Maryland free press., 1863-01-30
The Case of Gen. Fitz John Porter.
He is Found Guilty of all the Charges
and Dismissed the Service.

Last week Judge Advocate General Holt
laid therecord in the case of General Fitz John
Porter, of the U. s. army, which he had spent
three days in making up, before the President,
who on Wednesday, according to letter in
the New York Times, signified his approval
of the findings of tho court-martial, and or
dored the sentence to be carried into execu-
tion. Tile findings are that he is guilty on
every one of the charges preferred, and the
sentence is that he be dismissed from the SER
vice. Thess charges wero, in brief, 8 fol-
lows.
l. Disobeying, on the 2sth of August, an
order of Gen. Pope, then his superior officer,
directing him to bring his corps to help Hook
er and others in What is now known as the
second battle of Bull Run. ,.
9. Disobeying another order of Gen. Pope
on the day following directing him to make
certain movements.
3. Totally disobeying very important Or
ders as to the movements of his corps while
the battle was in progress on the said Goth of
August.
a. Dsregarding preemptory order from
Gen. Pope to bring his command into action
and to report in person on the field. s.
s. Permitting certain brigades, in defiance
of positive orders, to march back to Centre
vile, thus greatly delaying the arrival of
Pratt's brigade on the field of battle Of the
Both of August.
6. When peremptorily ordered into battle,
he "did there shamefully disobey, and did re-
treat from the advancing forces eff the enemy.
without any attempt to ergage them, or aid
the troops who were already fighting greatly
superior numbers and were relying On the
flank attack he was thus ordered to make to
secnie decisive victory, and to capture the
enemy's army, result which must have fol-
lowed from said flank attack, had it been made
by said Gen. Porter in compliance with the
said order which he so shamefully disobeyed." :"
Z. In that. "being with his ARMY corps Oh
Friday, the 29th Of April, between Mansssab
Station and the field of battle then pending.
and within sound Of the guns, and in presence
of the enemy, and knowing that a severe ac-
ton of great consequence Was being fought,
and that the aid of his corps wds greatly neod.
ed, did fail all that day to bring it on to
the field, and did shamefully fall back and re-
treat from tho advance of the enemy, without
any attempt to give them battle, and without
knowing the forces from which he shamefully
retreated."
8. That "bcing in the belief that the troops
Of Gen. Pope were sustaining defeat and re-
firing from the field, did shamefully fail to go
to the aid Of said troops, and did shamefully
retreat and fall back with his army to tho Ma
nassas Junction, and leave to the disaster of a
presumed defeat the said army, and did fail, by
any attempt to attack the enemy, to aid in
averting tho misfortune Of d disaster that
would have endangered the safety of the cap.
ital of the county"
The Times adds:
General Porter was defedded by the Hon.
Reverdy johnson and Charles Eames, Esq,
with such eminent ability as to make the de-
fense especially notable, and It led to the
opinion that he would be acquitted. The news
of his sentence was communicated to General
Portof on Monday evening: He was painful
ly affected, and greatly ast5nishsd. evidently
not having anticipated such result.
Fitz John Porter was cadet from New
Hampshire, lie ,ving the Military Academy il
1945. He was made First Lieutenant in 1S47
and the same year Brevet Captain for gallant
conduct in tho battle of Molino del Rey. A
The Battle Of Chepultepec he won the honors
Of Bievet Major. We was wounded at th'
Relen gate, at the taking of the City of Mex
leo. After peace with Mexico he was Assis
tant Instructor of Artillery at tho West Poin
Academy up to tho commencement Of thu
present rebellion.