Morning journal and courier., 1882-11-17
Friday Nov. 17, 1892.

GEN. GRANT ON A GREAT WRONG
 General Grant does himself great credit and General Fitz John Porter justice in an important and interesting article in the North American Reyieao for December. For many years and until within 8 year General Grant believed that the decision of the court which tried General Porter was justifable, but study of the case has convinced him that great reached this conclusion he has been active in General Porter's behalf.
 General Grant believes that General Por- ter was not in position to obey what Is known as ''the 4:3O p. m. order," which required him to attack the enemy's flank and rear It appeared to the court that he was. But General Grant is convinced that he could not attack the right flank of Jackson, because he was at least three miles away, and not across his flank. "With Longstreet's presence, to have obeyed that order he would have bsen obliged, with ten thousand men. to defeat twenty five thousand men in chosen posi- tion before he could move upon the flank of the enemy, as the order directed. But even if the position of Lees army had been thirty six to forty eight hours distant, as asserted in the joint order to McDowell and Porter, it would have been impossible for Porter to have obeyed the 4:3O order, because it did not contemplate night attack, and was not received by Porter until about dark. To have obeyed it would have required some little pre- paration, movement of troops and distribution of orders, so that it would have been some time after dark before he could have moved from ho ho %ha,1 l.,k least as late as nine o'clock at night before he could have reached Jackson's flank to en- gage it. His efforts to execute the order notwithstanding it's apparent inappropriate ness, demonstrate this assertion" These facts, with others that were brought before the Schofeld board, General Grant thinks fully exonerate General Porter of the charge of disobedience of the 4 30 order and also of the imputation of lukewarmness in his SUD- port of the commanding general.
 General Porter has now for twenty years been laboring under the disabilities and pen alties inflicted upon him by the court martial of 1862, and has been all that time contend ing for restoration to his position in the army and in society. In his application now before Congress he is asking only that he may be restored to the rolls of the army with the rank he would have if the court martial had never been held. "This," says General Grant, lis very small part of what it is possible to do in this case, and of what ought to be done. General Porter should in the way of partial restitution, be declared by Congress to have been convicted on mistaken testimony, and, therefore, to have never been out of the army. This would make him major general of volunteers until the date might be fixed for his muster out as of that rank, after which he should be continued as ycolsnel of infantry, and brevet brigadier general of the United States army from the date of the act, when he could be placed up on the retired list with that rank"
 It is to be hoped that Congress will carry out General Grants suggestion. It will be small compensation for the great wrong which has been done General Porter.