The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-28
Gen. Fitziohn Porter.

This officer, whose trial By Court Mar.
tial closed few days ago, has been found
guilty on all the charges and specifca-
tio1s, and dismissed from the service
These charges were, in brief, as fol-
lows:
J. Disobeying, on the 2Sth Of August,
an order Of Gen. Pope, then his superior
officer, directing him to bring his corps
TO help Hooker and others in what is now
known as the second battle of Bull Run.
2. Disobeying another order of Cen
eral Pope on the day following, directing
him TO make certain movements.
3. Totally disobeying very important
orders az TO tho movements of his corps
while the battle was in progress on the
said Goth of August.
4. Disregarding a peremptory order
from Gen. Pope TO bring his command
into action and TO report in person on the
field.
3. Permitting certain of his brigades,
in defiance Of positive orders, to march
back to Centreville, thus greatly delay
ing the arrival of Pratt's brigade on the
field Of battle of the Both August.
g. When peremptorily ordered into
battle, he "did there shamefulIy disobey,
and did retreat from the advancing forces
Of the enemy, without any attempt 20 en-
gage them, OF aiding the troops who
were already fighting greatly superior
numbers, and were relying on the flank
attack be was thus ordered TO make 10
secure decisive victory, and to capture
| the enemy's army, result which must
| have followed from said Hank attack,
| had it been made by said Gen. Porter in
compliance with the said order which he
so shnmefully disobeyed."
Z. In that, "being with his army corps
Friday, the 10Th of April, between Man
assas Station, and the field of battle
then pending, and within sound of the
| guns, and in presence of the enemy, and
! knowing that severe action Of great
consequence was being fought, and that
| the aid of his corps was greatly needed,
did fail all that day to bring it on to the
field, and did shamefui1y fall back and
retreat from the advance of the enemy,
without any attempt to give them battle,
and without knowing the forces from
! which he shameiully Tetreated."
8 That "being in the belief that the
troops of General Pope were sustaining
defeat and retiring 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 the Manassas
junction, and leave to the disaster of a
presumed defeat the said army, and did
fail, by any attemptto attack the enemy,
TO aid in averting the misfortunes of a
disaster that would have endangered the
safety Of the capital of the country"
Q. That being commanded to engage
the enemy's lines and to carry position
near their center, and to take an annoy
ing battery there posted, did proceed in
the execution of that order with I'M
necessary sowness, and, by delays, give
the enemy opportunities to watch and
know his movements, and TO prepare tC
meet his attack and he did finally 81
feebly fall upon the enemy's lines as L
make little or no impression, and did fall
back unnecessarily, and without making
any Of the great personal efforts to rally
his troops to meet the sacrifices and Il
make the resistance demanded by tn,
Importance of his position, and the mo-
momentous consequences and disasters o
a retreat at so critical iuncture Of tn
day.
These charges wero submitted to
} Court Martial composed of Maj Genera
= Hunter, President; Major General Hitch
cock: Brigadier Generals Rufus King
Prentiss, Ricketts,, Casey, Garfield, Blu
ford and Morris, the Hon. Joseph Hol
Judge Advocate General. Gen. Porte
was defended by the Hon. Revcrdy John
4 son aud Charles Danes, ESQ., with sucl
! eminent ability as to make the defens
especially notable, and it lead to tn
opinion that he would be acquitted. Tn
- hearing was, long and patient, aud Tia
largest latitude was allowed TO the &C
Cused consistent with the rules Of wal
I The record of the trial made out b.
= Judge Holt, was laid before the Presiden
d Wednesday, was by him approved, an
f the sentence ordered to be forthwith exc
G cuted. The findings of the Court wer
G that Gen. Porter was guilty of every on
e of the charges 1--WE think the last on
n above quoted was abandoned in the out
N set,) and the sentence was "Dismisse
G from the service" The news of this sen
o tence was communicated to Gen. Porter
y Wednesday evening. He was painful
: affected and greatly astonisheed, eVidenl
n ly not having anticipated such resul
n Indeed, ii is more than probable h
It counted on full acquittal, as but a da
t or two since he applied for temporar
l. | leave of absence