Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-12
P0RTER'S DIS0BEDIENCE.
THE SECOND BATTLE OF MAN
ASSAS REFOUGHT.

Up the Blood of the Soldier Members
of the HOuse-Mr. Steele Closes With n
Stirring Appeal Against the BnI-An
Around a Map.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. lin the
House to-day Mr.. Reed, of Maine, offered
a resolution, modifying the order making
the Fitz-John Porter bill the continuing
special order from to-day until next
Thursday, SO as to provide that the bill
shall not be considered until after the
second morning hour on each day.
Mr.. Randall endeavored to have the Or
der further amended so that the previous
question should be ordered on Tuesday,
instead of Thursday, but he was unsuc-
cessful, and Mr.. Reeds resolution was
adopted.
The House at 3 O'Clock went into COM
mlttee of the whole on the Fitz.JOhn POr-
ter bill.
OVER THE ROAD HIMSELF.
Mr.. Haynes said it had been his fortune
to have been member Of the first Union
regiment that had passed over the road
between Warrenton and Bristow station,
and he remembered 1t as very ordinary
/ country road, in very bad condition
\ and repair. No man could tell him That
| it was broad, spacious turnpike, where
troops could march in unbroken file. for
he knew to the contrary. He had been on
a picket line on the night Of Aug. 27, and
a Yankee picket in front of Stonewall
| jackson had pretty keen eyes, and he
| could bear testimony to the Egyptian
darkness of the night. Knowing from
| personal experience the condition OF the
night, he could arrive at but one conclus-
! iOn-that Gen. Porter acted with sound
military judgment in delaying his march.
CENsURED WHEN HE SHOULD BE AP-
PLAUDED.
The fact that Gen. Porter had avoided
| blunder by the exercise Of discretion for
which he should have been thanked and
| applauded had been made one of the
points upon which he had been tried, con-
Victed, cashiered and disgraced. He
! MIR. Haynes refused to sign the verdict.
He had no personal prejudice to bias his
| Judgment in the matter. The strong
est prejudice which he had ever enter
| tanned mad been against Gen. Porter
but il had disappeared when he proceed
| ed to examine the case. He did not share
In the estimate of Gen. Pope entertained
| by many of Gen. POrter's friends, but he
believed that If any other OF Gen. Pope's
Generals had been in Gen. POrter's place
and mad acted as Gen. Porter had acted,
there would never have been Court
Martial, and no Union General of that
| campaign would have suffered for more
than twenty years a stigma worse than
death.
ANIMUs OF THE PUNISHMENT.
1t had been Gen. POrter's disrespectful
and inexcusable illusions to Gen. Pope
that had singled him out as an object of
suspicion and as an object OF revenge. Gen.
Porter mad been one of the GROWERS and
his punishment had been out OF all pro-
| portion to his Otiense.
Mr.. Bragg said that he had marched on
! that night on a clear open turnpike, put 1t
! had become so dark that he had been COM
PEELED to bivOuac by the roadside, and had
| been unable to form line OF tents.
sPURRED UP BY sToNEwALL JACKSON.
Mr.. Steele remembered that the gentle
man had had a good deal of unpleasant
ness that evening The gentleman had
found il very incOnVenient for his health
and that OF his command. Gen. jackson
had struck the gentleman that night.
Mr.. Bragg replied that he had not met
| Gen. Jackson OF that night. On the night
| of the 28th he had participated In the bat
! tie when he was attempting to obey one
| of Gen, POpe's orders to attack Gen.
| Johnson who had $4,000 men at Centre
! vile. The command mad taken the road
to Centreville, and in less than twenty
minutes it had struck Gen. Jackson
with six regiments, and the whole army
of Virginia had heard firing and left
| him to fight that battle with corps that
was sixteen miles away. [Laughter.l
GALLANT FIGHTING.
Mr.. Steele said that there had been gall
| liant fighting that night but it had not de-
tered Gen. Jackson from marching his
men. He then went on to show evidences
of Gen. Porter's dislike for Gen. Pope, and
while he did not assert that Gen. Porter
/ q IfgI IN ~ rva no
doubt ne was dislOyal TO Gen. Pope. A
map of the scene Of the military opera
| tions in question was hung upon the sup
port in tie space in front of the speakers
desk.
GOING OVER THE BATTLE.
Mr.. Steele then proceeded to point out
with a cane the movements Of the various
/ commanders in order TO settle the disputed
point as TO whether or not the battle had
| taken place on Aug. %. Many of the
members formed a semi-circle about him
and manifested great interest as he eluci-
dated the points which led him TO the con-
clusion that a severe engagement had
taken place on that date. Prominent
among his auditors was Mr.. Oates, Of
! Alabama, who lost an arm in the engage
| ments under discussion, and who fre-
quently interrupted him with questions
and suggestions, while Hugh Lewis, the
doorkeeper, who also left an arm upon
this field, was deeply interested as he
heard the battles fought over again.
EXTRACTS FROM THE EVIDENCE.
| AS Mr.. Steele pointed out the positions
OF the contending forces he read extracts
/ from the evidence to substantiate his
statements. After dwelling with great
detail upon the military operations OF
! Aug. %, Mr.. Steele concluded his speech
| as follows: III we have wars hereafter
they will be for a common cOun-
| try. Let us not say by
/ our action that we want any man OF Gen.
| Porter's kind 20 command when the coun-
! try's safety is in danger. Let us say to
| our sons and our sons sons:
/ 'When YOU receive an order obey
/ It.. though at the cost OF your life.' Let
US say to our sons: Even without an
order, II you hear the call Of battle, move
on 10 the succor of your companions,
whether you like your commanding Off
Ger or not lApplause.l