The Portland daily press., 1863-01-03
FROM WASHINGTON.
The Loan of lS43 to be paid in Coin.
Admission of Western Virginia into
the Union.
THE PORTER COURT MARTIAL.
Testimony Of Gen. Mcclellan.

S2S00,OO0, due yesterday. All bonds to be
redeemed must be transmitted to the Secretary
of the Treasury endorsed by the legal holder
to the United States, on the reception OF which
at the Department they will be referred to the
first auditor and. promptly settled. Drafts for
the principal and interest upon the Assistant
Treasurer nearest the residence of the owner,
will be transmitted to the legal holder in the
usual manner.
All speculation as to the Presidents action
in the bill for the admission of Western Vir-
ginia into the Union are now ended, the fact
having been ascertained inquiry that he
approved and signed the bill on Wednesday
night, and it is therefore law.
III. G. FAINT has been appointed United States
agent for paying pensions for the District of
Columbia.
The CASTOR night signals adopted by our
government in the naval and military service,
have been approved by the English and French
admiralties, aud Mrs. CASTOR, widow of the in
ventor, goes out as passenger in the Great
Eastern to close contracts with those govern
ments.
In the Porter Court Martial to-day, the
! Court having called on Gen. Porter to bring
forward his witnesses, he said that one on
whose evidence he most relied was Col. Mar
shall, who then lay i'll at a neighboring hotel.
| The question was raised to the propriety of
| adjourning to the invalidfs room, which was
decided afiirmatively by the Judge Advocate.
| The members then proceeded to the hotel,
| where the Court was reopened in the chamber
| of Col. Marshall. Col. Marshall was sworn
/ and testified that he was Colonel of the 18th
| New York Volunteers, Morrells Division, and
| Captain in the regular army. Also that on
the afternoon of Aug. 10Th he had been de-
tled by Gen.Porter to deploy skirm shers and
feel the position of the enemy near the line of
the Manassas Railway. He stated all he knew
of the enemy's force that day, who seemed to
come from the direction of Thoroughfare Gap.
| He supposed them to have been twice as strong
! as Porters force. He thought it was impos-
| sible for Porter to have attacked the right wing
of Jackson, who, with another portion of tie
rebel army, was sometime fighting Pope, since
the direct road thereto was blocked up by the
enemy in our front, and other roads impassa-
/ bic by reasons of Il dense wood and rugged
nature OF the country. The only path that
/ Porter could take would have been back
ward one, which was of course mpracticabe
under the circumstances, though he had
achieved his retreat by this route the follow
ing day.
Testimony of Gen. McClellan.-He CON-
manded the army of the Potomac from imme-
diately after the battle of Bull Run in 1861 up
TO about the end of August, 1862.
q. Did Gen. Porter command corps in
that army, il so, at what time?
A. He served in that army from some time
in the month of September, 1861. first as a
commander OF a division, and then com
mander of corps from about the end of April
to the beginning of May 1862.
Q. When did the army ofthe Potomac reach
Aqua Greek?
A. BY detachments during the latter part of
| August.
Q. Have you knowledge of any efforts made
by Gen. Porter for the purpose of moving with
his own command, in order to reach Aquia
| Creek TO join Gen. Pope?
A. l have.
q. Please state them.
A. Immediately after the commencement of
| the movement for evacuating Harrison's Bar.
Gen. Porter was instructed to remove his
corps to the vicinity of Williamsburg, holding
! position in front of it, as to be able to
| support either wing of the army if attacked.
While there he received information from con-
trabands and intercepted letters, showing that
the rebel troops in the vicinity of Richmond
were moving upon Gen. Pope, and immedi-
ately, without waiting for further instructions
from me, he moved his command with the ut
most rapidity to Newport News. While at
| Newport News he used every effort to facli-
tate the embarkation of his command for
Aqua Greek.
Q. Did he know that the obiect of that
movement on his part was to move as quick
| as possible to the assistance of Gen. Pope?
| A. He did.
| Q. At what time did he get off from New
| port News?
A. think he embarked in person on the
both Of August. could not tell certainly
without reference to papers and dates.
A dispatch was handed to the witness, and
| the question was asked if that document
freshed his recollection? The following is the
dispatch alluded to:
"FoRr MONROE. Aug. 90 IL A. NJ, 1862.
Please push off your troops without one
moments delay, the necessity is very pressing,
matter of life and DEATH What progress is
being made. and when will you be through?
See me before you sail.
(Signed) GEO. b. MCCLELLAN,
Major General.
To Major F. J. Porter"
After reading the paper and acknowledging
authorship, Gen. Mcclellan said TO my
knowledge and belief OH the eve Of the goth
! OF August.
@. That order, as we understand it. was ex-
ecuted to your satisfaction?
A Entirely so.
@. You have stated the first movement
which he made for the purpose of getting to
Newport News was without orders from you?
Was it not contrary to orders at that time?
A. 1t was departing from the letter of in
structons | had given him. l should say,
however, in explanation of that, that Gen.
Porter sent Inc telegram, perhaps two, stat
ing that he would move up certainly if | did
not forbid. BY some delay / did not receive
these dispatches till after he started, but l
fully approved his course in doing what he
did.
Q. Was the effect of that movement to ex-
T lite his arrival to Aqua Creek?
A. Very decidedly, at least one day, if not
more.
Q. After he left Newport News with his
command where did you see him, if ut all,
afterwards?
A. At Aqua Greek.
Q. How long was he then under your i'm
mediate supervision?
A. think from "A to 80 hours between
there and Falmouth.
@. Did you see him after he left Falmouth
till the campaign was at an end?
A. No. sir
Q. From what you saw of his conduct, or
from anything that you have heard from him
after he knew that he was TO go to the assist
ance of Gen. Pope, did he do all, in your opn-
ion, that an energetic, Jealous and patriotic
officer could have done?
A. / think he did
2. Had you any reason, at any time after
he received notice that he was to go to the as
sistance of Gen. Pope, to believe that he
would fail Gen. Pope or the country?
A. None whatever.
O. Do you remember whether you received
from Gen. Burnside, after Gen. Porter Joined
the command, or was about to join the COM
mand, of Gen. Pope, any dispatches he had
received from Gen. Porter?
A. received several, the exact number