Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-27
Admiral Por,er,s Reply to Gen Bu,,er

Admiral Porter, in letter to the NAVY De.
| partment OF January 22d, denies the statement
mace mao oy zen Butler concerning affairs in the
nFet r OFT tIsher expedition, and characterizes
tne tIenerals report as Z" tissue of misstate-
ments from beginning to end, scarcely eouaiIed
Dy .ne mlsstafements made regarding the Lieu
Tne Admiral then goes on to state that Gen.
buIers name was never associated with the
sdXpeoition dS except to fitit OUT that the expe-
dltlon started with the idea that the 20 Wder
Vessei originally proposed by Gen. Butler)
would blow the forts down, leaving our troops
nothing to do but to walk in He also says
that the troops were embarked Turing heayy
gale, against his advise and wish; that the
troops remained on board four days before the
expedition started; that Gen. Butler, contrary
to his request, sailed before any of the fieet
with the exception Of the monitors and instead
OF rendezvouslng at Masonboro' Inlet showed
MS nag ship, decked out with flags, to the en-
ports fired on.
"There was no time" he writes, "when any
troops could have landed without danger M,
10 the time the first attack took place. I was
10 be the Judge OF that, not Gen. Butler; for
hao not that faith in his generalship which
would induce me to follow him blindly though
determined to do all could for him, and
make the expedition success if possible
81 soon saw. though, that Gen Butler de
pended on the powder boat entirely, and /
said we would have no assault from the be-
ginning"
The following paragraph Of General But
Ier 8 report he declares to be deliberate mis-
statement:
"Admiral Porter was quite sanguine that he
had silenc ced the guns of Fort Fisher. He was
then urged, if that were so to run by the bat
teries into Cape Fear river, and then troops
could land and hold the beach without Difficult
ty, or without liability of being shelled by the
enemy's gunboat Tallahassee, seen on the
river
He never saw General Butler or mis- staff
after the landing on the beach, and if he had
he could not have complied with any such re-
quest, owing to the sand bars and torpedoes.
which obstacles required three days to over.
come al the forts had surrendered The Ad-
miral further says:
"All The next paragraph In General Buffers
report, In relation to what the Admiral said,
and what the admiral declined 10 do is false
from beginning to end.
never had any conversation Of the kind
with any one-indeed, the whole report is q
tissue OF misrepresentation, including the part
that says the instructions he received. did not
contemplate siege, &C. when he knows he
never received any instructions, and Joined the
expedition without orders "
he asserts that the obstacles which General
Terry surmounted were greater than any Gen
eral Butler met with, and concludes
Gas 1t has turned out, the first failure had its
advantages, and the country will derive great
comfort therefrom.
"If General Butler had not descended to q
subter5uge to cover his mistakes, would will
lingly have allowed him to go into retirement
with the honors he has won; bat no man shall
reflect unJustly on me or the corps to which
belong without his hearing from me In some
way or other" sesr-r 80