Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-07
ADMIRAL PORTER.
He Turns His Batteries Loose Upon Ben
Butler.

WASHINGTON, May 6th-Admiral Porter.
on being shown General Buffers statement
that he, Porter, was the officer who ran
away at the capture of New Orleans, looked
upon 1t as huge joke, but said: And so
General Butler has been saying things
about me. Well, what if he has? l shall
not take any notice of it. He knows what
| think of him. l have said time and time
and time again that he is a coward and
worse. l never minced matters about il.
and l suppose that now he wants to get
even with me in his old age. Well, he can
go ahead and say what he pleases. If he
should charge me with being murderer
and say that he say me in the act, nobody
would believe him."
But he says you ran away"
Oh, he does, does he? Well, let him
say so; he can say all sorts of things and
won't care. Give him enough rope and he
will hang himself l have in nv posses
sion letter written to me by Gideon
Welles, after the capture of the fort thank
ing me for my efforts and saying that but
TOR my exertions Admiral Farragut could
not have captured New Orleans. l don't
| want any stronger praise than Secretary
Welles gave me in that letter. | ran away
did Those who were there will not say
SO. If remember Alright" said the Ad-
| mlral laugbingly, was in the front of
| the fight. People who run away don't get
to be the head of the navy There were
three officers who were censured by Farra-
gut, two of them upjustly. The other one
| has never, to my knowledge satisfactorily
explained his conduct. l suppose Butler
meant him, but you say he referred to me.
Well Well well it don't trouble me one
bit. People who will believe what Butler
says must set history aside, and l haven't
forf fba,r
PORTER PUBLISHES AN INTERVIEW.
WASHINGTON, May 6th.-General Buffers
attack upon Admiral Porter has thor
| oughly aroused that old sea-dog. and TO-
| night he appears in column interview in
an evening paper. First appears letters
| from Gideon Welles, Secretary of the NAVY
at that time, and Admiral Farraeut com.
| mentiDg upon Porter's work at the capture
OF New Orleans, and stating that if it had
| not been for Porter the capture could not
have been effected. Next is a letter from
Colonel Edward Higgins, a Confederate
who commanded Fort Jackson. 1t bears
testimony to the terrible work done by
Porter's mortar feet on that fort and Fort
Pillow. In conclusion Porter SAYS: How
was all the damsge done if we ran away
1t is all nonsense to say we forsook our
duty even for an hour. The fort surren-
dered to me, and Butler knew it. His po-
sition is unteDable, and he never would
have attacked me had he been sober. I'll
give him enough of reply, however. Til
| fire it at him for the next three weeks, and
| then he will let me alone for five years. l
| shall not hear any more from him during
my lifetime, for don't expect to live an
other five years. l suppose he was celebrat-
| ing his capture of New Orleans. Heclaims
1t, understand, although the city was in
possession of the marine corps for fully
three days before Butler and his troops got
there. know that because 1 towed them"