nine hundred yards-wben eud
asniy snap went the cord and the baccp Thss
vas an unexpected part Of the programme The men
below looked up with Asionshuent, and the Genera
3scked down with equal bewicermept
"Open the valve, = shouted Of the men below.
"PH manage it, responded the General
Up went tho balloon, higher, higher. u rose with
peat rapdity, until il became a speok the SKY The
wind taking IN the direction q tie encmys ter
ssory BY tbis time every stat officer and hundreds %
others locking at the moving specg. u u mposs
Die describe the anxiety felt and expressed for the
Of him, tho object 81 thought that moving
speck every moment becoming loss visible al last
sssp 70 IN the direction Of The Union army and
tAe oosntshaBoes Of the frightened with hope Il
passed their heads Soon bsgan 70 descend but
With rapidly that aroused renewed spprehen-
ssons Quickly squad Of cavalry, led BY officers OF
Che Generals stan, plunged spurs into their horses
And dsehed away In tho direction 81 the descending
balloon. Tho rest Of the story Is received FROM
ths Generals lips While the rpe va.
sssng payed he adjusted his glass readiness for
M proposed view Of the sDeny's territory. ruddcn
bound Of the balloon told him q thai the rope
Dad given way He dropped his glass, heard the call
00r0r fha
- aeoos looking for The valve lie sensible q To-
hs Eighty (tbs General loves pm well III, next
eps), but at all nervous. He the wind had
taken him the line 81 the rebel Entertainments
MvspS wsh 70 drop in among them be TIC valve
saheeAre Of eef and proceeded 70 take advantage o.
IN posi,on The aspect Of rebel objects below
crowds Of soldiers rshed from thc woods no heard
sher shouts distinctly. Lacky he above the roach
q their bullets 80 he afraid this score Tho
Oap Of the country distinctly diseernihie He saw
Yerttown and ~ ~crks YORK river ard ,s Wind.
h0e, and Norfolk spd its smoking chimuey. A
scvntsr esrrsos Of ctr struck The balloon and its
ssurss vas revers1. us retreat from Rebellion
rapid. He oreped The valve the gss .soapod and
AVN be lie could say how fas, IA oame
acwn, but u was with rapidly be would not caro- 70
lave repeated. The struck ,he TOP or a sh.pe
esnt-undsr which luckily hspp~ued 10 BE- al Ia.
0~s-kpocksd the tent into "pi," and left him suveoped
= mass Of collapsed oil sim. he crs~Ied out and
ssund himself nths middle Of camp, cnc hundred
SsAs from Gen. Mcc7slsns headquarters.
81 came mounted, ycu see, p was his remark 20 a
general 70 whom he gave the details Of his aerial voyage
"And you have come down safe, sco,' remarked HE
ssAn osc ~ came with this cavalry company 70 look
you upn
"You ought 70 have sent Tying artillery after me 70
5siDsd Gen. Porter.
Our Special Army Correspondenoe.
CAMr WINFIELD scorr NxAa YORKTOWN
April q, 1862 I
actny Weother-ladGerenee Of The Troops 70 Re,sI Shells
INC Unson osn6oas and Re-l Batteries Exchange Saor-
Preparations Of STATE Authorities 70 TAKE Care az ne
Wosnded-Escsllea SANITARY Cesd1lon Of ne Arrlu--