The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-09-27


With troops wearied out, with the night dark,
and the roads blocked by trains, Porter after
council with his generals and personal ex-
animation of the roads, was led to believe
that by starting at tsoo hours later, he would
reach Bristoe as quick, if not sooner than he
would by starting at one O'Clock. Itreqired
six hours, mostly Of daylight, to perform a
march which the letter of the order required
to be accomplished in three hours ofe xtreme
darkness. It was, therefore, physically i'm
possible to carry out the order. The disobe-
dience consisted in postponing for tico hours
only the commencement of its execution, a
matter, by all rules Of acar, scithan the prorice
of a general commanding, aO7ten has supericr,
miles a,cay, kne,c nothing of'the circatmstan-
ces in operation.
The fact that this detention was advlsedly
officers of acknowledged capacity and zeal,
is presumptive evidence that it involved a
want neither Of zeal or capacity in Porter.
He reached Bristoe Station at an early hour,
and to find that his services had not been
needed consequently no harm resulted from
this "alleged disobedience," and for which
Porter deserved commentator rather than
blame.
On the morning of the 29th. of August
General Pope sent a joint order to to Por.
ter and Mcdowell. This order contained
the following -" any considerable adran-
tages are to be gained by departing firsn'
htis order 1t ,oilI not be strictly carried out."
In the fulflment of this order General
Porter was directed by General Mcdowell,
as he asserts, and there is every reason to
believe, correctly, that he was to remain
where he was. All speculation about any
noncompliance with the orders of McDowell
is of no moment, as this was not among the
charges brought against Porter, but it was
charged of him that he disobeyed Pope in
the matter of the joint order. This order re
quired a march to GAINESVILLE to join the for
ces of Seigel and Heintzelman, supposed by
Pope to be there, but as they were fou,
miles distant, and to the east theretrom. held
in check by Jackson, every step taken in
the prescribed direction would have removed
Porter, further from the junction, besides
rendering it difficult for him to reach Bull
Run that night as ordered. Porter, acting
under the discretion allowed by the order
remained where he was-and most fortunate
| ly for Gen. Pope was it that he did so.
That evening Porter received another or
der from Pope which it was impossible t.
comply with without utter destruction Of
Porter's corps, and the probable humiliation
of Pope's army.
Disobedience of this order is the onl,
| charge of consequence against Porter, ant
| on which he was convicted.
The order directed that the line of marcl
| of Porter would bring him on the right hanl
| of the enemy, supposed by Pope to be JACK
| sons corps. Pope believing that Longstree
was some forty hours distant, whereas b,
| ten o'clock, and certainly by noon of tina
| DAY, all of Longstreet's corps of about fort,
| thousand men, had Joined jackson and beel
| posted on his right tank, which Porter wa
ordered to attack.
| On the trial of Porter, Pope and his vii
ness testified that the only enemy in from
| of Porter was small body of troops, which
| in their Judgment, Porter could have easil
defeated. They had not the remotest ide
that the immense force of Longstreet, a
least three to one of that of Porter, was
his front, and hidden from view by wood
Porter had made this discovery. Prison
ers taken by him, and the observations
General Buford had given him the know
| edge of this fact, and that to follow out til
order would be the extent Of folly if not
crime. He had attempted to communicat
with Mcdowell and Seigel; but his messel
gers ran into the enemy. He maintaine
his ground in order to hold Longstreet
check as long as possible, and thus preveI
him from attacking the left flank and RET
of Pope's army, as it was intended for hi
to do by General Lee.
No reasonable man but must applau
Porter for his great Judgment in this me- ttt
as well as for his military skill in effect'n
Longstreet. Had he followed the orde
Pope, his corps would have met that
Longstreet full in front. That general h.
since stated, that, had Porter attacked hi
with force less that twenty-five thousan
men, the corps of Porter would unquestion
bly, have been destroyed.
What then would have become of the re
of the army of the Patomac? Had it nc
been for this action of Porter, it is not diff
cult to imagine. In all human probabilit
1t would have been SO thoroughly broken u
or destroyed that the subsequent battle
Antietam would never have taken place.
Does not then nations gratitude becom
| due to Porter rather than the disgracefu
treatment which was melted to him? n
matter where the evidence comes from
whether from rebels or loyalists, let it be r,
received and iustic be done to Porter. Ii
the foul stain cast upon him so wrongly, b
removed. 1t should have been done lon
ago. He has right to this from the go,
eminent and his countrymen.
He asks that a review of his case may b
made, by an intelligent and disintereste
tribunal, on new evidence which he can flu
nlsh. Enough of it is known to show hi
entire innocence of the charges on which h
was condemned. He requests nothing III
reasonable to fair minds, although, Their
may not be a parallel to the allowance c
of such request. 1t is for the Presider
and his advisers to judge of the prophet
| of granting it, and well NAV it there be lief