Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-07-20

TIE LE CIR
General Pitz John POrter's
Examination.
THE TESTIMONY CONSIDERED IA.
F0RABlE TO HIS CASE.
4" Liar, Blackguard and
Coward"
THAT IS WHAT HuNToN CALLS
ALEXANDER.
ESPECIAL DnrArcHrs 70 rms esLD HUI
DAILY NEvs.l

D
DAILY NEws.l
decentralization of Gen. FITS John
Porter's Case.
Nrw Yonx. July i9.-It 10 . serious mis-.
apprehension to suppose that General Fitx
John Portor's claim TO acquittai Of the
charge Of disobedience Of orders rests upon
tho proposition that . subordinate officer
may fail to obey an unconditional order
because his own Judgment Is against Its
wisdom. Pope's dispatch to Porter was in
terms based upon Pope's superstition that
Porter had In his front only an insigniii'
can, body comprising tho onemy's flank.
Porter being ON the ground had later and
better information and knew Longstreet's
whole corps had zane up. lie was ordered
10 attack the enemy's Hank. but the flank
WAS not there. and consequently the order
could not be literally obeyel. and an at
tack at all would have resulted In tho cap
| ture Of all Of Pope's command. Portcr's
| friends claim that tho order was condition
Al, and that II was his duty 70 exercise tho
discretion wnieh suoseluen. e'ehts nA'o
shown was wise pairiotis, put only on
the ground that rope oruer uspenueu
upon the condition rsgsrdins Position OF
the enemy About when nc me" rof'er
would have the best iniofma,ion;
WEST FONT, july iS,-,in 'uo i1's
case to-day, Lieutenant ooionei sml'n, VI
Warrington, Paymasler III inc ARMY, was
called. In August, 1867. he was mem,
Der OF Pope's stan. and had eharge OF All
the confidential dispatches between rope
and the Government.
The Judge Advocate asked what was the
occasion for tho address OF July ". isO!'
issued by Pope 70 the army. and though
witness tried to get In his reply, the Court
would not allow II, on the ground that II
| did not relate TO General Porter's conduct.
As TO the character OF tho night OF the
27th, witness declared after A. N. IL was
an ordinarily bright night. though the
early part OF IL was very dark. lie had
himself started out with . small force Of
cavalry by order TO meet Porter. expecting
him 10 leave at the same time, but II was
four hours before the head Of Porter's
Fifth Corp. came up.
Crossexamination on this point eliciteda an
admission that in these four hours he only
travelled about four miles, and then not
on the road travelled by Porter, u 80
could not say what the distractions on the
road were. As TO the issue Of the order 10
Porter that evening he knew nothing. He
identified various orders TO Generals Reno
and Mcdowell, including those about
=. bagging the whole crowd" A 10 the
dispatches Of the campaign. he said he had
all OF them in his custody Nll 1866. when
he gave them 10 Pope. The loss OF four
important dispatches from Porter TO Pope
10 thus shown to DO the fanit OF the latter
In regard W witness interview with Por-
ter ON the 2sth when, As previously given
in his evidence, he saw "treAson lurking
in Porter's eye." there Was considerable
discussion involving objections and some
evidences, of feeling. Witness had to be
checked by the Court and answered sew
oral times with some acrimony. The chief
result was he admitted that lac called Por-
ter a traitor under considerable excite
ment without meaning IL and after being
snubbed by Pope. rs he expressed 1t. The
most important point established after 9
long examination ON the events Of the 18th
WAS that he was now satisfied when he
gave his evidence at the court-martial In
1862 with regard to Porter's failure to
obey the $40 p. NJ. order he was mistaken
In the position OF the troops. having as
signed to Porter a more advanced position
than was true. and that IL would have re-
quired at least " hours Tor tho order to
reach Porter.
General Ruggles, Popo's Chief OF Stan,
having sworn II was about . o'clock before
the order started, Porter's claim that II
was nearly dark when II reached him In
now established by the evidence OF these
two staff officers OF Pope ~ well as by that
Of his W staff.
Witness denied Longstreet's testimony
AZ 10 his position. saying no saw the
ground which Longstreet swore he occn.
pied in tho morning unoccupied at l
o'clock In the afternoon.
A considerable part OF the cross-exam-
ination by Choato was TO develop tho bias
OF this witness. The Judge Advocate Ire
quently objected, but most OF the ques-
tons were admitted by tho Court, a. .
pamphlet was published In lsCG. entitled.
&c Proceedings Of the Court Martial In ID
Case OF Major General n. j.. Porter.
which in fact only contained the evidence
Of the prosecution.
Witness declared he protested against
the title Of the same, aud although instru-
mental in its publication in connection
with another stat officer Of Pope's. he did
not know who paid for the printing and
circulation OF 1t. With regard 10 the
pamphle, entitled "a Brief statement Of
the case Of General Porter" which had
been extensively circulated, and which
purPori, TO give IN extract from Stone
,ha So.h Of knrpst. in ip.tisss,ion Of
Pope's assertion. witness declared he
showed 1t to General Pope that the OK.
tract IN luesuon re,a.eu 70 tne Sotn OF
August and not tne zstn, anu maj no pro.
tested against the circulation OF the
pamphlet as untrue aud TURNER ADDED
that be was In no way responsible Tor IL,
but that the extract was furnished BY
sehrsver OF McDowelrs stan. This
pamphlet, however, Porter says has been
circulated a late m the Spring OF the
the present year. with many misap-
piled quotations from Jaekson's report.
Witness also stated that no had nothing to
do with furnishing the press with com.
munieAuons a'efse 70 rorter curing TINS
investigation.
!. ,e,tinony mere closed ior the pres.
eompar,tiysl, nnimnop,an, -Sitns:,s. ~
examine, and the court adjourned till