Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-21
THE FITz-JoHN PORTER CASE
Why Gen. Grant Changed His Views as
to the Charges Against Him.

to the Charges Against Him.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2O.-In view OF the
fact that the Fitz-John Porter case is
about to come up again in Congress, the
whole of the correspondence between
Gen. Grant and Gen. Porter with regard
to it has been given to the press. This
| correspondence has never before been
| published. The following is one of the
most important of the letters written by
! Gen. Grant TO Gen. Porter. because in it
! ne states why he changed his views with
respect to the charges against Gen. Por-
! ter;
NEW YORK, Nov. %, 1888,
Gen. F. j. Porter Moyrjstoion:
! DEAR GENERAL-As there is some Discus
sion now IS TO the probable reasons for my
/ change OF mind IN regard to your case. now
! pending before the people OF the United
states. deem 1t proper that l should give
In the first place. never believed you TO be
| a traitor, as many affected to believe. l
| thought knew you too well to believe for one
moment that you would accept the pay, rank,
ana command you held for the purpose of
| betraying the cause you were protesting TO
serve. Then, too, your services had been too
| conspicuous as "A staff officer at the beginning
| OF the war, and as commander OF troops later,
TO support such theory for a moment.
But did believe that Gen. Pope was so obi
Gus to some of the officers in the East that a
: cordial support was not given him by them.
/ / was disposed, too 10 accept the verdict of a
| cOurt-martlal composed as the one which
| trled you was. Some OF the members of that
| court knew personally, and had great conf
! dence IN their Judgment and justice. ! sup
| gosed you had shared in this feeling towards
| Pope, and while not more guilty than others,
| you were unfortunate in being placed in a
| position where specifications could be made
! showing this hostility.
After the close of the war, when / was re-
quested to read your new defense, read it
with the feeling above described. At the same
( time read the other side, as prepared-or
| iurnished-by Gen. Pope. This gave maps
| showing the positions OF the two armies sub
| stantlaly as shown by the first of the diagrams
| presented by MIR. Lord, of San Francisco,
| from whom | copied the article in your case.
and did not indicate the presence of any other
| force than Jaekson's. Then, too, 1t appeared
that you had actually received an order at
about or 30 in the afternoon of Aug, 20 to
| attack the enemy's flank, and that, too, at a
time when fierce battle was raging in the
front.
l was first shaken in my views, however.
| when such man as Gen. Terry-whO unites
| the lawyer with the sOldier-a man of high
character and ability, and who had believed
| as | had, and possibly worse, after many
| weeks Of investigation, should entirely vindi-
cate you and be sustained too, by men of the
known ability of his colleagues on the board.
Until in 1881, when | re-eXamined for myself,
my belief was that, on Aug. %, 1862, a great
| battle was fought between Gen. Pope. com
Jackson, commanding the Confederate forces;
that you, with a corps of twelve or more
| thousand men, stood in position across the
| right flank OF jackson, and where you could
| easily get into his rear; that you received an
! order to do so about 5 or 8: 30 o'clock, which
| you refused to obey because Of clouds of dust
in your front, which you contended indicated
| an enemy in superior force to YOU; that you
| allowed Pope to get beaten while you stOed
idly looking on, without raising an arm TO
help him. With this understanding, and
fH.srwH NRrTlaH 70 e
| condemned you.
Now. on full investigation of the facts. /
| find that the battle was fought on Aug. 30
that your corps, commanded directly by you
| IN person, lost a greater percentage than any
other corps engaged; that the 80 order OF the
day before did not reach You until nightfal
! that your immediate superior had cautioned
| you early in the day that you we're too far
| out To the front then; that Gen. Pope had
| cautioned you against bringing on an engage
meut except under such circumstances as he
described, and that IN any event You must be
| prepared 10 fall back behind Bull Run that
| night. where IL would be necessary for you to
! be to receive supplies; that from II O'Clock on
The 29th you we're confronted by a force Of
twice your own number, OF whose presence
| you had positive proof, while Gen. Pope did
not know of 1t.
The last fact Is shown by the wording of the
| i:S0 order. IL directed you to attack the enc
| my's right and to get into his rear. Gen
POpe's circular of the morning of the Goth said
! that Gen. Lee was advancing by way Of
ThOrOughfare Gap. At the rate at which be
| was moving nc would be up the night of the
| 30th or the morning of the 3lst.
| In his testimony before the court martial
| winch tried you he said, under oath, that he
did not know OF the arrival of Lees command
| until O'Clock OF the 18th, an hour and a half
| after ne had dictated the order for your at
| tack.
His circular and testimony prove concu-
| siYely, that jackson, and Jackson alone, was
| the enemy he Intended You to attack. Your
| knowledge Of this fact, rs well as the fact that
| you had another force, quite double yours, in
| addition IN your front, would have been sutii
cient justific alton for your not attacking, even
| it the order had been received in time. OF
| course, this would not apply If batIle had
been raging between Jackson and Pope. Al
| the hour you received the order, all w as quiet.
This very short, hastily written and incOm
| pete summary shows why and when my mind
| underwent a change. / have no doubt now
| but the change would have taken place in 1861
IL had then made an Investigation. ! regret
now hat did not understand your case then
as do now. Your whole life since your trial. AZ
well as your services before, disprOye the
great burden Of the charges then sustained by
d court marital As long as have voice II
shall be raised IN your support without any
reference TO the effect upOn me or others.
Your restoration TO the army, simply. ! would
regard as a very inadequate and unjust repa-
ration. While men-One at least-bave been
restored to the army because of their gall
! lantry and wounds, after conviction and sem
tenco. and when there is no doubt OF theI
| guilt are given all their pay for the years they
were out OF the service, can see no reason
Tor your having less.
| hope for you a thorough yindicatiOn, MOI
| only by Congress- but in the minds OF your
| cOuntrymen. Faithfully yours.