The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-05-09

/ AHC Sohu rope and EitZ John Por-
ter Case--New Light Thrown on
the Subject.
Mr. William Swinton. the historian
OF the Army of the Potomac" whose
carefully written work is Just making
us appearance, gives the following ac-
count OF the new light that has ap.
Peared In the John Pope and Fitz John
Eorter controversy, which resulted in
the trial by courtmsFtial and dismissal
OF the latter from the army:
AT the view above taken Of the &C
ton OF that part Of the Second Bull
Run, fought on the 29th of August, diff
fers IN some important particulars from
previous accounts, and especially from
the official report of General Pope, /
shall here substantiste, by confederate
official records, the truth of such points
of difference as are of moment. The
question foremost in interest has rela-
ton to the time at which Lonestreet's
corps joined Jackson. Gen. Pope re-
peatedly states that this did not take
place till about sunset (see Popes Of
fetal Report, p. 2l) and lit is on this
ground that he and the court-martial
that tried General Porter based their
condemnation of that officer for not
turning Jackson's right Says Pope:
i believe-in fact, | am positive
that at five o'clock in the afternoon
OF the 29th General Porter had in his
front no considerable body of the enc
my. believed then, as | am very sure
now, that it was easily practicable for
him TO have turned the right flank of
Jackson, and TO have fallen upon his
rear; that if he had done SO we should
have gained a decisive victory over the
army under Jackson before he could hare
been joined by any Of the forces under Long
street (Pope's Report, p. % Now
this assertion is traversed by the posi- |
tive evidence Of the official reports of |
several of the Generals under Long |
street command, who show conclu- |
sively that Longstreet joined Jackson |
as early as noon. Says Longstreet him. |
self: Early on the 29th the columns
were united, and the advance, to ioin |
General jackson, was resumed The
noise of battle were heard before we |
reached Gainesville. The march was |
quickened to the extent of our capaci- |
ty. The excitement of battle seemed |
to give new life and strength to our
jaded men, and the head of my column |
soon reached a position in the rear of
the enemy's left flank (RepoltI of
the Army of Northern Virginia, vol. ii,
P. 8 See also Hood. Ibid, p. 209 |
But General D. R. Jones, who COM
manded the rear division of Long
streets corps, is still more explicit
Early on the morning of the Goth,
took up the march in the direction of
the old battle-ground of Manassas.
whence heavy firing was heard. Ar
irving on the ground about noon, my
command was stationed on the ex-
treme right of our line, etc. Obid, r.
2l7) This would appear to settle the
time of arrival of Longstreet; and
shall now show that before Porter came
up from Manassas, Longstreet had
taken up such a position as to bar his
advance to Gainesville. On this head
LoDgstreets own testimony will suffice,
and it is as complete as could be desired.
After giving his dispositions for his con-
nection with Jackson's right, he states
that Hoods division was deployed on
the right and left of the Warrenton
turnpike, at rightaugles with it. Gen.
D. r Jones division was placed upon
the Manassas Gap Railroad, to the
right and in echelon with regard to
three last brigades Il bid PIP. 81, 82)
Now it is quite obvious that this dis
position covered Porter's whole front,
and that it barred his approach to
GAINESVILLE. Any attack by Porter
would, therefore, necessarily be made
in front. When he received Popes
orders to attack the enemy's right and
tnrn his rear, Morrelps division was
already deployed in front of Long
srteet, and it was near dark when the
order came to hand. Probably there
is no military man who will now say
that the operation indicated by Pope
was at that time possible General
Porter, many months subsequent to
these events, and after having in the
had command of the forces
for the defense of the Capitol, and been
at the head of his corps at the battle of
Autletarn. was aTraigue't bofJl5 a UOUI Z
martial at Washington, and dismissed
from the service of the United States,
for alleged disobedience 10 the above
orders of Pope. l do not constitute
myself the champion of General Porter,
nor Of any other officer; but having be-
come possessed of the Confederate off.
cial reports, and having been struck
with the new light thrown on these
events by the unconscious testimony
given above by the Confederate Gen
erals, l should have violated my in
stinct of historic veracity to have sup
pressed these facts"