New-York tribune., 1879-04-03
GEN. PORTER EXONERATED.
HIS RESTORATION RECOMMENDED.

/ STRONG EFP 1Rr BY lHF ARMY BoARD-A SlkhHGE
CONFUSION N HISTORY, WHICH HAS EXISTED
FoR YEARS, now eliza Ed UP-P"RTER COM
PLIHRNrTD AND vINDICArED-HIs HARSH
WORDS or POPE CoypENNED.-
WAsuvGIoS. April 2.-The following are the
salient points IN the official report in the case Of
General Fiz John Porter. as taken from the report
itself:
That the recorder has used diligence IN seeking
f0r evidence cally such - gilt ~ pear 10 have
IEdt due care haE becn Exercised not To luq e INTO
the military operations or the couGueI Of the Ulcers ~
the Army of virginia 'urther than was necessary 10
iul calculation OF tie subject OF iuvcst CATION.
/ Thar the new evidence i" ADDITION 10 the old has
| placed beyond question many import Ut facts. before
the subject OF dispute, in respect 10 which radically ei
uenis opuious nerr rnartg ned bv ;eneral Plr'er's
aCcuscts. and doubtless by the court-marai that pro-
nouHced mm guilty, The result has Dron to establish
nyohd tsaaohaDe gouD. alt .r a,,r .'u''a, M 20 ~
Tbc report is therefore made ny the Board with entire
unanimtY and SithOu doubt IN their minds. with tue
reasons Tor their ccuclu-lonF aHd Wla acton Iusuce
requires should be taken by the President.
The Board state the evidence rs presenting itself
under several distinct heads, viz:
First TIC imperfect ami in some respects erroneous
statements Of tac due 70 the partial and incorrect
knowledge M possession OF the witnesses ar the time
tIe court martial. ana the extreme oy i1gc uTate maps
and erroneau, locations of troops thereon. by which
erroneous statements were made to convey still more
Second The opinions and tnferences Of prominent Of
/ hcer> based upon this imperfect knowfdse.
Third. Tie Tar more complete and accurate state
mems uy facts now made large number eye-wit-
nr.srs from both the couteuding forces
Fourth. Tue acrurate mars O the field OF operations,
exact positions OF the troops thereon at dif
fcTcnt periods oi time. by winch statements otherwise
contradictory irrcconcIliaJe shown To be har-
mOnous. ana opposing opinions shown 70 have been
ton: and finally, the conflicting testimony relative 70
paus OF Interpretation Of orders, motives Of
action ana relative degrees OF responsibility tor uniOr-
tunate results.
They find from every view of the subject exam
ined IN the light of the facts fully established by
undisputed testimony, that they all lead and
the same conclusion in respect to General Porter.
The board have exposed General PoTtePs conduct
TO a test vi the highest degree Of responsibility rec
ognzed By military principles, and have viewed the
whole subject under this exposition.
The report If the board of officers then proceeds
10 present narrative Of the events which gave rise
TO the charges against General Porter, omittmG IN
essential details, and limiting themselves to plain
statement Of essential facts established by positive
proof. This narrative covers the main portion Of
the report of the board
Concerning the charge, of winch General Porter
wac found guilty., of not having moved his COM
mand on the night of August 81 1862, IN obe,Ience
TO an order from General Pope, the board reports
that it was a manifest physical mpossibIity 10
march over that road that night; that nothing
could have been gained by the attempts and that
it would have been wiser If General Porter had de-
layed the attempt still longer than he did, that he
exercised the very ordinary discretion of a corps
commander; and that it hs plain duty 70 exer-
else II.
With reference 10 the famous 4:30 order, the
board finds that II was not received By General
Porter before $50 p. N. Of the 29,L of August;
that 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 if their own testimony be
true; that one of the witnesses concerning this or
der had gwen manifestly inconsistent statements
/ and that the other witness had confessed % the
/ board that he had deliberately made false state
meuts IN regard to the route taken while carrying
/ the dispatch and as TO still another witness on
this point, hs testimony 70 the early delivery OF
the dispatch was 50 completely broken down that
no weight whatever was attached 10 il. The board
reuorts that the moment the 4:30 order was received
General Porter ordered an attack, but darkness
came on and. to use the words Of the report. the
order was based upon conditions manifestly erro-
neous and directed what impossible to be
doneD and Porter wisely ordered the further prepa
rations to cease
The report, concluding this part Of the investiga-
tiou. says:
About this time when darkness had come on. the
rear Of McDOwclPs column of weary troops passing
by OF FCrters column. st several miles
thelr Destined place in the field The Union Army vas
nor ev'n yej ready FOR battle PoueTs dutY
during afternoon Of tue 29th II August
aud simple admit u discussion aud the board ar.
unable 10 and anything N II subject 20 criticism, much
less deserving Of censlTe or concentration.
He had made frequent reports TO his supe-
rO.s, stating what he had done and what
was IN respect 70 the enemy and what Their
strength. what Es pressiOus from the II
acron toward his right, no" De had Jailed 70 get
| communications from any commander IN the main
army or any orders from General Porc or FROM General
Mcdowell ~ 70 the designs Tor the ngAt send ug aide
dfcau % General Pope Or uIuCr- and receiving no
rculv-not information that the vial 4:3O order
mad been sent Aln, and final informing his superior
officers tltu ei' I'D nlnstT without orders. be would
have retire al night for food Ini water not accessible
Taosc reports were sent NOT only frequently bur early
enough 90 insure the receipt OF orders hUm General
Pope OF correct InIoIpaIor t.om General Mcdowell II
Il was assumed IN the condemnation Of General POr
ter that he had some order tO attack, or some fuma
ton of aggressive plans the part of General Pope.
from Cenrr4l McpoTe or mat there wIs sucn battle
going within ais hearing that required HIM to attack
order Al Al thi, was the exact reverse Il tie
violation OF the spirit Of hls orders aud criminal
blugder leading 70 inevitable cis'scr. In short. he
tn,iailv Ilu All what ne did 80 Ibe iacJ - taat
Lmgstrtct with $4,000 men was ia TIE leid before
Porter ,ed win b., 5000 men that tHl Com
fJera,a Chef was there In person at least
Two or three before the Commander Of the Army
OF virginia General PopeJ himself arrived lie held
ana tbat Porter with his ycd army
OF Virginia that iaY from disaster naturally due 10 the
enemy's earlier preparation for battle; ThSt an
atiak Dv General Porfr alone could have been but an
blow dcStrlciE- - the that made
H. aud followed by counter attack disastrous 20 tie
UriOu Army, aGd tat sucI an attack would have been
moi o.l, .rca biunder mt crime lSna Pur,er
nd 90 vas only simple necessary action which
f,r, gent soldier nad choice but 20 takc Tu4t no
.aur,-ruartial would have condemned such cOnduct II
coIr,cfly understood rIat General POrters conduct
wn- 0brd'clt. subordinate, faithful and Judicial l
saved the Union Army from disaster Oh the 18th Of
Au-urt.'
Tie board decided that to full understanding
of the merits of the the events OF the 30th Of
Augunt in which General Porter took conspicuous
part. should be briefly narrated, especially of
tine charges, afterward withdrawn, was based upon
his action Of that day Ii is shown that the Fifth