National Republican., 1883-01-11
A pn1vArE ON PORTER.
Views OF an EH-NIembor OF the sixth Corps
on the Celebrated Case.


SIR On the twenty-nnth Of August, 1862,
had Fitz-John Porter been in sympathy with
his commander he would instinctively have
sought and put himselfin connection with Gen.
Pope's left flank without orders. This would
have given him the command Of Warrenton
pike, shortened Pope's interior line by at
least one-half, and put him on nearly an equal
footing with Lee in point of numbers. This
he should have done without orders. This
he failed and neglected to do with orders.
Later in the day, when he received positive
orders to attack, If no battle had been in
progress IL might have been question
whether his movement was to be feint or an
attack in force; but here there was no ques-
tion of bringing on an engagement. A fierce
and bloody battle was in progress. Had he
attacked, as ordered, his first movement would
have uncovered Reynolds's front and added
that entire division to his attacking and flank
ing force.
1t is folly for confederate commanders now
to say that they would have destroyed Por-
ter. What was their testimony then? The
movement of Morrill, to the front, weak and
abortive as it was neutraliZed for the time
| Longstrcots entire command, and IL was only
after this incOnscqucnt movement had ceased
and Morrill's division had been withdrawn,
! that Longstroet felt free TO dctach seven brig
ades of his corps upon Popes spent and out
numbered troops.
And what was FranIlin's command doing ?
Lettering and loungng on the road from
Alexandria to Centervilo That gallant COM
mand was three days in hearing of this fierce
strife and prevented by the worse than stupid
! ity Of its leader from bringing il to an honor
able termination. On the morning of the
| twcnty-ninth of August it was possible for
| Franklin to have engaged his men at o'clock.
On the morning of the thirtieth IL was pos
| siblc to have engaged his men before noon of
| that day; but, instead, weeks marching
from Alexandria only brings the head of his
column to Cub run Mt 8 o'clock on the night
of the thirtieth the whole scene ablaze with
/ the musketry and cannonry of the opposing
| forces, and AlOrrClls division of Porters
| corps rctreating across the run, not one of
whom had fred n shot. So Franklin bravely
! CountermarChed and fell back on Centcrville.
! Burnside was now with u.s. and here we were
so many troops we had scarcely room to turn
j around. So here we were with n superior
| forefront threatened, TANKS threatened,
rear threatened, beat, and harrasssed as the
! king bird beats the crow.
What do you think were tho gallant Phil
! Kearney's thoughts, whose men have been en-
| gagged for n week, rs he hurries his thnned
| regiments to the rear through divisions and
corps Of men yet unengaged on the evening of
| the 3lst, in drenching thunder storm to
meet the enemy and his death at Chantilly?
| If he were now the junior senator from New
| Jersey what would be his vote on the bill TO
restore Porter?
Kearneys grave is not near so deep
as that the honorable senator is pre-
pairing for himself. There are some
| things that are uncomfortable, and this is one,
to put man back in the army in time OF
| peace who has failed his country in time OF
war-ovorriding and setting at naught the
| judgment of a court Of competent jurisdiction
and Of last resort.
! Putting out of mind for n moment the jus
tice or injustice of this Judgment, is not II
court martial, organized by competent stat
utory authority, an inferior court within the
meaning of the constitution authorizing con-
gress 10 establish such tribunals as much so
as n circuit court of the United States? And
| would the senate consent to participate, one
way or another way, in u legislative capacity,
respecting Judgment of the latter court?
But the iniquity of Porter and his confreres
did not end here. After this inglorious re-
turn to the defenses of Washington these men
imposed upon the administration and the
country the foul slander that the men of the
fifth aud sixth corps (Porters and Franklin's)
would not fight unless Mcclellan was restored
to the command. This statement was as false
as that made two years later, that they ident-
| fled themselves with, t.e., that the war was
n failure.
Soldiers ofthe old army will not forgive n
vote for this restoration. 1t will be au inva-
sion by tho legislature ofthe judicial function.
1t will contradict history and undo what was
eminently proper, just, and necessary. He
was an incubus to the army, and so he will
prove to all who propose TO champion him,
and a greater dead weight even than his some
what cloudy views upon the tariff did the gal
liant Hancock find his friendship for McClel-
Ian, Porter, Franklin, and "Baldy" Smith.
Respectfully, II. l.. STILES,
EX-Driyate, sixth COrDs,