Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-04-02
Gen. FisZ John Porter ExOneratet,.
THE OFFICIAL REPORT IN HIS CASE.


The following are the salient points In the
official report In the case of Gen. Fitz John Por-
/ Ter, as taken from the report 1tSef:-That the
recorder has used great diligence for evld .nce,
especially such as might appear to have aar-
i lg adverse to the claims urged by Gen. Porter;
that due care has been exercised not to inauire
into the military operations or the conduct of
officers of the army of Virginia. further tnan
was necessary to a full elucidatiOD of the sub
ject Of investigation: that the new evidence, in
addlt1On to the old, has placed beyond a qn'S-
ton many important facts before the subject OF
dispute, in respect to which radically erroneous
opinions were entertained by Gen. p Irter5 at
cusers, and doubtless by the courJ-mar6ial tn {
pronounced him guilty. The result ha, been O
establish beyond reasonable doubt all tee + 8
essential to the formation of a correct Judgment
upon the merits of Gen POrter'5 case. Tne re-
port is therefore made by the board with entire
nDanirnity and without doubt In their minds
with the reasons for conclusions and what ac-
tlCn Justice requires should be taken by the
President.
THE BOARD STATE THE EVIDENCE
as presenting itself under several distinct
First. The imperfect. and In some respects,
erroneous statements Of Facts due to the par
tial and incorrect knowledge in possession Of
witnesses at the time OF the court martial and
The extremely Inaccurate maps and erroneous
locations OF troops thereon, by which erroneous
Statements were made to convey still more
erroneous Impressions.
second. The opinions and references Of prom
1hent 1hent o1flcels based upon this imperfect know
ledge.
Third The far more complete and accurate
statements of facts now made by a large NUN
6er OF eye witnesses from both the contending
forces
Fourth. The accurate mans of the field of
operations and the exact positions of trOons
thereon at different periods of time by Wnich
statements otherwise contradictory or irrecon-
clllaDie are shown 10 be harmonious, and Op-
posing opinions are shown to have been based
upon different views Of the same military sit.
uatiOD; and
FINALLY THE CONFLICTING TESTIMONY
relative to plans OF operations Interpretation
OF orders, motives Of action, and relative de-
grees OF responsibility for unfortunate results
1hey ma from every view of the subject, eX-
amlned In the light of facts fully established
py uIolsputed testimony, that they all lead to
one aid the same conclusion in respect to Gen.
Porter. The board have exposed Gen Porter'5
conduct to-, TO the test OF the highest degree of
responsibility recognized by military princinieS
and have viewed the whole subject hinder rhis
exposition. '-'i'
TIE EVENTS WHICH GAVE RISE TO THE CHARGES
The report OF the board OF officers then pro-
ceeds to give narrative of the events which
gave rise to the charges against Gen. Porter,
emitting uneSsential details and limiting them.
selves to plain statement OF essential facts
estaDnshed Dy positive proof The narrative
board N -
Concerning the charge Of which Gen. Porter
was icund guilty OF not having moved his COM
mana On the night OF August 2Tth. 1862 tn
obedience to an order from Gen. Pope, the
board report that it was manifest physical
lmpossibiiity to march over that road that
night; that nothing could have been gained by
the attempt, ard that it would have been wiser
II Gen. Porter bad delayed the attempt still,
lolger than he did; that he exercised tue very
Ofdlbary DISC. .etlon OF corps commander, and
that IL was his plain duty TO exercise IT,
REGARDING THE SITUATION OF THE ARMIES
On the 29th OF August, 1862, the board sustain
at very considerable length Porter's tnsstent
ett toD flrnt
orders were given under misapprehension OF
the true situation; that instead of Jackson
having the only force with whom Porter was to
engage, that the Whole confederate army with
Lobgstreet's command included OF 25 900 men,
were confronting Porter with only g. 600 men,
ana tnat Porter's corps was the only one ready
for action Of the 5000 troops composing the
LETT wing OF the union army.
The board report that both Mcdowell and
Porter had Information early Oh the morningo
tie 29th of August OF the presence OF the Who'll
1oIce O! the enemy within reach by noon
that day, and that Mcdowell, being Porter
senior III command had control OF the opera
tlons up to noon and after On that day; that h
(McDowelD arrived on the field and arrested
The movement OF Porter at noon OF that day
al q that after the separation OF Mcdowell from
Porter, by the action OF the former, Porter wa
left to act upon his own responsibility: tina
upon the withdrawal by Mcdowell OF his com
maid Porter was left with but two divisions,
about ., 600 men In all, to stand between Lee
main army and McDowells long and weary
column.
The report recites, at much length and In de.
tan, the other Important events connected with
tie military operations OF the 10Th OF August
1862; and among other important facts it is
made clear that POrter's display OF troops in the
early part OF the afternoon OF the Goth gave rise
TO the belief, on TIE confederate side, OF al at
tack about to be made, and that under this be-
lief LoDgstIeet sent his reserves from the ey-
treme left to the extreme right OF his army, and
In mont or Porter; thus relieving the union
army under other commanders from this con-
federate force.
WITH REFERENCE TO THE FAMOUS 4:3O ORDER
the board find that it was not received by Por-
the officer who wrote the dispatch only began
TO write 1t at 4:3O: that the messengers who
took 1t could not have travelled over the route
which they assert they had taken ii their own
testimony be true; that one OF the witnesses
concerning this order had given manifest, In
consistent statements, and the other witness
had confessed TO the board that he had deliber-
ately made false statements in regard to the
route taken while carrying the dispatch, and
as to still another witness on this point his tes-
t!mony as to the early delivery OF the despatch
was so completely broken down that no weight
whatever was attached TO it.
On the other hand, the testimony as to the
time OF delivery OF the 4:3o order, such officers
and several other witnesses. all goes to prove
that the order was not delivered until about
Sun-down, and this testimony has been "singu-
larly confirmed " by the production for the first
lime OF dispatch from Porter to Mcdowell.
uated at pm. OF the day In question the
contents OF which show that Porter could not
then have been in possession of the 4:30 o. m
dispatch. They report that when the 4:3O dis
patch " as received Porter ordered an attack, bat
darkness came On. Using the the words OF the
report, "tbe order was based upon conditions
man1festly erroneous and directed what was
impossible to be doIe," and that Porter wisely
oiGeIeo 1urther preparations to cease.
., me board, concluding this part OF its inve5-
tigatlon, says about this time when dark
nesS had come on the rear of McDowelrs col
utA4 M VI weary troops was passing by the rear
~ IoiIers column, still several miles from
oEelf destined place on the field, the union
army was not even yet ready for battle
oo. foiters duty during the afternoon OF the
I'.h vi august was too plain and si,nnIe In
auiIit OF discussion, and the board are Iinahe
70 ma anything In 1t subject to criticism.
nIuin n i less deserving cenSure or condemnation
ato Hau llaue frequent reports to his s,lperiors
stallhs what he had done ana what he had
uetH unaOe TO do; what his situation was in
iesleCC 10 the enemy and what their strenl-th.
what MS impressions were from the sounds of
actlOn toward his right: how he had failed fo
get any communications from any commander
Iii m tne man army or any orders from Gems
rope or Mcdowell as to his designs for the
nIsht; sehdlDg an aide-de- camp to Gen. Pope
ior oloeTs ana receiving no reply; not even In
formation tBat the vital 4;30 order had been
SEM 10 MN, ard finally informing his superio
ollcelS That II left TO himself without orders he
Wouiu nave 10 retire at night for food and
wafer, not accessible where he was
IIcse reports were sent not only frequently
UuJ early euCug h to insure the recpfpt Or9oc.