Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-01-23
GEN. FITz JOHN PORTE. . PERSON
Al DISPENSER.

On No assembling of TIE Porter cour
martial. on Saturday morning, Mr.. Eame.
one Of Gen. Porter's counsel, read an elaL,
rate review Of the evidence on both side.
drawing conclusions in favor of the accused
he was followed on the same side by Hor
Rsverdy Johnson.
The following is Gen. Porter's persona
defense:
Mr.. President aud Gentlemen: ...
Ny defense is now concluded, efore
however, ! deliver it into your hands, hop
70 Oe induged in some remarks more exclu
s'vcly personal. To speak Of ones self il
terms OF commentator is always unpleasant
and IS generally against the laws of goot
taste but there are occasions when it be
comes unavoidable. The sensibility which
1t then wounds must bear the infection, be
cause higher sensibillty demands the sac
rifice. When soldiers honor is mpeache,
it cannot be expected that he is to be re
strained BY the delcacy which belongs to tn,
ordinary intercourse between gentlemen -
il his past life gives the lie to the chargc:-
lit at all exhibits conduct totally inconsis
tent with its truth; il it speaks nature tina,
would revolt even at the thought of the crime
il these facts are true of myself, then NAV
tic well excused for proudly invoking them
as an answer to the false and groundiess i'm.
putations upon my duty and my honor as a
citizen and soldier. What has been nv
history? First, served, (then being a mere
youth, jim the Mexican war, under iieuten.
nnt-General Scott throughout that rcsplend
rnt campaign, and was actively engaged in
:he battles Of Vera Cruz, Contreras, Molina
del Key. Chepultepec, and the city of Mex
co. ] entered on that service as brevet Sec
ond Lieutenant Of the 18th Regiment of artil-
Icry. and was breveted as Captain for dstin,
guishcd services in tho battles of Molina d
Key, and ms Major for like services in tn
battlc at tn" city of Mexico. Second. in F.l
ruary, 1861. was ordered by the then Sec
rotary OF War, Mr.. Holt. your Judge Advo
cate, to proceed to Texas for the purpose OF
Withdrawing rs many Of the troops of tn
United States as could from that State, and
thereby counteracting as far as possible tn,
effect ofthe then recent, unexampled anf
base treachery Of Gen. Twiggs. Amidsr
great difficulties and much personal peril, |
succeeded in rescuing seven companies, in all
five hundred men, and in posting two o.
t EN- at Tortugas, two at Key West, and tax
ing three to New York. The whole dut,
was performed to the perfect satisfaction OF
the Department. Third, in May, 1861,
was commissioned as Colonel in the regular
army, and in August Brigadicr General OF
volunteers, and afterward served throughout
the Peninsula campaign under Major General
Mcclellan. At the siege of Yorktown he
constituted me director of the siege In the
battle of Hanover Court House commanded
corps.lnow the Fifth Corps of the Army Of
the Potomac including all the Regulars
In the battle of Gaines Mills, my com.
n'and being about twenty-seven thousand,
lost in killed, wounded and missing, nine
thousand mcn-a fact which tells the severi.
~ of the conflict. In the battle of Malvern
Hill, a site selected by myself the day be.
fore the fearful and test struggle with INV
own corps, which was Joined by the com.
mands of Sumner, Heintzelman and Couch
each Of whom engaged in the fight or cheer.
fully rendered me every assistance in Their
power, amounting in the aggregate to some
eighteen thousand men, through the skill and
gallantry ofmy officers and the indomitable
bravery OF my troops, | succeeded in totally
reprlsing with slaughter unexamplcd in any
modern battle, long continued, desperate and
most gallant assaults Of from thirty TO forty
thousand Of the enemy, evidently as brave
soldiers as ever trod the battle field. For nv
services at Hanover Court House I received
the recommendations Of my chief for brevet
Of Brigadier General in the regular army, and
the like recommendation for services a,
Gaines Mills, the brevet Of Major General
in the regular army. ....
Prior to this had, unsolicited, been pro-
noted by the President Major General of
volunteers and Brevct Brigadier General in
the regular army. May | not confidently
refer to this testimonial as of itself confii.
tation Of the calu,nnies with which reckless
ignorance or interested malice have for
months endcavorcd to fill the public ear p
Traitor to my country! When did treason
40 endeavor to maintain the authority of the
Government? Traitor to my country When
did treason so labor and peril life to rescue it
from destruction Traitor to my country
Indifference to the honor of it's flag! Graft.
flying supposed. personal dislike, regardless
OF the safety and reputation of the men en-
trusted to my command, and who had follow
ed me, and apparently with even increased
confidence through terrific ordeal-through
the fire of battles unparalleled in fierceness.
fury and mortality! II the Charge had not
assumed the solemn form that has been Civ
en- to it, it would be received everywhere
where my whole conduct is known as ludic.
rous, false, or the creation Of morbid or
distempered brain. Without assuming To
myself purer patriotism than animatcs the
soldiers of the Union, | say, fearlessly, that
none, no, not one, loves our Union with a
stronger, holier love than do. There is
soothing in the future, as there has been moth.
ing in the past, that could not and would
not gladly do to achieve the victory over it's
enemies and to bind up all the. wounds under
which it now bleeds Life-what is it to the
soidier who is false to his flag and his coun.
tryf Life-what will be its value to the sol.
der with the flag dishonored, country lost?
May God avert such calamity. Who wo'd
wish to survive to witness the flag of his
country trailcd in the dust, its reputation and
its power broken, the people separated into
fragments, their fraternal affections converted
into bitter hate, ard the cause of constitu.
tional freedom itself for ages if not for ever,
extinglished As far as one arm and the
aspirations Of one heart may be exerted to
avert SO dire calamity, mine will be used to
the last moment of my life. | live nov
amidst whatever discouragements surround.
cd rs, and through the gloom which they
cause, cheered only by the anticipation that
all will yet be weil-that the Union will