The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-01-05
A WAR RELIC.
Continuation Of the Fight Over Gen.
Fitz John POrter'S Case.
The Ex-Commander's Conduct Sc.
verely Assailed by Sem
ator Logan.
General Grant Charged with Chang.
ing His Opinion While Wholly
Ignorant Of the Facts.

WASHINGTON, Dec 80 I'm the senate yestsr-
day, the bill for the relief of Fitz John Porter
being under discussion, Senator Logan ad-
dressed the senate.
Mr.. Logan said he knew twas hard for SEN
ators to have to listen at every session to long
debates upon this subject, but so long as he
held place in the senate he should feel it his
duty to oppose this measure. The bill pro-
posed that congress should review the action
Of a courtmartal and determine whether its
decision was correct upon the law and facts
If the decision of the court-martial
was correct, congress ought not to put
Gen. Porter back into the army. If
the decision was wrong, congress I'M
doubleday had right to reinstate him
in the army, but it still had no right to review
the action of the court-martial Mr. Logan
urged in support of his views heretofore an
nounced that the Schofeld board which re-
viewed the Porter case was withoutthe author
ity of law. Gen. Pope had been criticised for
not having appeared before that board. If he
(Mr. Logan had been subpoenaed before it he
would have declined to appear, and would
have let the president know he had no
authority to constitute the board. In
reading the report, he found it diff
cult to tell whether they were trying
Gen Porter or Gen. Pope, but it showed clearly
that they had not read the record They
said the order to attack sent Porter was an
order to attack Jackson's right flank, though
the order says nothing about Jackson, but di-
reefs an attack on "the right flank or rear of
the enemy" which was in fact commanded by
Longstreet Gen. Grant had fallen into the
same error. The board said also "Porter's
subordinate and wise conduct that evening
saved the union army" That meant that
when the whole Confederate force excepta few
brigades was attacking Pope's $4,000 men
Porter lying by with $4,000 men with
arms stacked saved the union army
saved it from what? Not from being beaten, for
twas beaten. Upon this principle, if the whole
union army had stacked arms nobody would
have been hurt [Laughter.l The board went
upon the theory that the reports upon which
the court-martial convicted Porter were those
of Aug. 80 instead of the goth, and that the
reports of the Confederate generals. Lee.
Longstreet Stuart and Rosser, should read
the Both, and not the 29th as they did read
In fact, no man familiar with the case could
avoid the conclusion that the board paid no
attention to the evidence, Or that they perverted
and distorted it in every possible way. Boards,
like other people, were affected sometimes
by strange influences and there was u curious
fact that ought to be stated in connection with
this one At the time the board was organized
was Of 70
Pope was the next ranking officer but two of
the members of the board were applicants for
the place Of course that did not affect their
Judgment IN any way, yet strange to say, up
to the time when Pope was nominated and con-
frmed there was constant war waged upon
him with view of breaking him down. SO
somebody else should get the place to which he
was entitled. The members of the board
being honorable gentlemen, could not of
course, have had anything to do with this, but
as Pope was now i'll the place the attacks
would probably cease. In the attempt to make
case for Porter every great name, living and
dead, was "rung IN, and it had been stated
that President Lincoln repented of having APP
proved of the finding of the court-martial
and intended to give Porter a new trial
Lincoln was too good lawyer not to
know that he had no power to grant new
trial, and as to his alleged repentance the best
evidence was the testimony of Robert Lincoln
that his father had talked with him about the
case and had said in his opinion it was one
which would have justified a sentence of death.
The statement had been made also that Gen.
Garfield had repented of his, action as a mem
Der of the court-martial, but it was untrue;
for, as late as February, 1880, long after this
board had made its report, Garfield conyersed
with him MIR. Logan about the case, and was
preparing speech to be delivered in the house
in opposition to the relief bill He had also
written letter to Gen. Cox, Of Ohio, which
Nv LnI i ~, IL. Il
he had been so stunned by the decision of the
Schofield board that he could hardly trust
himself to speak of it as it appeared to him.
Returning from his depression, Mr. Logan
said that the law being as he had shown, the
only question remaining was one of fact
namely whether Porter did obey or try to
obey the order of the commanding general
Before discussing the action of Gen. Porter,
Mr. Logan read his two letters to GEN. Burn
side, as showing his animus towards Pope and
and Mcdowell, and, in connection with this,
he intimated that the defeat Of Mcdowell at
the first battle of Bull Run was due to
Porter's action in dissuading Gen Patterson
from attacking Joe Johnston i'll the valley of
Virginia. Mcdowell was defeated by Johnston
moving over from Winchester and attacking
him on the flank, ard if the attack had been
made byPatterson it would have kept Johnston
in the valley. So it might be said with truth
that Fltz John Porter caused the loss of both
battles at Bull Run, just because the union
army, III each case was commanded by west
ern man. The fact was, Mcclellan, Porter and
several others who could be named formed
little coterie Of regular army officers in the
army of the east
One of them was to be president
and others were to be-God only knows
what; but it was understood. among
them even as early as the first battle of Bull
Run that no western man should command an
eastern army. Speaking of Porter's failure to
obey Pope's order to march for Bristow Sta
ton at o'clock In the morning, Logan said:
you may search military history from Cyrus
and Alexander down to the present time. and 4
this is the only instance you will find where a
subordinate ever sent word to his superior Off
Ger to clear the way for him so he could move
llaughter] and there never was command
ing officer except Gen. Pope who would
not have moved the subordinate from his
command for sending him such message"
He had recently asked a gentleman very high
in the army, and under whom he had served
in the west, what he thought would have been
done to him (Mr. Logan if he had sent to his
commanding officer to move the wagons out of
the way, and the distinguished gentleman had
replied: sWell, Think you would have been
put out to dry-nurse. Laughter But
one of the worlds great military chiefs
General Grant, had said recently that
Porter could not move because the road was
0bstructed- That great commander, Mr.
Logan said, held different opinion upon the
subject c. marching in spite of obstacles when
ne led our armies in the field, and in sup
port OF this statement he read from Badeau's
Military History" several instances of forced
marches made or ordered by Gen. Grant, one
being the case where the troops had had little
or no rest for week. "a friend now sits be-
fore me- said Mr.. Logan pointing to Mr..
Miller, of Colorado), awho marched one rainy
night with 5000 men to oppose $4,000, and
held them till men could come to his relief ]
tMurmurs of applausel
Mr.. Hoar said he observed that Mr.aEcgan
and Gen Grant did not agree as to the facts,
and he wished to ascertain which person was
correct Gen. Grants statement was that by
starting at 3 instead of l. Gen Porter
could have his men at their destination by
daylight in better condition for service, and
also that there was but one narrow route, in
stead of three, as stated by MIR; Logan, and
that the aid-de-camp who brought the order
70 Porter was three hours on the way.