, 1870-12-07
PORTER On GRANT.
An unpnblasned Plece os E1tst~ry-
;AonaifA1 Fortofss Jonlousy Of sho
Army H1s- Abuse oA GcnckAl.
'GsrAnF.
{CNFY.
GoxTH ATLANTIC SQuAnkof.1

A@usc "a 90 4
Grant
tcosx.3 .....
MORN ATLANTIC sauAnxos.1
q. 6. F1AdsHtr AALvBxN. /
Carr fkAk RrrKn- Jaa- u, te@ J
M1 DEAa R,1: received your Kind lsstor
tho confidence you zepossd Ia rns good optn-
;cu that this placo could be takbu- To the
T.y, Department alot . u tho onuutry indsbt-
n lar thr capture Of this Iebol stronghold:
hid it not brcce fos your Perseseraaos in
Keeping tho deet herr. aod yous constant
propcsit,on4 madn to tho AMT nofa!ne
ruopoeition hsd been received, md Generd
Grant promised that troops should b sent.
is ~ss not dono until dnueil b9tler con-
s<nted to let the matter go on, and when he
hoped to reap some nt,le oreo1t for tho
explosion OF tho powder boat Now tho
country gives Genarl Grant tbs credit Of
tho expedition, when, On b1fh
provided. In the 8rsk plsee It hid nslthsr
cad nor tai. "a far - the army waa con-
ce1ned. In the second piace be [Graat) sent
too foW mep, when he ought TO hAyo cA(culst.
cd that the tebels would have more strongly
defended The works. after seeing v hat n1f-
TOW escape they had. Nothing but tho uoet
Win On tbe put Of tho Amy. reys ea1e Ds the hs
victory. Tho gallant band of ashore, Who
fex1lensly want into the works auidst 4
shower OF canister and bullets, drew the
snkmya attention away from the Ase4ult on
the land aide, and enahied the troops to obtain
: secure footing. I don't say thia 10 dottacs
from the gallantrJ Of the soldiers, for novss
did men hght harder or more hsndsone,y
than did oar troops that day. Nav thAt tbs
most important fort On the cokst hss bbau
gained, n ufuA], you will hear but uitts of
What the navy did. aud NO doubt efforts viii
DO made sgatn to show thst tba work VA
" not substantially injured ~ ! defensive
willing to taks the credit when anything is
done, and equally rsady to lay the blams otJ
the fs!n:e on the navy, when failure takesi
pl.:u, I feel under no obligation for reosiv
ing and allowing report to be spread frona|
hia headquarters that there ware three dayn|
when the navy might hAvs operated and did
not He tuowa ~ much about It - he did
IL which the placs could 30 ssksn w.4 By run
Mug tho ships past tho b2tteries," showing
evidently thst be had not atudiod tho hydro
graphy OF CApe foar River, and id not Eno1
the virtue there wa4 In our wooden walls when
they went in for fair stand-up fight. Any
fort In rebeldom can be taken II Nc can only
get IN reach Of it, havs served With tho
worked 10 hard IN my Life to make mAn sue
cee5 - did for him. You will scarcely NO
lice In bis reports that the uxvJ did him any
service, when without the help 1t has given
him al the WAY through. he never would have
been Lieutenant General He wAnts magma
30 ava7cious, as regards fane. that ho will
never, II be eau help 1t, do Justice to our do
ra14ment. When the rebels ur1te the bis
tory Of this wAr, then, and only then, viii tho
county be made 10 feel what tho navy has
done.
GrAut for tho indifference he dieplayed In this
matter uptit be found his own reputation 1t
stake, then he was glad to throw the elephant
overheard that hid weighed him down 80
heavily He could not help but know that
Gen. Butler waa going in comm md Of this OK.
pedinon- The matter wa constantly diseussed
With him; be knew that he had placed himself
aud al Of his. numerous stan on board the
h1grhip Ben de Ford, and everybody epoke OF
him ~ commander of the tfoopa.
In + conversation with General Grant, ex-
pressely told him that wanted nothing to do
with General Butler, and he promised me
faithfully that he should not have any con.
necsson with The expedition. Two months
waited. the deet ready to sail At an hourts no
tee. and acquieaced In the Gensralta deci8-
ion that he could not tpAfa trcopa tor fear oi
endsugeriug the defenaes In tbs front,
said: Then Tho expedition viii never so m.
til Butler has finger 10 tho ple;" and snEe
| fear Of weakening the defences dlssppearei
on Buffers presenting his p1An for olo MnE
| the forts down, 1nd IN army WAS Shipped st
quick, uppfeparod, that they almost sailed ir
/ the middle Of y beaFy gale. General Gran
knew that / did not care fg for the po*de,
boat though w1s very wiling to Try It Al Au
| experiment, but not dispoted to tzust il
| alts getber. I think it most unhaudsome ii
! him to listen for moueut to tho idle talk o
| Batler's atan, and hts tirnd, calculating en-
| Riueer Comatock, who wanted An excuse fol
not doing their duty: The Lieutenant Gan
| eral snd were together eighteen mouths b.
nor did any Of bis Genetals (but have hat
to wait fer them), and he should have sup
poeed from the psst, and my anxiety to 20 t
wc1k, that had lot become auy slower Il
mT movements than wsslon tho Misaiaeippt
His co-rto proves to me that be would eacri
tice his best friend rather thln lot any odiuu
fall On Lieutenant deneral Grant. He vii
take to hinlseN III the credit Of this nov
now that it IL successful, when he desetve
al the blarnc for the farst failuEe To take th
place. And this ts nnw Baddtod On QeneS1
l,u'ler, and history will tell nothing Of Ger
e1A Gfans'e eharn In It.
ltelI It to you for your own personal sxtis
faction that you may know and feel th$t 20
are entitled to The entire credit for Eottin
this expedition on and for Its suocess. I Al
merely tha agent, and only used to advantsg
the ample means { 9iscea @ q Icy my otsposa., To'e
any one eise cou,u aaYe ugu9 ~ fcl M, ~ l.
e1pes1 yoa sonenes % @ t9,nk h,o. .l sm nt.le
1mpon,,c n ~nAs ~ pa. sost TT y my na."r an
t3octs upou the navy. 1know that no count
9naet ne sur ever aaasea t navy A a. yoh II, ~
done u ne same space , o. 5in,e' ana ans, .nas
na ever aar a ge nnia taI lazy b
LAVE, . suru n,,"e "eH'u taM ~. 49, 80 =
ssAsuSt Shron~hs ss W ha.r p.SSe NJ rva-r n,s
. pAsS M NHs Drought ~ oea1 W ~. I,o.s psa
pea hea,aht fn ;n,o TIste ,,isv 'Ae Ann'n u~'' o'
|