Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-02
FlTZ JOHN PORTER.
SENATOR RANDOLPH OPENS HIS
CASE.
Full Synopsis Of HIS Remarks ia Defeass
Of he GensraI-A Speech Care
fully Prepared and
Full Of Facts.
special Dispatch to the Register

Senator randolph, 0t NeN jersey,
Chairman OF the Military Committee,
got the floor this afternoon and opened
the debat n tn F,lz John Porter case,
in spSech carefully prepared and iull
oi facts. II op ned with sketch Of
Genera Port, rs Ty,ces in the MeXi-
can war, and showed how his prompt
ness IA taking responsibility saved Mis-
sour to tie Union cause in 1861. lie
also described the gallant conduct OF
Porter and the men under him in the
Peninsula campaign, ami told Of their
hero SIN at MIV,Tn Hill These were
the same gallant men who were under
him at Manassas when eourt-martial
said he played the part Of traitor. Sen
ator Randolph declared that it was an
Impu'at,OR upon the courage and
loyalty OF the o.licers and men OF the
Filth army corps that they permitted
their commander to play tho part Of
traitor, as ALLEGED, IN the presence Oft
enemy, iCr he had under him as CON.
man trs Of divisions aud brigaics
Reynolds, Mra !r. Sykes, Warren aui
ButteT6 ii. This army corps, nc sa.i,
before AMI alter his trial, expressed the
great. 81 confidence IN General Porter.
senator Randolph declared that never
Were charges against a soldier graycr,
aud never u punishment, il he vas
guilty. So light a., should have been
shot by his own men instead oi being
dismissal Tue feeling at the time OF
has trial, however, Vas that he had not
been fairly dealt with, and when he ap-
pealed to President Lincoln iJTa reuear-
ing Of his case he was sustained
by Robert G.. WinthroP, Edward
Everett, ii rsca Greeley, Henry
Wilson, and eNPr,sidrRts Pierce
and Fillmore The Senator gave
list O, the ITomjn,nt lawyers, iuclud-
Iug Charles O'GuuuCr. who reinforced
GeI ruy.,T.- appeal tor "A new trial. aud
sA.i that 90 lots personal knowledge hc
knew tuU MIR. Lincoln intended 70
grant has request lie next alluded "
the iIgt tu.l ten. Porter, resting under
CuIT-r, tu- most damuiug tI 4 soldier
Aai e. citizen, had appealed tp Gen.
Graut aui GrU. sherman time and
sgI,u lHr the opportunity % ylUdiCato
his honor anal hi, fidelity 90 hrs cuun-
Iry o. ten. Grant ur said substantially,
"a wu.glJ bee glad 90 rest INV yIudICatlOn
With yrur examination and Judgment Of
NV gI-i. Iui tu Gen. sherman heN rUte,
81 ,Hguli be- content ii my hearing could
b, hal before board ui officers
ike Yourself la TACT tho bupien
ot hi, appeal has been for hearing
duuns seventeen years--thc best period
Of MS hir. ig hit appeal o. President
Hayes. VuiGu secured the appointment
OF a bu1ri o. examine hls case, hc SAID.
I'll iI not mJkr q plain that | have
been Nryugei, thrn 1 aioUe am tue sui
i,rer" The Board selected 'aid Slns-
tlr Randolph, consisted OF Generals
stuuHcii. Terry and Iiotty, mea OF high
position boz the prOkssiln which It was
charged Porter d al i,Sgraecd. SChoRcld
has ilstlu.ui-ned h:n-cli not alone IN
war, bUJ as military Governor ui Virgin.
Ia. a, secretary Of Wax and a. Com
mIuiyr al West Pl,ut Terry, before
lac became s.luHy, vas lawyer
ui distinction, aUi Getty, who is
brave and seus.b E, has ever been sen
sitlvc cluGrning the honor ut hls pro-
irsSiun These acre his Judges, and
alter a review Of all the testimony IN
his C.tsc, they say that Purters cnu-
duct 90 which he wa- dismissed lu dis
grace from the service Sayci iupc's
army uu the 2J,h oi August, lS,1, from
disaster. senator Randolph reviewed
the testimony ia the case IN detail and
saii
The ruurt-martial condrmniRs Porter
wAs led b. believe that less than one
hal. li the Confederate iurCtS we're on
the da.i OF battle on the 18th Of August
the IIy oi PJricrs ailvgri8 mi-cuH-
dIr.-ttg; ropes entire army, rIciu-
S.ys 90 Porter. = corps, Vas engaged IA a
severe aad doubtful contest. that a
uIuk attack uv Porter ca layk'ln' =
Jr-e, WOli have InSuTr.i UJs ir,ydt aut
capture. that Porter vas Iu position
two miles iu advance uI thc plsCe h1
actually occupied. thai MCllOweli or
deTri Potter O. attaCk the lOTGe IA front
OF nan. aad that Porter disobeyed that
order aud aiioNed large 0oiY Of the
easmy to pass h,m uRmoies,ed, going
t. Jack-1n's assistance retreating him
s1ii o. Manassas Junction.
The errors Oi the Court Martial,
touching these vital matters, are now
iuaic plain. IL u uuiea,ahiy estab-
hshei that LEES arny conpyis,uS all
oi Jacsson slorce aDidl OF loasstrrct's, :,
save one small division, MAS on the field
on tUr -jlG. and ready Tor battle, hours
before lur scattered ilrCes at Pope were
prepared that fJr,cTs cOTps alOne, OF
tue lyit Wiug of Pupes army, vas IA
position and ready. that the remainder
oi tbc Union army we're scattered over
territory not less than nine miles M
lcns;h, iu corps, divisions and briSaics,
aud IA 40 sort Ot military connection
OF correspondence, that the Chiei
Oi one corps ,Mcp1Seli Nas absent
Aul lost "a the Wopis all the uight be-
fore iEs battle. and, a. Gen. Pope l,stl-
tie, N his jOiat lpiyr "a zoe -Jth, could
not b. i6uud until late hour that
morainK, thai MeIloSsirs diyisioR aHd
hri.aie commanders some % whom bal
AftA 49, I 10 AltE hlAslt fAtaAN - Nv =
iag Les iroR plssinS the Gap, a. Thor
oushiarc, and re-iniorcirg Jackson, bad
not only rctrsale,l aud ic., the way eom-
Vleieiy open Tor JackSon's retreat or
Lees advance. but had tSilei to bAxc the
benefit 0t the personal presence OF Gen-
eral Mcdowell, Dr ui ms orlers, durinS
the eyrntiui EiEht n The 18th and tho
eariy m0gnin. oi me s9sh u Augnst-
he being a. | .ay' remarked, lost in the
w00is the night bsiope, aui IRON this
misfortune having n1 other command
than that he vas able O. vNrvyisg over
himself aai the siaslc orderly accom-
pAnYng him,
In condeaulus General Porter. the
court martial uUluesii1uably accrptei
as true the testimony Oi GeperAl Pops
AMI the Opinions ot 6ehersl Mcdowell.
AMI other witnesses. relative % the
presence and position oi bongstrest's
f0rces- That testimony ani those Spln-
ions are all 10 one PurplSs---to prove
that LOngstreet iorre Eas lar Away