The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-20
GENERAL PORTER'S CASE.


GOVERNMENT WITNESSES STRONGLY SUPPORT
poRTER's CLAIMS AND SHOW TOPICS BITTER
PREJUDICE AGAINST HIM--THE CASE pRAc-
TIcALLx CLOSED.
WEST POINT, July 10, 1873.
The rehearing OF the case OF Fi,z John Porter was
resumed II ten o'clock shis morning
The arst witness called BY tho Judge Advocate was
General Horace Houshton, of Washington, D. C., who
WINS captain in tho Thirteenth New York Volunteers
in August, 1862 His testimony corresponded with
thar OF the other members OF his regiment, and Mr..
Choa,e Of Por,srs counsel said they did not TO
cross examine him.
Lieutenant Colonel I. c. H Smith, OF Washington,
a pawn astcr in the army then called In August,
1862, he was member OF General pope's stan and
had charge OF all the confidential dispatches between
Geucral Pope and the government tho Judge Advo-
cate asked what the occasion for the address Of
July H. 1862 issued by Pope 10 tho army. and though
the witness tried to got his reply the Court would
not allow II the ground that II did not relate to
General Porters conduct. As to the character of tho
night OF the 9th witness declared that alter one
O'Clock A. NJ. IL was ordinarily bright night.
though the oary part Of 1t very DARK; he had
himself started out with small lorce Of cavalry.
by order, to meet Porter, expecting him to leave
q. the same same tune o.. '0ae NV was E 'orr
corps (Porter's) came up Tho cross-cxam nation on
this point clcso the admission that the four hoors
he only travelled about four miles. and then not
tho road travelled by Porter, aud could not say
Whist the obstructons on the road were AZ 10 tho Is
sue OF Porter that evening he knew nothing
He the various orders TO Reno and Mcdowell
including those about dragging tho whole crowd
Az 10 the dispatches Of tho paign, he said that he
had ali Of them IN his custody gn.ii 1866. when he
gave them to General Pope. The loss
Of the tour important dispatches from
Porter TO Pope Is thus shown TO rest upon
the latter. With regard 10 the witness interview
with Porter the 2sih, when, az previously given IN
hA az la Dnr Snppz
cyc," tncrc was considerable discussion. involving
objections and some evidences OF feeling The w.t.
ness had TO be checked by tho Court and answered
several times with acrimouy The chief result
that be admitted that ne called Porter traitor"
under considerable excitement without meaning It, and
after being ''snubbed" by Pope, as he expressed IL
MISTAKEN TESTIMONY.
The most important point established after long
examin alton tho events OF the 29th was that he
Was satisfied that whom he gave his dencc ut
the court martial IN 1862 with regard TO Portors
faiiure TO obey the 1880 T.. n. order he mis-.
taken Ia the position OF the troops, having assigned
TO Porter more advanced position than was iruo,
aud tina, would have required at loast two hours
for the order TO have reacnsd Porter General
Rugclcs Popc's chief OF stan, having sworn that u
was about ave o'clock before the order started Por-
tcrs clam that II was nearly dark when u reached
him established by tho ovdonco OF these two
stat officers oil Pope, as we'll Ms by thai Of his own
staG
LoxGsrRYEr coxrRADIcrRp.
Ho denied Longstrcers Testimony As 10 bis position
swove he occupied In the morning unoccupcd al
O'Clock In the afternoon Tho witness was not ex.
amtHod 10 the events oil the JUN, tnOugh ne nad
something 70 say on tho subject Nettner side, how
oyor deemed u important considerable part OF tho
ANIMATION bv Mr. Choaic, OF Portsr's counsel,
was TO dsvcIope tho BIAS OF this witness. rhe Judge
Advocate frequently objected bus most OF tho ques
lions were admitted by tho Court
oAk sfpED STATEMENTS.
As 70 pamphlet published IN 1885, entitled "Pro-
ccedinss OF Court Martial the Case OF Major Gen.
erai y. j. Porter aud which IN TACT only contained
the evidence OF the prosecution witness declared that
he protested agai0st She title Of the same, and al
though Instruments 10 It's publication, In connection
with another stan officer Of Popo's, he did not know
VINO paid Tor the printing and circulation oil IT, Win
regard to the pamphlet entitled - Brief Statement
OF the Case Of General Porter which has been ox.en-
siveiy circulated, aud which purporss TO give
| operations on the 2gth of August In Jus
tincation Of Popc's assertions. witness do
clared that lie showed to General Pope that
the extract In question related TO the Both vi August
and not the 18TH and protested against the crcula-
ton OF the pamphlet untrue, and further ADDED
that he In responsible for IT, but that tho
extract wns iurnishcd by General Schriver, of Nc.
Do1cPs STALL This pamphlet, however, General
Porter suys has been circulated lao as the spring
OF tho prcseut year with tho msapplied quotations
IRON Jacks g report Witness also stated that he
| had nothng to 10 WAN furnishing the press with
\ communications adverse " General fortor during
| this investigation.
! The testimony hero closed for the present. tho
Judge Advocate having only few comparatively un-
important witnesses To examine.
Amer some discussion The Court adjeurned until
| Tuesday, september 10.
the friends OF General Porter here consider tho
testimony OF the government Witnesses a. enureiy
favorable TO him.