Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-04
THE TRUE INWARDNESS
OF the Persecution OF FitZ John Porter
What he Did and what he Did Not
Do that Brought upon him
The Vengeance Of Stanton, who Organ.
lied a Court TO Convict him OF Be-
trayal or his Trust because he
was Democrat.

trayal or his Trust because he
was n Democrat.
Cincinnati Enquirer.
WASHINGTON, June 28--The subject just
now most interestedly discussed in army cir
Giles Is the court at present IN progress at
West Point-a court convened by permission
of congress to determine if the case of Fitz
John Porter is entitled to a rehearing. Evil
dence can be brought forward now that at
the trial could not be secured, because the
witnesses were engaged In war on the south
ern side. The circumstances attending the
summary dismissal of this brave man may
be unknown TO many of your readers, and
forgotten by others; therefore | will give a
brief history of the case as 1t was discussed
last night In my parlor, by men quite capa-
bic of judging the merits of the officer and
the qualities of the soldier. The affair hap
pened just after Mcclellan, the idol of the
soldiers, hal been superseded, and Pope, the
braggart, was In command, and had sent
forth bull announcing that "his head
quarters would I've IN the saddle" There
was dissatisfaction amounting to demorali-
zation among the army, and men and officers
freely expressed their sentiments, which, en-
PEASANT, were far from complimentary
to ''the Pope" 1t required diplo-
matte skill to prevent this sullenness
from turning to the advantage of the south.
Mcclellan kept as much away from the men
as ne could, for his appearance was always
the signal for enthusiastic demonstrations in
his behalf and bitter invectives against the
commanding general. Porter lay beyond
Alexandria, with his army well provisioned
and disciplined. He was regarded as superb
officer, and took great pride in his command.
Pope moved toward Bull Run, met General
Nd had
whipped, says he sent for Porter to come to
his relief. The charge was that Porter was
either 80 slow, so Indifferent or so lukewarm
that he paid no heed to the orders, and did
not move foot, but kept his thirty thousand
veterans outside of the city, within hearing of
the guns. Longstreet came to Lees assist
ance, and the second Bull Run became mat
ter of history. Porter claimed that he did
not receive the orders to aid Pope, and that
Pope never sent them at the time sworn to.
Longstreet says Porter could not have cut his
way through his corps to come to the relief of
the man whose name comes down through
all these years signal zed as the gen.
the saddle" and the one who ruined
Porter. The administration was panic
stricken. Every hack was seized with its
driver and sent to the front. The depart
ment clerks were ordered to the field to help
care for the wounded, and Stanton scat
telegraph to large neighboring cities calling
on the surgeons to come to the help of the
dying" The morning after the battle the
city was thronged with doctors" who went
hither and thither without knowing what to
do or where to go. Surgeon General Ham
mond was almost beside.himself. These good
volunteers surrounded his headquarters
for orders, for permits; but Mr.. Stanton, with
a remarkable inconsistency, had posted sem
tinels at all points lea1ing over the river, and
positively refused to allow any one to pass.
President Lincoln, approaching the condition
of affairs, and recognizing the ne
cessity for immediate and decisive action,
went himself to General M 'Clellan and asked
him to assume command. The soldier forgot
the grievances of the man, and nobility of
spirit and true patriotism rose superior to
petty resentment or malicious vindictiveness,
on Monday that ''Little Mack would
lead them, the effect was miraculous.
WEAKNESS, hunger, encouragement, were
forgotten, and the esprit and morale of the
army were once more perfect. The Little
Corporal gathered them even as 'hen
gathered her chickens" His presence seemed
to insure protection from adversely to their
arms and to bring promise that victory would
perch on their standards. The army marched
out of Washington by two roads-that of
Seventh street and Fourteenth street, and
occupied a night and the early dawn in pass
ing. Our home, as l have said, was near
Fourteenth street, and we stood for hours
watching them. Have you ever seen such
sight dear readers? There was no conversa-
ti1n between the men. rnero WOO no in
splriting music to cheer them; they needed
none, for Mcclellan rode every few hours
down the lines of first one wing and then
the other. They marched shoulder to
in the moonlight, and their steady tramp,
tramp, tramp, drowning all other sounds.
Far into the next evening the wagon trains
were still going out. On the north bank of
the blue Potomac they again met Lee and his
valiant boys in gray, who were flushed with
success and elated by the fair prospect of
soon camping in Baltimore and Phila-
the triumph of the Federal
arms at Antietam was the result. These VIC
torious men had made forced march under
great excitement. They were out of sup
plies. Thousands of their number lay dying
and dead, and that M 'Clellan did not pursue
and capture the southern hosts was because
he could not. For this he was again sus-
pended from command, and never after as
suned it, for the politicians of those days
were stronger than the army. In the mean
time Pope, feeling the urgency of scape-
goat, on whose heeces he could place his own
laundering disaster, selected Fitz John Por-
ter as the one to be elected to fill the posi-
IlOn. Inc cOuTL-I1dTlldl was convened IN
rooms over restaurant on Fourteenth street,
near Wizards hotel, south of the avenue,
and papers and witnesses called for. Gener-
al Garfield was one of the members, and |
think General Hunter presided. OF course
he was found guilty; that's what military
courts martial are for-not to find a man in
nocent Oh, dear! no; but to prove him
guilty. And, in those days, if one court did
not succeed, it was adjourned and another
convened. Of course l am writing
of courts generally; there were honor.
able exceptions in these as in all other
things. His sentence was, at first, so l am
told, to be shot. But it was modified, and
cashlerC d took the place. Porter had large
following, and his friends are as stanch to-
day as they were then. They knew him in
nocent in those days, and they believe him
not guilty now, and we can all feel grateful
that even at this late hour just Providence
will permit right to become might, and his
complete justification be given to the world,
no matter at what cost to the inflated reputa-
ton of others. An article bearing on this
subject in one of our morning papers has
awakened considerable Indignation, for it is
generally supposed to be from the pen of an
officer who attained an unenvlable notoriety
during the rebellion by warning against nom
combatants, and by burning homes and des-
troy1ng property. If he wrote it, it comes
W tn an i'll grace from a soldier against a
brother soldier whose name has been under a
CT I'D blown by jealousy, but whose fame has
in no wise suffered.
TENNESSEE NEWS.