The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-02-07
WHOLE No 27S.

1 ",
others examined. The unanimous testiui6l
ny of these officers was to the effect, that
Gen. Porter could have brought his. troops
into action, but did not and that If he had
done his duty the rebel army must have
been beaten, and part of it DESTROYED. Fsadg
Gen. Mcdowell was asked -, s.,E.
''Please state the ground on which you
formed the opinion. that, il the accused had
attacked the right wing of the rebels, as he
was ordered the battle would have been de-
cisiye in our favor ?''snasa lrs .bssia1 uou
And replied --.,n4 f.... t..r.,f,
Because, on the evening of that day. I
thought the result was decidedly in our IA!
yor, as it was. But, admitting that it was
merely equally balanced, Think. and tho,t,
that if the corps of Gen. Porter, reported
one of the best, if not the best; IN tie ser
vice, consisting of between twenty or Thirty
regiments and some eight batteries, had
haep added to the efforts made by th4othsrs
the result would have been in our favor,
very decidedly goa t's' s"'1'o'-
Q-Was there anything beside mere adj
vantage in numbers from which that result
would have followed?C .a.az t4,t s.se
A.-And position. -. p van .f.--, ..-. ,e
Q-What particular advantage in posi-
ton was there
A.-The position in which that force
would have been applied, while the main
body was so holly engaged in trout, would
have been an additional powerful reason for
SO supposing. ..,....-..--- -.-.--
The following passage in the examination
OF Gen. Mcdowell, would seem to show
that Porter was anxious to do anything but
fight: ."t
Q-You have idithat the accused made
an observation to you which showed that he
was satisfied that the enemy was In his, inn
mediate trout. Viii you state what that
observation was?
Al do not know that I can repeat il
exactly-and l do not know that the &C!
cused meant exactly what the remark might
seem to imply. The observation was 10 this
effect Quitting his hand in the direction of
the dust rising above the tops of the trees)
I'VE cannot go in there anywhere with
out getting into fight. % f6l7e ba'2@1'raH
What reply did you make to that re-
mark? ..f-e -..;-,,,. =, r.
Al think to this effect: That is what
we came here for.
| Again, Mcdowell testified:
Q.-What would probably have been the
effect upon the fortunes of that battls, il be.
tween five and six o'clock in. the afternoon,
General Porter, with his whole force, had
thrown himselfupon the right wing of the en-
envy, as directed in this order of 4 80 b. m
Of the 29th of August, which has been read
to you? - Ea~5a o. ztauama ,ueuasi
As tia mere opinion that you ask2 "
Q-Yes, sir.i' val ~, =. dixie. .-e,..r.
Al think it would have been decisive
in our favor f.'',@ .' ''@ ~
Captain Douglas Pope, aid-ds.carnp, tes.
tilted that he was near Gen. Porter whilean
action was going on within ear-shet, and q
part of Porter's, corps had their arms all
stacked.
Brigader General Roberts was asked:
In view of what the army had accom-
plished during the battle of the day, in the
absence of Gen. Porter's command, what
do yeu suppose would have been the result
upon the fortunes of the battle if Gen Por-
ter had attacked, as ordered by the order of
4:30 p. M, either on the flank or the rear
of the enemy? T l-fs saa. .zr.,f-saa
And replied: .s.s..-s t-e,1,-rg
do not doubt at ALL that it would have
resulted in the defeat if not the capture of
the main army of the Confederates that were
IN the field at that time. sy4tui g. -33=g
Captain Drake DeKay testified positively
that Gen. Porter made no attempt at all to
obey an order from Pope to move at, once
to the front and report to him in persons
but. that be slept all flight, and only began
to move, and that with no evidence of haste
the next morning Capt DeKay having
been ordered to remain with Gen. Porter as
guide on the road
Gen. Pope then stated the consequences
of Porter's failure 10 attack.di 81 bf7 Ho'sE
A.-Late in the afternoon Of the 29thg
perhaps towards half past FIVE or six o CLOCK
about the time that l hoped that General
Porter would be in his position and assault;
ing the enemy on the falkland when Gen.
Mcdowell had himself arrived with his
corps on the field of battle, / directed an
attack to be made on the left of the enemy'a
line, which was handsomely done by Heintz.,
elman's corps and Reno's corps. The en-,
envy was driven back in all directions, and
left large partoof the ground, with his dead
and wounded upon it. in our possession.
Had Gen. Porter fallen upon the flank of the
enemy, as it was hoped, at any time up to
eight O'Clock that night, it is my firm COM
yiclion that we should have destroyed the
army of Jackson. ss tasa -ni7ssl al
All the other testimony elected by tbs
court concurred with the above, and con-
tributed to prove that Gen. Porter wal. With
in reach of the enemy's flank with a sufi-
Gent force; that to bim was assigned by
Gen. Pope the important task of making the
flank and rear attack, which should decide
the day against the enemy, the rest Of the
army meantime attacking in front; that Gen.
Porter entirely failed to attack, as ordered
and made no attempt to do so; but after
remaining inactive for part of the time fn&l-s
ly ordered retreat, because he Judged that