Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-14
poRrER,s RESTORATION.
-,, Final stages Of Dispute Pro-
" Ionged Through "a Years
From the Yei0 York sun.

l'i' ,,nrad Through "a Years.
rr5a the Ysl0 York sun.
.,-.-,,,xeroN. July THE Presidents
.n,inarion Of Fitz-John Porter TO Do
,,.Ianel in the army was the necessary
Oo'Y1r 40 of mis- having approved The act
'5sit',a,,ress under which this nomination
u - 20. nossible. The confirmation or
eco.'lu''V,ointment will be a no less'naturai
iue a. ot,io, from the majority OF votes cast
sc tr, senate III favor OF the act.
III w .,+,,re wears this restoration OF zen.
9, III VII be looked upon as typlcal
IUI 1,,ale of the desire OF the American
tA N'"ia 10 do Justice, yet perhaps WIN
Peo,Po sander on the part OF those VINO 90
9oH study minutely the history OF our
,ir,as at the long delay in MIS- VlhdlcatIoh'
w., mere is properly nothing surprising
niyber in the original conoemhatloh ny
el, ,,rf martial or in the long postpoEement
# Inns practical reversal OF IL. me Itl ad
~ caI,rt martial occurred soon AFTER the
Ol oU hattie OF Bull Run, on
seen sen events it was based, when
.'atimonv and reports from the
To;on side were alone accessl-
SIa The war still continuing. 1t occurred
w. more had begun to be fear or sus-
,,a,or nm some quarters OF the formation
Ileo.nals amou4 high officers, by which,
U.s. checked, patriotism would be SUD-
""-linated TO personal tavoritlsm tor THIS
VI. tbs other leader. Eking out its ascer-
tair4hle facts with surmlse ana inference,
tbnrollrt possibly reached sort OF cumu-
ietiye Judgment against several incidents
In cen. Porter's conduct, when no one OF
tnem standing alone would nave oeeh
considered to destroy his previous fepu'
a t,.y sAl col
porter's first alleged otfeuse was that,
ha,ing received from Gen. Pope. during
En-, evening of Aug. u, 1862, an order to
mqrrh mis- corps at l O'Clock IN the
tsoypino TO Brlstoe Station, with the eX-
nIonatiou that sit is necessary on oil ac-
rrornts that YOU should pe here by day
Grhi-u he did not start until ), and ala
mt arrive with bis advance till an hour
hoiore noon. OF course Gen. Porter took
r,sk in this DELAY, under positive or
der Int it was shown that he consulted
hi. division commanders, Gems. Mcneil,
sykes and Buttertield, who all agreed
riata literal comrliance with the order
WAS impractlcable, from the fatigue OF
the troops, the darkness OF the night,
and the blocking Of the road by wagon
trains. 1t also admitted that the fail
ure to comply with the order did not un-
fayorably affect the campaign.
The second accusation against Porter
WAS that be did not move his troops in
strict accordance with joint order given
10 Mcdowell on the morning OF Aug. -,
thus leaving his corps practically unused
in aid OF the operations of that day. The
third accusation was that he did not obey
at all a specific order sent by Gen. Pope
at 4:30 p. N. OF that day to so into action
against the enemy.
Thousands Of pages of testimony and
argument have been printed on these
points, the upshOt beng that the accusa-
lions were literally correct. but subject
TO the explanation that both of Pope's
orders were sent under the suppOsltion OF
state Of things different from the one
actually existing In POrter's front, thus
placing upon the latter the necessity of
exercising the degree of discretion I'M
posed upon a corps commander. In the
w0rdngot the orders there was some con-
4 ct with the facts.
In addition, the court martial of 1862
4 had before it private dispatches from
q Porter to Burnside, of Aug. y, contain
H lag such expressions as "If you can get
II me away, do So" and "intorm Mcclellan
Il that may know | am doing right" The
next day be telegraphed TO Burnside that
The latter would t'hear of us soon 10y way
Of Alexandria," and on the 29tn he in,
formed Burnside that "P0pe went to
Cenreylle with the last two Heintzel-
man and Reno as q body guard, at the
4 time not knowing where the enemy was
nope Macs at work, and we will
soon get ordered out OF this" There IL
little doubt that the court martial inter-
lreted Gen. POrter's acts by the light OF
these and other expressions, showing q
profound disgust at what was going on
Ii was apparently inclined to consider
llm in no proper frame of mind to judge
Of the enemy's strength, and in one.
rather, to be misled into excuses for in.
action.
But when, sixteen years later, board
OF inquiry composed of eminent soldiers
ecuoneld, Terry and Getty, revie wed the
whole matter, with much better oppor
luultes for information, they found thai
zen. Porter's view of the actual military
situation in his front on Aug. 80 had been
surprisingly correct, and was confirmed
Dy the testimony OF LOngstreet and Other
Confederate officers there present. They
rendered unanimously professional
opinion to the effect that Gen. Porter,
sctual conduct had shown true military
augment, and that the suppositions o
us aecusers as to the actual situation o
lungs mad been entirely mistaken. Witt
sucl testimony as to actual conduct, hos
tHe lnierences drawn from private dis
patches 10 brother officer We're dismissed
as irrelevant.
Ohul competent board OF inquiry
sI'uIu re-eNamlne the case, Gen. POrter's
sAOheIation had been practically hope
N's' because the matter was thorough y
Implicated in Congress with party poll
rS' But when such board, OFFICIALLY
appointed for this express purpose, haC
Ie prolonged examination, and has
1gclafed aim to he not guilty OF the OF
glsys oil which the court martial haC
onNcted him, his restoration becam,
uH matter of time. A technical OBJ
Fcuon caused President Arthur to vet,
'ue oill passed by the Forty eighth Con
Ees' ior his relief, but the action takeI
tate. wv" Ai'' A'i ~
SHOWER OF LIZARDS.