The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-06-17
Army of the Potomac Reunion.

| army Oh the FOlOkIAC EsSOHAOA
Burlington, Vermont, I6.-Thl
eleventh annual meeting OF tht
Eociety Of the army OF the Potomac
took place heTe to day. Genera
Sheridan arrived this morning, glsj
General Nelson y. Miles and many
other eminent soldiers. The veterans
present number In al abou. 400
The reunion Is q complete success
The city is profously decorated
Special trains run in all directions
bringing in spectators numbering
about 10, eco. The address of welcome
was delivered by the son of DanieI
Roberts, city attorney of Burlington,
to which Daniel 6. Sickles, president
of the society of the army OF the
Potomac, responded
A letter was read from FItzJohn
Porter, addressed 20 Gen. MCQuade
and the members of the Fifth army
corps, whose devotion and faith in
his innocence, as Porter says, Have
been ss lights TO my path in the dark
hours of adversely" Referring to
the decision OF the first court martial
in 1863. he asserts that 1t was an
sstonisnmeot alike to able jurists
watching the trial and to such mill
tsry men, low dead, as Reynolds,
Sumner, Hooker, SedgWick, Thomas,
Anderson, Griffin, Barnes, Huntzle.
mar, Wadsworth and Sykes, WHO
remained his firm irisnds and sssoci-
ates through life. Gen. Sykes, on bis
death bed, after hearing Logan's
minority report in the case. said: 1
hope God, in his Infinite mercy, will
Vouchsafe to Porter the justice be de-
serves. He is an innocent man. "
He says it vas intimated to him dur
ing his first trial, and it has since
been asserted to him, that "there
then existed on the part of govern
ment q fear that the control of the
Army of the Potomac would pass out
of the hands of the administration
AND in the necessity OF demonstrating
the power OF the government and
establishing discipline by striking
down someone with it high in rank
and influence; it was my misfortune
to be selected as the victim" He
recapitulated his story OF an appeal
for the referring of his case
years ago; the declaration OF
General Grant that mot only
ought he to have the rehearing, but
every member of the court which
sentenced him should be glad to have
The opportunity tojoin in the appeal"
the result OF The examination, by the
board appointed in 1878, composed
of Generals Schofeld, Terry and
Getty, whom he had reason to believe
were intensely prejudiced against
him when they entered upon their
work, and how this board, after a
most though and searching examins-
ton of every witness that could be
brought before it,, reported, with
entire unanimity and without doubt
in their minds, THAT Porter's faith
ful, subordinate and intelligent con-
duct saved the Union army
from defeat" also, THAT not
one among all the gallant
soldiers on that bloody fell was less
deserving of condemnation than he. "
Ofthe action OF Congress hesays: The
military committees Of both the
Senate and the House have recon-.
mended the passage of bills intro
duced to carry out the boards recon-
mendGtion. but opposition. organized
for personal and political motives to
resist all action leading to complete
the vindication by forcing the matter
in the political arena and striving to
units a political party on either side,
has arrested the progress, and at the
solicitation of my friends of both
political parties, further consideration
by Congress is delayed till the
next session. A speech was adopted
and delivered in tne Senate
presenting only the views of the prose-
cution and presenting the facts, at
the instigation of him who delivered
it. The speech is to be circulated as
campaign document and amy
organizations, OF which many OF you
are members, have been called upon,
though in violation of their regula.
tons, to aid in its circulation; while
arrangements ava being made 10
furnish state central committees OF
one party with the speech arranged
for their speakers to use in the coming
political campaign. He says, in con.
clusion, that sustained by hosts Of
friends and by a never-failing faith
that just and generous people will
not permit his wrongs to go un-
he will go on To tao end
justification from the
which owes it to him, or
leaving it, if God Wills. legacy for
his children to demand and obtain.