Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-22
POnc Oh Porter.


After a silence of many years before the
assaults of his critics, Gen. John Pope
speaks in his own behalf, and twenty-siX
of the ample pages of the century, maya
zine for January are devoted to his account
of the much discussed battle of Bull
Run. Gen Pope very distinctly ascribes
the reverse to the Union arms in that bat
tie to the inaction of Fitz John Porter.
General Porter" he says neither
obeyed nor attempted to obey his Pope's)
orders" He adds
In this battle (of August 29j the 5th
corps, under General f. j. Porter, took
no part whatever, but remained all day in
column, without even deployng into line
of battle or making any effort in force to
find out what was in their front That
General Porter knew of the progress of
the battle on his right. and that he believ-
ed the Union army was being defeated, is
shown by his own dispatches to Mcdowell.
several times repeated during the day.
Not the artillery only, but the
voleys of musketry in this battle were
also plainly heard on their right and
front by the advance of Porter's troops
much of the day. In consequence of his
belief that the army on his right was be-
ing defeated, as stated in more than one
of these dispatches, he informed Gen.
Mcdowell that he intended to retire to
Manassas and advised. Mcdowell to send
back his trains in the same direction.
baan on tha ono h.nd liltanaj to Rpnedict
ArnoI6 and On the other favorable com
nnred with (;4orUe Wnshington nre-
sumo he would not accent the first posi-.
ton, and probably he would hardly lay
claim to the second. Certainly have not
the inclinnlion eVen had the noyer tn
ASSIGN him IN either ar to any nosition
between the two. and if he were alone
concerned in the nuestion. / should make
no comment is All on mo suhiect nt This
dav MANY others than himself and The
result of 81 hattie however are involved
in If and thpv do moi hermit silence when
tbn sacond h9ttia If II1Il Run j. discuss.
ed
Taking the enemv's own account of the
bottIs tLat nftnrnIon Wnirh listed SOW
ernl hours md lis result if j. NOT unrea.
sonahle to snvthnt il Cen Porter had nj.
tackled Longstreet's right with ten OF
twelve thousand men while the latter was
mus engaged, me eject Woulu nave Deer
I i'eI thnt 9 10 h my
corded in miIitnry history. where the the
DRY has been seriously put forth that the
hero OF a battle is the man who keeps on
OF II. llau teiegrtRneu General , l hl':'
Of him +" lava ratinno and fnra,,e Son
forward to us from Alexandria with al
speed but about daylight on the Both
received note from General RANKIN
f ~ @ I'm Vi ,'ti,s nnd fora|
wonld he lonIed into the available wagon
and cars at Alexandria as soon as | SHOULD
send back cavalry escort to guard IN
Trains. ouch let,eri Wheli We Melt IN III It
trooDs. needs no comment.
Atno time during the 29th, Both and Bis
OF August was the ROAD between brlslo
nv ,.l oI, Pconcincivr
every arrnnpement was made i'm the M
nutest detail for the security of our WACO
train and supplies; and General Banks
supsequetl REPORT ~ me ~ posioine i ln',
Imention tbe n7atter ncr,iv IN answer th
wholly unfounded statements made at tn
time, and repeated often since, of our los
OF wagons mules and supplies
In the course OF MS paper Heheral fop
denies the OLD headquarters IN the Sat
die" story ana says the expression Is
very old chestnut" lie nrst heard
when cadet at West Point, ana 1t WI
then told on Gen. Worth Il presume,
he says, lit could be easily traced back
the Crusaders and beyond; and while
may not be as OLD as the everlasting NIL
1t Is certainly old enough TO nave been e.
CuSed from active duty long years ae