Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-10-11
's:sc General Eit1 OE,n FOrtes's Case.

LIZ Tie EuZ j Chn IOrttr case yfS!tlCay \. n,
Irfil Mcdowell testified that bis corps con
sisted CT the divisions OF Tickets aad King.
ADD t.at loT:cr's carls was also uuGeE ills corG-
maud. lie had DO kooHiedsc Of Lorstreet's
Whereabouts OF the morni3g @; the 29th tI
August, 1852. aui had 10 knowledge OF what
porc's policy aud plans were. He did not
know CT ar intended battle, except what be 10.
ferred from ses log note from Pope to Porter
that thtir troops were to move from Gaines
vile. Ptr,er did not say that severe fight
was likely to take place. lie slW Porter about
5oon that day. aad after Leaving him observed
dust 10 the directly Of the northwest and 9th
or Indications Of the presence Of az enemy, and
was ipf0rmcd by General Butord that force
was moyios o. the Warrcntoo turnpike.
After the fits: few questions and answers
TIC Pre- ;cdiugs we're continually interrupted
By gfjaciiors by the Judge Advocate or ooun-
sc. and oug xylanatiOrs and speeches By the
witpa:9, VINO appeared to DO more OR less e.
cited throughout the day.
Mr. Choate, Of COUNSEL, objected several
tiues 10 GeD.rll McD5RelI 'arguiog the case
against General Porter" and the witoess re.
tor.ed with consi ierabla feeling. He said
Pcrtcr gave him 10 Information as TO what be
snppoSeu TO be the force Of the enemy ia his
frou; that day. Th3 first point 10 the cr:s:S
examination By Mr.. Chcatc was as to what
| G@,unents ne had published, printed, or clr-
! cG!a;od relausg to these matters slucs 1866
| IGe @ta!si admitted publishing pamphlet
! in 1870. Which was put 10 evidence. he had
&C part iU publishing the Brief Statement Of
| ~; CASE" except to iurLl n extracts trom the
r,?lr.9 f JtessoO, Stuart, aod Loog:trcct.
i'uu upshol Ct Z very !oGg examination on
! !i:is I;@io! Hcs that re admlited that the *.
! tr:.ai ia. aiS!l@G By II Il, Durpcrtlag 10 be from
:, or2.YalI Jack=0ra report ct the operations
d; August 80, he oow kn:S to refer to The 80:
that it Was I'D error on his part, for which DC
YES Excessively sorry" tic further said be
| hsa ard the Question caised some years ago 81
10 tic daIc to which the extract referred tut
| ocve: took any pains TO find out about it or
osrr.c: It, though he admitted it did greet il
jnstica 10 Porter. He printed and published
! othcr rapcrs. lie knew Porter had b.en ap-
pl,ius Tor rshcarlng, aud one Of lis puo!lca
i ,fs waa called cut btcluie be thought Por.
Ter ) app.ic.t alton contained reflections upon lin.
A 10 bis c,mmaods to Ricketts,, Reynolds and
King, TIC witncss refused to answer qu;s!loos,
dccIaii1g that be did not see the object of the
ql:s:op.
TIE cur, after d4.i5erstion decided the
question to b. proper as bearing GA the even.
vr the % L. aad lis osd.r +; wtr. read, showing
that i.3 said ca the night OF the eth or Au
aus., that hc expected Longsireet. With large
!crsa, to come through Thoroughfare Gap, AID
o;alr1l troops 10 20 Ia that direction to cat
iiiGl ON GA the mlrciog Of the 29:h be
kGew that Ri.kcts had Withdrawn from the
Gar, aud chat there W5s nothing to prevent
The eneuy from c)m!ng through. Inst saw
/ Porter on the 20 II. at DonD, at DIHkln s
i,raoca, and took klog's CiGi:io1, with which
nc went Ufi to join Reynolds, thinking that the
only forces before Porter were the seventeen
regiments OF the enemy reported Ly buloId as
having come through the gap. Having lett
Porter, it WAS 10 hi; discretion to attack or DOT.
Tho witDe3s declined 10 express 40 opinion
as to whes Porter ought to have done II he
iouad much heavier force 10 his front; but
| the cjurscl said the witness had expressed an
opinion as to what would have happened II
Porter had attacked on tho trial, aud that
opinion was largely instrumental IN s'cuTiog
Porter ) conviction. Now that the state ol the
! facts is proven to be different, Porter Is cntl'
! tied to ask if Inc wItnrss opinion has nat
changed.
There was much excitement and feeling ID 40
| ifcstet in this part OF tho proceedings, which
Occupied long lime, and the result was that
ecu. McD3%eii admitted that If Porter had
asc,rtained that tho ioroc 10 front Of him was
twice a. great as his owe, and twice as great
~ he, Mcdowell. supposed when he took away
King and Iclt him, it would change his op'n.
ion as TO Portcr's duty in the matter.
The next point Was as to the thrco dispatches
from Porter to Mcdowell, which the latter had
il his possession, but did not produce at the
tiia. lie was very Indignant with counsel TOR
asking him why he had not produced them
AID said be had overlooked them aud forgotten
al! about them, though one OF them, dated at
sig p. H. on the :20.h, shows that un to that
t;nls Porter hid no. received the $50 order.
Th: dispatches were put 10 tho evidence aud
vii! b., read to day. and the board, alter the
most important and exciting days session yet
held, GG1urned at late hour.