New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-31
sWnNTON,s ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
AND FIIZ.IOMN PORTER.

dertakng work Of this magnitude, has attempted
quite as much as the bodest man would dare to I'M
dertake, But in his venture to reinstate Ftz-John
Ger in public estimation, he has undertaken moro.
In this he will not only fall but he will cast suspicion
on his other conclusions; for it will stamp his book
with partisan and sinister purposes; and such his
tory Of the achievements Of the Army Of the Poto.
mac the country will repudate and condemn.
lie attempts to arraign the judgment of the Court
that adjudged FitzJohn Porter guilty Of the charges
on which he tried by extracts from the official
accounts of the battles of Manassas the Goth and
Both of August 1862, as given by Confederate COM
manders. These extracts are of the most vague and
unmeaning significance, and so far as they bear upon
the facts on which Fitz-John Porter was condemned
they have no relevancy whatever. Mr. Swinton is
too Gstute a critic not to know that they fur
nish in fact not even palliaon for the dsobedience
Of orders as proved before the Court.
These are the reasons and the extracts as drawn
| from Mr.. Swintons book:
As the view above taken action Of that part Of the
Second Bull Run" fought the 29h Of August differs in
important particulars from previous accounts and cpe
claly oic report Of Gen Pope shall SUBJ
sianate by Confederate official the truth of such points
ofdfrenc@ as are Of moment The question foremost in TO-
Jackson Gen Pope repeatedly states that this did not take
this ground thet he and the courtmara that tried
Gen. Porter based their condemnation OF that officer for not
turning Jackons nght. Says Pope; 81 bsieye-n TACT
am pote-that o'clock the afternoon Of the 29th Gen
Porter had his front considerable body Of the cney
cabe for bin turned tie right fank Of Jackson AID
10 have fallen upon his that II had done 80 we shond
have gained decisive victory over the army under jackson BE-
fore could hare bs j0Hcf BY che orces Long
pop Report - Now his assertion tIaVerSed by tho
under fongstroeis command who show concusiyey
that Longstreet joined jackson ms early as noon SAYS
I.uU. llrn.Nl ftg
united and the advance to join Gen. Jackson RESUMED
The noise OF battle Was heard before we reached oanee
HE excirement Of give life and strength
to our aded men and the head Of Inv column
ro,iiioa IN rear Of sHsqys IN fink" REPORT OF the
Army Of Northern virginia vol IT, p. 60 See also Hood
The iesr DIVISION q Lonssircets Corps IS sim more
pic "Eirly the morning Of the 29th took mp the
match In The direction Of The old battle-ground OF Mans
whence heavy firing was heard Ariring on me 9oaad
about noor ny command stationed on lhc extreme rgh
the time Of arrva OF Longsree. andI shall show that
before Porter up from Manassas Lolsstree had taken
On is head Longsree testimony will suffice and II is
a. complete be desired. giving bis dsposons
20 his connection With Do sons right he states that Hoods
Division dopoYed me rRf and IN Of he Harmon
vas aSei spoa l ars..s oar Rsiirosd the rie aud in
echeon with regard 10 ihs three last Breaics ibid pp
rote whole front cod that barred Biz approach to Gaines
vile Al, attack b Porter wog4 therefore necessarily he
enemy hight aud turn bic renr hoIeHs Division already
dcp ed 10 front g,tr,ei and near dark when
The order haud. Probably there j. military
who vii that The operation Indicated 10y Pope at
ha time possible. zen Porter many months subsequent
events AMI after having IN the meanwhile bad command
of force. or e defense OF The Capital and been at TIE
head oi Corps a. the .atto OF Aniiean was arTaigned be-
fore Court Martial at Washington and dismissed the ser
United states for eeged dsobedence the above
orders of Pope DO not constitute myseu me champion OF
Gen Porter OF other oceri but ha' ing become
Of the Confederate official reports and having been
ruck with the pew HIGHT thrown these Ivy the
conscious testimony given above BY the Confederate Generals
should have violated my Instinct OF hsOc VeTaey TO nave
suppressed these facts.
They are the only extracts given by Mr.. Swinton;
and Them be says: "Hovng become possessed Of the
Confederate official reports, and having been struck
with the new light thrown on these events by the
unconscious testimony given above by Confederate
Generals should have violated my instinct of his
torc veracity to have suppressed these facts"
"The new light" discovered by Mr.. swinton,w we
cannot see What dates does he fix what hours does
he establish, by such generaites as the following
quoted from Longstreet -
Early on the 29tb this columns united and the ad
vance to join Gen jackson was resumed
Where they were united and how fer they had to
march before they were united, and the hour they
united and the distance they had to march after they
had united are not stated; and these important
and vital to the question Of the hour that they reached
Jackson. Mr. Swinton fails to cell us where the
columns encamped the night Of the 2Sth, and what
marches they made before uniting with Longsireet;
and yet be must have known that one of them moved
from Hopewell Gap and that Longstrect was held by
ricketts, in Thoroughlare Gap until after at night
the 2sth, and eneamped there, after hard-iought
contest. Both of these Gaps were Is miles from
Jackson'S forcesi and Mr.. swnton well knows that
troops that had made forced marches for four days,
and fought until at night, do not bury their dead,
for their wounded, break camp, join with other
columns, and march IL miles, 80 that the rear is in
lipe Of battle by ~ meridian.
Mr.. swinton also knows that Fitz-John Porter's
Corps was FIVE miles from Gainesville and that at that
place Longstreet turned down the pike to Groveton,
leaving all Of Fitz,John Porers forces OH the Manas
sas Gap Railroad exposing to an attack from that
Corps his right flank during a march of six miles
where he joined the right of Jacksons line of battle
resting on that pike Mr.. Swinton, too, should have
known that Gen. Stuart's cavalry with light bat
terry, all the forces that posted on the Ma
nassas Gap Railroad in front Of Porter during the
tire afternoon of the Doth. But il did not suit Mr..
Swinton's purposes to quote from Gen. Stuarts re-
ports, as that officer settles forever this question.
His Chief Of Staff reports that Stuart ordered to
operate with his cavalry the right flank and hold
the enemy in check until Longstreet could take his
place. And he should have known that Longstreet,
instead Of going to support or aid Stuart who in
'front.' OF Porter on the Manassas Gap Railroad headed
his column on Groveton, and from Jacksons right
j formed line Of battle in the direction of Ftz-John
I Porers fronts but to have reached that front, that
line would have extended over three miles. If he
will now refer to the October number Of Blaeknoods
Magazine for 1865 be will find there the full report Of
Lieut. Cen ]. Z. b. stuart's Chief of Staff, Thos
Van Borcke; and in that report he will find places,