The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-09-06
j. J. PORTER,
Major-GeneEal.


MhJ.-GEy BCREsIDE: / shall be OF IN half an
hour The messenger who brought this says the
enemy had been al Cenerviile and picl5ets were
found there last night. Sigel had severe fight
last night took many prisoners; Banks is at War
reuton Junction; Mcdowell near Gainesville;
Heintzelmau ana Reno al Centeryille, where they
marched yesterday aud Pope went to Ceulcrvi!le
with the last two a. body guard, at the time
lAoHlAfs WEiere was the enemy. and when Slgci
was gLiug within eight miles Of him and in sight
Comment Is unncc-ssgry. The enormous trains
are s5i. rolling on, many animals not being watered
for j5 hours. shall be cut Of provisions To-
morrow night. Auur train Of 80 wagons cannot
be found. J hope Macs At work and yye shall soon
be ordered cat q this. Il would seem, from proper
statements ol the enemy, that lie was wandering
around loose uut ! expect theg know what they
are doing, which is more Than anyone here or
shall only remark that during the days on
which these dispatches were sent OF, Porter
was not at the front Al ali. either personally or
with bis CORPS, and that the uBamiable stories
and Gings Yhich these letters and telegrams
contain we're either suggested by his imagina-
ton or were picked up from stragglers and
skalken from the front.
On the west of Porter during all this time
was Banks's Corps 1T Karrenton Junction. On
the north Of hiIa. along the Warrenton pike and
south Of il a. Greenwich, were the corps of
Mcdowell and Sigel and the divisions Of Rcy-
nOlds, Of Reno, and of hearny. Whilst on
the east Of hila, and between him aud Manassas
Junction. were the division Of Hooker and the
=
WAS moving slowly along the chord OF semi
circle the road from Warrenton Junction to
Manassas JunCti0n).
The arc Of this scmi-circle was occupied By
the resi- Of the army, the army Of the enemy
being on the outside Of it altogether. Our
whole army, therefore, until late on the morn
ing Of the Z9tB was iaterpOsed between Por-
ter and any force OF the enemy. and be was in
IS safe place during all that time rs If be had
been IN the grounds Of the War Department,
a. Washington. lis condition OF mind as
cvinced ia these dispatches, promised very
little toward tue active aad jealous work ex-
peeted Of every faithful officer under the cir
cnmstances which surrounded Us, and little as
i promised the performance was still less.
That his corps fought o. the Goth is trae, aud
be hes made the mos. Of it. But Why and how
did 80 do sy2 On tho night Of the 18th
after his failure to 90 into action that whole
day, l sent him peremrtory orders 10 march his
corps 70 the field Of battle and report to me ia
person.
POTTER PI.EE1PTOaILE ORDERED TO THE
FIELD.
HEADaCAHTEEs ABBY or VIRGIyIA,
j. TIE tIELD SEAI. BULL RUE,
Aug. % 1862. $50 p. n. J
GENERAL. Immediately upon receipt of tlis or
der, tAc precise hour 81 receiving which you VIII
acknowledge, yoh Wsli march your command TO
the field Oi bIft!e Of to-day, and report 10 me in
per-Dg ioE orders You arc 10 understand hat Won
COMPLY strictly this order
- De present ol ile field within three hours after
il reception, OK aites d-ybr tomorrow morn
/ ing
[siguedJ JHo. PorE.
Naior- General. Commanding
LIaj-Gen. ?. J. PoEgEa.
A true copy:
I.ie;.ieuai.t-- -o.oael and ABIDE Camp
This order brought hin 10 my presence the
/ next morning. aud J. myself ordered him into
/ the action, and watched his movements from a
1 position Oh tie ridge in rear Of lfim.
i il would necessarily have been fatal TO him
1 personally not 70 20 into battle under such
/ circumstances, and his fighting on the 3Oth was
a matter ia which his inclination OF disin-
cliBation had no part
Whatever credit IS given him for his action
On The 39th must be largely qualified by these
4. facts
The gallant men of his corps who did the
( lighting on the Both would have fought equally
well the day before il they had been given the
chance 70 do 50. That they had not this op-
porla8}iy Tie dag before IS in no sense their
1 fault, ann Is Is quite certain that large num-
Der Of them were both surprised aud disap-
pointed that they we're not permitted TO go into
/ the action Of the 295h
Franklin arrived at Centeryille eight miles
I IN the rear ol the battlefield Of second Bull
Run, late ia the afternoon OF the Both lhavinp
/ marched Il miles toward the field of battle in
four days, too late to be OF service in that bat
( tie, and he, himself, was IN q condition Of mind
which made hispresence rather an injury than
q benefit 20 the army which he was to rein
/ force
i was the knowledge Of this feeling and the
/ open e1uitation Of Franklin and other officers
I Of rank in his corps over the fact that their
/ comrades had been EOTsted in the battle Of the
day before which induced me to recommend
that the army be drawn back 10 the intreneh.
Inents around Washington, and there thor
1
This dispatch was presented TO the original
1 eouTt-nlarlial which tried Gen. Porter embodied
| ~ one frona Gen. Burnside to Gen. HaIieck, and
! WAS without signature shown by the record
plt was quoted as being acknowledged dispatch
Of Gen PoTters by le counsel fDr the petitioner
! ~ his opening before the Board cf Army officers
J n the ease Of Fisz john Potter Ia 1875.