The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-12-22
Porter ON Grant.

ter written by Vice Admiral Porter
to Secretary Wells in 1866, shortly af-
ter the capture of Fort Fisher sharp
ly eriticising the conduct of General
Grant. This letter was written by
Porter before Grant was dreamed of
for the Presidency, and at a time
when the writer had no fear that in
speaking his honest convictions he
would stand in the least danger oflos-1
ing his official head from the utter
anee of his honest convictions. The
letter has created great sensation
throughout the country within the
last two weeks: .5 h.s ~ ...g.
NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRoN;l
u. s. FLAGSHIP MALVERN, 7t'
CARE FEAR RIVER, Jan. 2l, 1856. SEos
My DEAR SIR.AI received your
kind letter of the 18th instant, and
thank you warmly for the confidence
you reposed in my good opinion that
this place, could be taken. To the
Navy Department alone is the eoun-
try indebted for the capture of this
rebel stronghold; had it not been for
your perseverance in keeping the feet
here, and your constant propositions
to the army, nothing would have been
done. As it was, after the proposi-
ton had been received, and General
Grant promised that troops should
be sent, it was not done until General
Butler consented to let the matter go
on and when he hoped to receive
some little credit for the explosion of
the powder boat. Now the country
gives General Grant the credit of.iil-
augurating the expedition, when, on
both occasions, he permitted it to go
improperly provided. In the first
place it had neither head nor tail, as
far as the army was concerned! In
the second place he (Grant9 sent too
few men, when he ought to have cal-
culated that the rebels would have
more strongly defended the works,
after seeing what a narrow escape
they had. Nothing but the most des-
perate fighting and determination
to win on the part of the army, gave
us the victory. The gallant band, of
sailors who fearlessly went into the
works amidst a shower of canister
and bullets, drew the eneiny's atten-
ton away from the assault on the land
side, and enabled the troops to obtain
secure footing. I don't say this to
detract from the gallantpy of the sol-
diers, for never did men fight harder
or more handsomely than did our
troops that day. Now that the, most
important fort on the coast has been
gained, as usual, you will hear but
little of what the navy did, and no
doubt efforts viii be made again to
show that the work was Hhot sub
stantially injured as defensive
work" To General Grant, whosis afse
ways willing to take the credit when
anything is done, and equally ready
to lay the blame of the failure on the
navy, when failure takes place, I feel
under no obligation for receiving OF.
allowing report to be spread from
his headquarters that there were three
days when the navy might have op-
Grated and did not. He knows as
much about it as he did when he
wrote to me, saying, "the only way
in which the place could be taken
was by running the ships past the bait
terics," showing evidently that he had
not studied the photography of Cape
Fear River, and did not know the
virtue their was in. our wooden walls
when they went in for fair stand up
fight. Any fort in Rebeldom can be
taken if we. can only getiinreach of it.
l have served with the Lieutenant
General before, where I never work
ed so hard in all my life to make a
man succeed as Ibid for him. Ton
will scarcely notice in his reports
that the navy did him any service,
when without the help it has given
him all the way through, heE never
| would have been Lieutenant- General.
He wants magnanimity, like most Off
GERS of the army, and is so avaricious
as regards fame, that,h will ineyer, ii
he can help it, do Justice to our de-
partment. When the rebels write. the
history of this war, then, and only
then, will the country be made to feel
1 what the navy has done. a3 .fssi8s,5 z
I do not feel at all kindly toward
! General Grant for the Indifference he
] displayed in this Inatterunt1l hefound
his own reputation at stake; them he
was glad to throw the elephant over.
board that had weighed him down So
heavily. He could not help but know
that General Butler was going in com.
mand of this expedition The mat.
i ter was constantly discussed with him
! he knew that he had placed himself
and all of his numerous staff ON board
the flag ship Ben de Ford, ). and eyel
) spoke of him as commander of. thu
troops. .s145E,' fi9f
i In a. conversation with oGeiiera
Grant, l expressly told him. that
4 wanted nothing to do with Genera
, Butler, and he promised me faithfully
!, that he should not have any connec
ton with the expedition. Twt
! months l waited, the fleet ready tt
sail at an hours notice, and L lacquii
!, esced in the Generals deeisionth hi
could not spare troops for fear of en-
dangering the defenses in the front
said: .sThen the expedition will
: never go until Butler has finger il
: the pie;" and sure enough, whel
Butler said go, we went The fear o
weakening the defenees disappeared
on Buffers presenting his plan fo
blowing the forts down, and an arm,
: was spipped SO quick, unprepared
{ that they almost sailed in the middle
of heavy gale. General Grant knew
that 1 did not care a fig for the pow
der boat, though / was very Willing
: to try it as an experiment, but no
!, disposed to trust ii altogether
think it most unhandsome in him t
listen for moment to the idle talk @
: Buffers staff, and his timid, ealcuIat
Il ing engineer COlnstOck who WaIitej
an excuse for not doing their duty
| The Lieutenant General and L. Wer
/ together eighteen months befeF
: VicksburkLneyer had to wait for me
: nor did anyof his Generals (bdtl
/ have had to wait for them, and Ii
should have supposed from the past
7 and my anxiety to- go to work, that
I had not become any slower in ti.
/. movements thanI was on sthe hIissis
sippi. His course proves to me tha
3 he would sacrifice his best ffieHt
4 rather than letany yodium fall on Lieu
A. tenant General Grant. - H a. eyeiIf3,fak