Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-23
MOttrster 4allp Spy,
Gen. RITZ John Porter Found Guilty and

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2l.-Last week, Judge
Advocate General Holt laid the record in the
case of General Fitz John Porter, which he
had spent three days in making up, before the
president, who to-day signlted his approval OF
the findings of the court MARTIAL and ordered
the sentence to be carried into execution.
The findings are that he is guilty on egeJy one
Of the charges preferred, and the sentence is
that he be dismissed from the service. The
review of testimony by Judge Holt, which
forms Il part of the record, is considered cX-
tremcly able. The court which thus disposed
of a case of multform and in one sense, ma
tional interest, was composed as follows =
Major General Hunter, presiding; Major
General Hitchcock, Brigadier Generals Rufus
King, Prentiss Ricketts,, Casey, Garfield,
Butord, ami Morris, with Colonel Holt, the
judge advocate general, as judge advocate.
The charges on which General Porter is con-
victed were these
CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS.
CHARGE 1.-Violaton of the 9th article Of
war.
Specification lin this, that the said Mai.
Gen. Fltz John Porter, of the volunteers of
the U. S. army, having received lawful or
der, on or about the 9th of August, 1862,
while at or near Warrenton junction, in Vir-
ginia, from Maj. Gen. John Pope, his superior
and commanding officer, in the following fig
ures and letters, to wit =
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA
Bristow Station, Aug. 81. 1862, p. NJ.
Mag. Gen. r. j. Porter, Ja11cnton juno
tion.-General: The major general COM
. handing directs that you start at | o'clock
tonight, and come forward with your whole
corps, or such part of it as is with YOU so as
to be here by daylight tomorrow morning.
Hooker has had a very severe action with the
enemy, with loss of about 800 killed and
wounded. The enemy has been driven back,
and is retreating along the railroad. We
must drive him from Manassas, and clear the
country between that place and Gainesville,
where Mcdowell is.
If Morell has not joined you, send word to
him to push forward Immediately. Also, send.
word to Banks to hurry forward with all speed
to take your place at Warrenton junction.
1t is necessary, On all accounts, that you
should be here by daylight. l send an officer
with this dispatch, who will conduct you to
this place. Be sure to send word to Banks,
who is on the road to Fayetteville, probably
in the direction of Balltown. Say to Banks,
also, that he had best run back the railroad
trains to this side of Cedar Run. If he is not
with you, write him to that effect.
By command of Major General Pope.
Geo. ID. Ruggles, colonel and chief Of staff.
?. ST Banks is not at Warrenton June
ton, leave a regiment of infantry and two
pieces Of artillery as guard, till he comes up,
with instructions to follow you Immediately.
If Banks is not at the junction, instruct Col.
Clearly to run the trains back to this side of
Cedar Run, and post regiment and section
Of artillery with it.
BY command of Major General PoPE.
Geo. ID. Ruggles, colonel and chief of staff.
Did then and there disobey the said order,
bpinu nt fhn in tlo 80 10,
This at or near Warrenton in the state of
Virginia, on or about the 2Sth of August, 1862.
Specification 2.-In this, that the said Major
General f. j. Porter, being in front of the
enemy at Manassas, Va, on or about the
morning of Aug. 20, 1862 did receive from
Major General Pope, his superior and COM
mandng officer, a lawful order in the follow
ing letters and figures, to witt
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIAl
CENTREvILLE, Aug. 20, 1862
Generals McDOWeH and Porter: You will
please move forward with your joint COM
mands toward Gainesville. sent Gen. PDr-
ter written orders to that effect an hour and
half ago. Heintzelman, Sigel, and Reno are
moving ON the Warrenton turnpike, and must
now be not far from Gainesville. | desire
that, rs soon as communication Is established
between his force and your own, the whole
command shall halt. 1t may be necessary to
fall back behind Bull Run, at Centreville, to-
night presume it will be so on account of
our supplies.
have sent no orders of any description to
Ricketts,, and none to interfere in any way
with the movement of McDowells troops,
except what | sent by his abide camp last
night, which were to hold his position on the
Warrenton pike until troops from here should
fall on the enemys flank and rear. | do not
even know Ricketts, position, as l have not
been able to lind out where Gen. Mcdowell
was until late hour this morning.
Gen. Mcdowell will take immediate steps
to communicate with Gen. Ricketts, and in
struct him to join other divisions of his corps
as soon as practicable. If any considerable
advantages are to be gained by departing from
this order, it will not be strictly carried out.
One thing must be held in view, that is, the
troops must occupy a position from which
they can reach Bull Run by morning The
indications are that the whole force of the
enemy is moving in this direction at a pace
that will bring them here by tomorrow night
or the next day. My own headquarters will,
for the present. be with Heintzelman's corps
or at this place.
JOHN POPE, Maj. Gen. Commanding.
Which order the said Maj Gen. Porter did
then and there disobey. This at or near Man
assas, in the state of Virginia, on or about the
29th Of August 1862.
SPECIFICATION 3.--In this, that the said Maj
Gen. Fitz John Porter, having been in front
of the enemy during the battle of Manassas
on Friday, the 10Th day of August, 1862, did,
on that day, receive from Maj John
Pope, his superior and commanding officer, a
lawful order in the following letters and fig
cures, to witt
HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD, Aug. 20, 1862.
Mag. Gen. Porter-Sir Your line of