The New York herald., 1879-01-03

sitrnounted. When fne nearing was adjourned, after
the October Session a. Governors Island. II
derstood that reassenihng the hnal arguments
were 10 be made aud the case TO be closed. The
Judge Advocate has some furth witnesses. however,
whose evidence lie deems of import lnce and before
the arguments can be proceeded with they must he
examined and coun.et testimony introduced There
is an apparent earnest desire TO bring the case
to close. aud II is hardly hkeiy that this
additional testimony can occupy more than .
counsel will first address the Court This gentleman
is entirely familiar with The and has done the
most work in presenting and getting ii into shape
he has twice visited the battle field and knows fully
whereof he spesks. His address. which will be
thorough review o te case Will occupy at least ono
day. The Judge Advocate will respond and Mr.
Buitt, OF Philadelphia, General Porters senior
sell will then speak. The Judge Advocate is to have
opportunity to reply to him and the case will 10
closed by Mr.. Joseph III. Choate. General Porter's
counsel have given evidences OF hard work and
thorough understanding Of their clients No
one who heard Mr.. Choate's cross-examination Of
Lieutenant Colonel T. c. II. Smith, OF Pope's staff,
and of General Mcdowell will be likely soon to forget
it, His closing speech in this long investigation is
certain to be of his best efforts.
REAssEMBLISG OF THE BOARD.
Notwithstanding the severe storm OF yesterday the
members of the Boari General Porter and his coun-
sci and others engaged in the case reached West
Point on time. West Point seems dismal place
der the present circumstances TO those who only
acquainted with it during 1.-THE season." but the
meetings are doubtless oodsend to the officers sta
toned here and their families who were present all
day in considerable numbers. immediately on
senbling the Recorder stated he was expecting
witnesses who had been detained by the storm
and could not arrive.
The Recorder then stated that he had some docu-
mentary evidence which he wished to submit. After
he had given i'll some teegrams and reports he read
letter from the Rev. Mr.. Stringfeow. of Virginia.
who witness for the government at the October
examination. This gentleman requests that the evil
dencc le Have TO events OF the Goth and 3Oth OF
August, YsG2. be left out of consideration
his recollections are too dim and vague
to make his testimony OF any value,
in which the Board laughingy agreed. A report Of
the strength of Banks corps the 31st OF August
was objected to by PORTER counsel as mnaterial
less the object was to show that Banks subject to
Porters orders during the period in question. The
discussion lively over this question. the Judge
Advocate insisting that in view of Banks
proximity to Porter the report should be ad-
mitted which the Board finally agreed to with the
statement that they would decide for themselves
whether the document was of any value to thern
The next paper the report from the War Depart
ment to the confinement OF the government wit
ness Bowers, OF Virginia, who was arrested and con-
of being spy. Then followed letter from Secre-
tary stanton to General HallecA asking whether
ders issued to several commanders III the Army OF
the Potomac had been promptly obeyed This was
objected to by Mr. Choate as ilnnaeral and another
loAs discussion ensued which resulted in the ex-
clusion OF the letter on the ground that 1t was not
connected with the subject at issue.
LINCOLN ORDERS INQUIRY.
After this Major Gardner exhibited order from
President Lincoln dated September s. 1862. directing
a board, consisting of Generals Cadwailader Mans
field and Casey to inquire to the conduct OF GEN
August This was genuine surprise for no
one had ever heard Of it before, and General
ignorance of any such order 1t appears
that the court assembled three times. did nothing
and adjournrd sine die. Mr.. Choate objected to tho
reception the order and the record under it, and it
was excluded by order of the Board After some
discussion as to vericatlon OF the extracts from
the reports of the Confederate Generals Longstreet
and Jackson affecting the testimony of General
Mcdowell in this connection Major Gardner offered
originals Of two letters written in 1874 by General
Pope to President Grant and the reply
thereto In his letter General Pope says that
if Porter has new testimony calculated to alter tho
r1ista insth M auu CEN
lie hopes the President will accede to the request OF
that officer and his friends and order inquiry The
letter is dated at Washington, where Pope was stay
ing member of court martial. President Grant.
in his reply says that he has looked into the OF
General Porter and sees no sufficient reason for his
official action requested and is Of opinion
that such an investigation would be OF doubtful
tions to the receipt of this correspondence, the
ground that it not official, but mere expression
of private opinion between two gentlemen. He con.
tended that General Grants opinion would be OF
value If made up with full knowledge OF the facts
as they developed to-day, but the expression
of his views in 1874 were irrelevant. Botn
their opinions to this desired they should
be summoned as Witnesses General Pope, at least.
fused to "Nobodys opinion" said Mr..
Choate. "is of moment to this Board, who have the
their own opinion After more discussion tho
Board admitted the correspondence as portion Of
the record and the three hours spent in this part OF
the proceedings succeeded by recess.
FAMOUS ORDER DELIVERED IN DAYLIGHT.
On reassemblirg william Dyer, formerly an orderly
at General Pope's headquarters and member OF the
First Ohio cavalry called by the Judge Advocate.
His testimony with reference to the Il 80 p. NJ.
order He was one of six orderlies who accom-
panied Captain Pope when he took that famous mis-
sivc to General Porter; he described infinitely all
the circumstances and events of the afternoon;
he saw General Ruggles, Popes assistant adj
jutant generas give the order to Cap
tain Pope and point in the direction
they go with it. but he did not hear what was
said. He believed they left with the order before
hali-past four o'clock and remembered that they
rode about five miles brisk pace which could not
have taken them more than three-quarers OF an hour
to reach Porters headquarters He indicated on the
map the route taken both in going and returning
and fxed several localities along the roads with
fdence He remembered returning to Popes head
quarters in the evening but at hour when 1t was
sufficiently light for him to distinguish objects for
quarter OF mile and recolected that lie saw Gem
eral Pope's tent at that distance He confirmed in
essential particulars the evidence of the other orderly
(Duffey), who examined iii October last on this
same point. and stated that he had been over the
ground last month to refresh his memory His ex-
animation thorough all the points in connec.
ton with the "4:30 ORDER and excited close atten.
ton.
There several witnesses present. including one
two who recalled for some slight additions %
alterations in their testimony.