Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-10
TRE roHTER ooURr-MARTrAb.
Able and Elaborate DEFENCE by Counsel,
Msssrs, EaInss end johnson.
cENERiL FoRrrTs PERSONAL DErENor.

this morning, Mr.. Esmos, ono Of Gen. Porter
counsel, read an able and elaborate defence
and was followed by tho Hon. Rcverdy John
son, smother Of his counsel, In paper Of a sim
liar character, which, in beauty of dlction an,
force Of argument, fully sustained the rcpute
ton Of this distinguished lawyer.
GES. rORTER's PERSONAL DBrESCE.
Tho reading OF these papers being concluded
Gen. Porter arose, and In an eloquent and i'm
prCssIvo manner delivered tho Following remark,
| in his own defCucci
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN:
! My defence is now concluded. Before, how.
ever, deliver Il into your hands, hope to he
INDUCED in some remarks more exclusively
personal. To speak OF oneself, in terms of com
mondation, is always unpleasant, and Is gencr-
ally against the laws OF good taste; but there
are occasions when IL becomes unavoidable.
The scnsiblllty which II then wounds must
submit to the infection, because higher scns.
billty demands tho sacrifice. When a soldiers
honor IL ImpOachOd, his loyalty assaIlod, and
oven his cowarllcc insinualcd-whcn the safety
Of his country is said to have been purposely
and causClcssly haEardcd by him, in the lndul-
scncc Of some low, petty, contemplate motive,
II cannot DO expected that he Ia to be restrained
"a ha ~ oh k.ln T.. l..
Intercourse between gentlemen, II his past life
gives the lie to the CHARGE if 1t exhibits conduct
totally inconsistent with its truth!if II speaks
nature that would revolt even at the thought
of the crime; IL II CyincCs long and perllous
course of duty aud an ardent aud Cyer-enduring
love Of country, q constant zeal for the honor
of its Gag, and an undying devotion to its ser
vice. If in tho preOCut crisis Of lis history,
lrou the first moment that unhallowed aulbl-
ton started on its career Of treason, be hsS
given himself, With sleCpless vigilance and
amidst countless hazards, to do what he could
to put down the foul rebellion and reiustaLC
the authority Of the Governments II, until the
Virginia campaign of last summer,
his services were approved by tho public, by
his brOthcrD in arms, and Slgnally aeknpw-
lodged by the President If these facts arc true
Of myself, then may DO we'll excused for
proudly invoking them as an answer to tho
false and groundless impulatlons upon my
duty and honor as citizen and soldier. I
What, then, has been my hlStoryl
First. served, then being a more youth, In /
he Mexican war, throughout the rcsplendent |
of Lieutenant General Scott, and " as
actively engaged In the several battles Of Ttra
rrU-, Csrro GordO, CoHsreras, Ifolino del Reg,
ChGPW!tsptc, and the City Of As1tco. entered /
~ that service ne brevet second lieutenant,
Fourth regiment Of artillery, and was brcveted !
IS captain for distinguished service In the bat.
10 of .ho!ino dsl Rsy, and as major for like
erylce In the baltic at the Cay Of Acrioo. !
Second. In February, 1861, was ordered by
he then Secretary OF War, Mr.. Holt your Judge
advocate, to proceed to Texas for the purpose
# Withdrawing as many of the troops Of the
United States as could from that State, aud
hereby countCractlng, as far as possible, tho
fleet of the then recent uncXamplUd and base
reschery of Gen. TwIggS. Amidst great diff
ulties and much personal peril, succeeded In
escuIng seven companies, In all Ave hundred
men, and In posting two OF them at Tortugas,
wO al Key West, aud taking three to New
FORK. The whole duty was performed to the
erGcct satisfaction Of the department.
Third. In May, 1861, was commissioned as
olonel In the regular army, and In August, a
rigadiCr general Of volunteers, and afterwards
erved throughout the peninsula campaigns,
ndor Major General Mcclellan. At the scigc
f Yorktown, he constituted me director of the
CigC. In the battle of Hanover Court.House.
commanded corps, now the fifth corps of the
rmy of the Potomac, including all the regulars. 4
In the battle Of Gaines Mills, my command
cling about twenty-sGvcn thousand, | lost, in
Tiled, wounded and missing, niue thousand
ien-a fact which tells the severity of the con-
let.
In the battle Of Malvern Hill, a site selected
y myself the day before the fearful and test
irugglc with my own corps, which was Joined
y the commands of Sumner, HClntzlvman, and {
ouch, each of whom engaged In, or chcerfully
endcrcd every assistance In their power.
mounting, in the aggregate, 10 some eighteen
lousaud men, through the skill aud gallantry
I my officers and the indominablU bravery of I
~ troops, succeeded in totally repulslng,
nd with slaughter uncxampled in any modern
attic long continued, desperate and most
allant assaults Of from thirty 10 forty thou I
aud Of the enemy, evidently as brave soldiers
i ever trod the battlefield. For my services
Hanover Courthouse | received the rCrou- /