New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-01
rur FTTZ JOHN PORTER CASE.
epx.ToR LoGAYs REPLY TO GENERAL
GRANT.

SENATOR LOGANS REPLY TO GENERAL
GRANT.
IVA r-rrrR TO THE EDITOR OF " THE CHICAGO
rp1nt-NEy-TnE MILITARY SITUATION on AUG
rsr 20, 1852, AID GENERAL PoRTETs ACTIONS
neutrality-suspicious. FROM HIS LEIIERs-
arNFRAL GRANTS CONCLUSIONS CRlilClSLD-
onIrcrIoSs TO TIE PROPOSITION TO RESTORE
PORTER.
Prom TIC Chicago Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23.-lou call my 3ttenrr
40, ~ the ar lc ia the December number OF tne ~
Aerneea Of The condnct OF Ftz John Porter in dis
sheying the orders OF his commanding eeheiAi U" '
-t s;ne very much to enter into any discussion with
General ant matters pertaining 10 roynd
With man of great S,s airy rcn9wn Bnt ihasTHTn az
General Grant has 30 recently changed his h cn
his subject after having the case before MN sidet
ers of the Army and during eight years wne ,t
United sat oa eG IG eIsnnaoT Of the case
concluded thst he guilty, and having more @
I'M consrmed me in my own conclusions OF POrters
gnif therefore take IL that the 5ensrais geherOsii
him ana trast my own Judgment III the case lhsIeaa q
aceeutipg his present conclusions -especlauy W.. 80
seeI confident that clearly demonstrate tlde ns
rasanf oninions are based upon misrepresentation oi
HE facts as they did exist ana were uhucrstoVu ~ ~
Rnt fhat there NAV be proper understanding OF ne
question In dispute, II may be necessary 70 oeS bV
Sn onnnng forces General POPE, being 10 com
msnd OF the Army OF NrSns al d"G baS begn his move
f srainst Jackson on the evening OF the day on
snerai Rockers division Of Heinizelmans corps nay
ing moved along the railroad ir9n E dyison of
Brisoe station IN me eyeps IN abe
SaSagemeut ensued, IN which Hooker oro'o h"o " '"0
ssI1sssstion OF Manassas Junction.
poPE's ORDER TO PORTER.
General popes headquarters were with TINS DIVISION
In his rear at Warrenton Juheio9, WS en atLark
sn the Confederate forces on the morning o. te +o.
ILr mand being out OF ammunition al the ume'
NJ he
S siso mat be might have his troops mp ara Wen IN
ana snssauch as he desired TO send portion OF his
@ m The direction of Gainesville and on TO thorough
49, f.en 40 AS impede the ADVANCE o. LohSstItet'
wno a. Ioilowing Imperative order to Genera Porter
Al $50 and sent The same oy captain Or~Ae O0
XIV one OF his pope'sl stan OIleers.
Tas orIer Is IN the following language
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA, }
BRlsIOE STATION Aug. %, lsd--6;3O p m
The Na and o6me fws fSGt yoa
Nv daylight morrow morning Hooker nSs ma" "a ned
and wounded The eoemy has been Gn fa o Sn Ie
and Clear country between that Place ard .ns %
where nc DeSs rsa also send word 70 Banks
hurry forward with all spec to take your pace at sien
Sa a Ssn. 6y d.ysSt send an oSa
ya od TO ~ Banks Who Is on Fayeseye prob,
e h1 ssSR q the ad as to s side Of
edar II he not With you write MN 10 'ha' euec'
By command Of MAJOR ''Hsi-' GEORGE D: RyaeLEs
MaOr-GenerarF. J. Porter, wsIIentGn Junction .o.,
s BANKS is not at en- o SnSfd III he
comes up wish insunetons to o1oT You run
te sns back 70 side of Cedar Rum and post reg
nsT' amman. and ;sSS S Il MAJOR 1Isssg T Pope
Colonel and Chief OF staff
When this order was delivered Captain Drake De Kay
was instructed remain with Porter and oect MN on
the road 10 Brstoe station, distance OF about nut
niIes This order Was delivered General Porter (as
Captain Drake De Kay 5esses a. ABOUT =, nII oPee sc
a. directed at O'Clock on the morning OF inc ZSh,
pnt n iar' ov mis- troops until after sunrise ON tue
morning of the 26th. General Grant justhes PoTeI IN
the dlsobedenee OF this order because he says Porter
froona md been marching that day were faugued, tAe
nigtt was dark the road blOckaded' ana that ne
@ d his troops were tired ne did not OBEY order
General Grant fuFth-r says:
bis own matter 6ecaase The order shows hat
b not to tase PAT IN any DS Nv @ mot leave the
General in ignorance Of his proposed desy nor oI
should send back cavalry and Clear the road near
uructed
THE CONDITION OF THE ROAD
feneral Grant 30 says that "a literal obedience 10
the order the 9th of August was physical imposs
bity IL ia further shown that General Porter was de-
sro1s of obeyng literally far az 1t was praclcaoe
but was prevailed by his leading Generals not To
General Grant also says II the night had been clear,
and the road an open one tnere wou ot Haso 6ee $50
road as being in "terrioe condiuon-alnost lmpaSs-
lam very much surprised this statement Of General
Grants inasnuch as no goes beyond the evidence IN
the to justify the disobedience Oh sald Oruer by
TSe evidence in the case that portion Of
Porers troops mad been Ill camp at Warenton Junction
FROM 10 O'Clock the morning, where they had been
resting during the whole day. The evidence does not
thai they only that the tired aud
faugued THIS General Gran, knows rs military man.
Is an excuse common IN any army, that tro"ps are
faugued they ordered 70 march either III me
hga any other time when they desire 10 rest ana
he knows further thapt is not excuse Justified by any
one time oil necessity When an order can be obeyed
General Grant says that Porter waited To- OBEY tne
order because be sent two men to General Pope as
miles 70 ask Pope to clear the road Tor hln
would ike To ask General Grant during his command
OF armes he mad ssaed an order TO one OF his command
ing generals 20 move his troops and ihat commanding
general had sent back word 20 General Grant to clear
the road him SO that he might move what Kind OF
an answer he would have given mat generali
The troops that Pope was with bad been lighting that
day. Does General Grant pretend To say that ey were
in better coalition To clear the road than tue troops
know all instasee of commanding general Of corps
asking the Commanding General OF tue Army TO clear
the wagons Of the road that lie himself could
he had the very troops marching along the
road whose duty II was to perform that oiee for them
gene -al Grants statement that " the road bad
Toad in bad condition. almost impossible, outside Of
being lu wagons" supported by testimony.
The evidence Of those who passed over the road IS posi-
tive 10 the effect that the rOdG was Ia good condition;
that there was railroad open from Narenton June
ion TO Brstoe station, gu winch nnuty rs0ps could
have marched that there was road on either side OF
this railroad, pain open, and passibe The evidence
further SHOWS that when General Pope sent TINS order
General Porter. he Pope tue De rode up TO
General Myers 1.-THE Chief Quartermaster having charge
OF the rains and notified him that Porter would march
that night, ana that he must clear II Of
wagons aud all impedlmeuts so hat there would be no
obstruction 10 the march
NO DISTRACTIONS.
The evidence further shows the time the order
delivered 10 General Porter the wagons were going
into Of O the road that they did INTO park. and
that from tine Il ocOekl morning nat nc was
ordered 10 march, there wac obs whatever
the rUad; and that the road Kept clear unII
after daylight the morning Of the 2sth, AT
which time General PorteF's orders0 required
HIN 10 be at Brist0e Station, but that the wag
left park the suppOson that the troops had
PASSED. and they did again enter the road after daylight
the 25h. and that the only obstruction that there