National Republican., 1882-12-22
ApLEA FoR pORTER.
An Evidently UnmiIitnry Writer Settles
the Whole Case 20 His Own Complete Sat-

An Evidently UnmiIitnry Writer settles
the Whole Case 10 His own Complete SAT-
isfaction.
To he Editor.
SIR: THE REPUBLICAN makes merry about
the army wagon, u thing which many an able
general has found to be u stern reality. An
ablcbodicd citizen, who can walk four miles
an hour on Il sidewalk, never can understand
why armies are often unable to move moro
than ten or dozen miles in n day, or even
less. | do not write this to criticise the taste
of THE REPUBLICANS Jest but to invite its
attention to some material for its mirth of
which 1t does not seem TO be aware. On the
same night that Fitz-JOhn Porter was to
march from Warrcnton Junction TO Bristow,
Ricketts, was to march to Thorough
fare gap by order of Mcdowell Pope
never made the first move to station fed
cral soldier at the gap through which Long
street was to come or Jackson was to
get away. Ricketts, started by McDowclfs
orders at IA M, and according to McDowelfs
testimony in his own court of inquiry he had
" a fine turnpike road" and the only obstacle
in his way consisted of two hundred baggage
wagons which Sigel took with him contrary
to express orders. Mcdowell said of Ricketts,
at II a. m his division had been on their
feet since . q. M, over nine hours, and in that
time had not gone twice the length of the
! division 'front.' from WncrC IneN started OF
an account of the efforts made to get the
troops forward over this fine turnpike road,
which Gen. Sigel states had no distractions
on it, see evidence of Gen. Ricketts," &C.. &c.
| Sge was never court martialcd for obstruct-
ing the road with his wagons when he
| had been told to leave them hehind, nor was
| Ricketts, court martialcd for failing TO adj
vance his division twice its own length by II
a. III. Ricketts,, however, was at the same
| time witness and a judge in the trial that
resulted in Porter's conviction for being un
usually slow i'll getting over much worse
road with two or three thousand wagons in
| front of him.
Porter's night march would never have
been heard of but for other things chief of
! which was the removal of Mcclellan, which
| left all of McClellan's friends at the mercy of
his enemies. Porter is only one of many.
All the criticisms of Porters inaction while
at Dawkins's branch are based on that
oblivion to Popcs plan of battle. There
would be an end to strategy and no
Use for commanding generals if officers
should do what THE REPUBLICAN thinks
they should do, and rush into the conflict
whenever the chance afforded. Popes plan
of battle is perfectly plain, and it is on record
but the enemies of Porter ignore it because 1t
vindicates him. Believing Longstreet to be
farther off than he was, and thinking that
Jackson was trying to escape by way of Aldie
| the result of Il mere ruse on Jackson's part
Pope made plan of battle. There are two
copies of the order containing the essential
features of it. One was addressed to Heint-
zleman, Reno, and Sigel, who were on the
right; the other to Mcdowell and Por-
ter, who were on the left. Accord
ing to this plan Jackson was to be
fought wherever he could be found, if found
before Longstreet joined him. If the two
halves of the rebel army had united, all
Pope's corps were to fall back on Centerville
| N M Hnht t1,n ,a,,t t1,,,N
Pope says to Mcdowell and Porter: ~ desire
that as soon as communication is established
between this force (the right wing and your
own, the whole command shall halt. 1t may
be necessary to fall back behind Bull run,
at Centerville, tonight. One thing must
be held i'll view, the troops must occupy a
position from which they can reach Bull run
tonight or by morning. His joint order to
the three generals on the right says: THE
command must return to this place Center
ville) tonight or by morning"
All the opponents of Porter ignore the testi-
mony of Gen. John Buford as completely as
they do Pope's plan of battle. Mcdowell and
Porter read this dispatch together at Dawkins's
branch:
| HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY BRIGADE, 9:30 A. NJ
Seventeen regiments, one battery and five hundred
cavalry passed through Gainesville three quarters
| of an hour ago on the Centetville road. / think
this division should join our forces now engaged
at once. Please forward this.
JOHN BUFoRD, Brigadier General.
| GES. RICKETTS,.
These troops could have been none others
| than corps of Longstrects army arrived a
day or two before Pope expected them, and
delayed slightly by McDowell's and not by
Pope's forethought Jacob ID. Cox treats
Butord's dispatch with contempt, but that is
because it iustifies Porter. Buford testified
on oath that he saw those confederates go
through Gainesville before nine in the morn
ing, some three hours before Porter and Nc
Dowell We're at Dawkins's run. The delays
of the night march, by the way, had nothing
to do with POrter's arrival at Dawkins's
branch this was another day.
Here was evidence that Longstreet had
Joined jackson. Under Pope's orders, then
to save space quote very little of them
Porter was to wait till the right and left OF
the army had connected, and then probably ii
would tall back on Ccnterville The space
between Porter and the right was to be filled
by Mcdowell, who left Porter to do this but
having Joined the right wing he paid no at
tentlOn to connecting on the other side with
Porter, and did not take any notice of four
dispatches sent by Porter to him during the
day, which dispatches were not shown to the
original court martial, but were presented to
the Schotield board. Porter had no right to
advance upon the enemy with II gap between
his right and McDowells left. 1t was such d
gap into which the rebels rushed at Chicka
mauga with such terrible results to the union
army
| pass over many things that may econo
mize space, but there is one thing must call
attention to. People who are not acquainted
with the facts and few who are, am sorry
to say, still talk about Porter's lying on Daw
kins's branch and refusing to 60 to the assist
ance of the union troops who were making O
terrible but truitless attack on Jackson. Lei
us have done with this lie. 1t has been PROVED
that the attack on jackson was made on the
thirtieth instead of the twenty-ninth, ant
was made by Porter himself. Mcdowell ad
mitted this himself before the Schofeld board
Pope meanly says of Porter's attack on Jack
son that it was neither vigorous nor persistent
Jackson, Early, johnson, and Lee tell very
different story. @*%
Pension Clerks sudden Death.
About halfpast nine yesterday morning the
clerks in the pension Office were thrown into
quite an excitement by the sudden death o