Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-08
,srrcr,r TELEGRAM TO TIE p,sr,rru.,

fsPECfIL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH,I
WASHINGTON, May Admiral Porter
is preparing review of his movement al
the taking of New Orleans; to show that he
didn't run away. Although General Butler
was also deeply immersed in books and pa
pers, preparing to ''fre abroadside" at Por-
ter, he had time TO lean back in his chair,
chew his substitute for tobacco furiously,
and elinch his allegation of PoTter's COW
ardice. In explanation Of his speech at the
Boston banquet, wherein the accusation was
originally made, the General said:
THAT speech was written four or five days
before the day on which it was delivered,
and copies of it were sent to the various
morning newspapers in Boston. Those
papers did not report my speech; they set it
up from the slips furnished them. The state
ments made BY me were neither new nor un-
supported, as Porter will find out before he
gets through with this matter NowI want
to show you the true condition of affairs
which prevailed below New Orleans just
previous to and at the time of its capture" I"
A SURPRISING KNOWLEDGE.
The General then traced out on a coast
survey map the various naval and military
movements, and showed an accurate &C
quaintance of detail which was almost sur
prising. He was thoroughly familiar with
locations and dates, and seems to have that
scrap of United States history at the tip of
his tongue. When he had concluded an ex-
haustive summary he pushed the map aside
and said:
''The difference between Porter and my
self is easily seen, and the public ought not
to get its mental powers shaken up by over
thought. say that Porter ran away down
the river because he was scared by that great
floating dock, the Louisiana-a hulk that
had no machinery, and was unable to move
of her own volition. / say that he warned
my troops to get away as fast as possible,
because the rebels were after them, and he
set us an example, which we did not fol-
low, by taking the lead. This charge
doesn't rest on the unsupported testimony
OF any one man. Parton, who is credited
with being careful historian, says on page
247 of his book: General Butler in New
Orleans-Captsin Porter's feet was
COMING RAPIDLY DOWN THE RIVER,
propelled by a report that the celebrated
ram Manassas was after Them Why, Por-
ter himself has never denied that. He ad-
mits it. Attempting to smooth il over some
what, he SAYS he was towing his mortar YES
sells down for a supply of shells. There was
no necessity for it. -Four or five steamers
were below, ready at any time to bring him
all th@ shells we had. Besides, what did be
Wrt,Hith the shells. The passage of the
forts had been accomplished, and after that
morning he never fired shell.
Another excuse he gives for that hasty
trip down the river is that be was on his
way round to the rear of the forts Now,
what on earth, or on water, was he going to
do there? The nearest point to which he
could bring his mortar feet was eight miles
from the forts and the intervening distance
was a dense forest Did he propose to shell
the works that he could not see by the aid of
mortars that hadn't enough range to do
much more than third of the distance?
Tut, tut What a foolish liar he is.
CREDIT TO WHOM 1T is DUE.
81 want to give Porter credit for having
done great deal. He generally obeyed or
ders, but he did run away. He is, under
stand, engaged in preparing full explana-
tion Of this matter. hope he is. When he
does, then it will be time enough for me to
make reply. If be doesn't put his foot in
it, I'm very much mistaken. He can't tell
the truth, anyhow. He has attacked me
like blackguard, but 1 don't propose to
Bdke any Suc0 ugnI. 1QlS maBDer is going
to be settled once for all, and I'm going to
settle it. laid for him and I've caught
him, and here the General looked little
like Sir Bowie Roche. f'He is as surely
murdered as he lives. Either he or 1 will
be held up to the execration of the people of
these United States, and assure you 1
don't feer the consequences"
General Butler expects within few days
to have his attack on Admiral Porter COM
pleted. It's evident that he made his charge
with clear foresight as to the consequences,
and that he had begun some time ago the
preparation of his coming paper.
PoRTER's LATEST DEFENSE.
Admiral Porter in his last interview pro-
duced some official orders complimenting
him on the part he took in the battle OF New
Orleans, and said:
"That does not look as though was run
ming away, does it? The rebels never
charged me with giving away an inch,
and we certainly should have heard |
from them if they had succeeded in |
soaring us of, even if it was only for little |
while. Here is a statement from Colonel |
Higgins, who commanded the forts our |
mortars were pounding at, ''and the Admiral |
read letter from Colonel Higgins reciting |
the terrible damage done to the fort by the |
mortar fleets.
"How was all the damage done if we ran |
away?" continued the Admiral.
1T is all nonsense to say we forsook our |
duty even for an hour. The forts surren-
dered to me, and Butler knows it. |
His position is untensble and he never would
have attacked me had he been sober. |
That speech of his was q drunken speech, 1
you know. I'll give him enough of a
reply, however, and I'll fire it at him for the
next three weeks and then he will let me
alone for five years. shall not hear any
more from him during my life time, for
I do not expect to live another five
years. suppose be was celebrating
his capture of New Orleans. he claims it, /
/ understand, although the city was in pos
session of the marine corps for fully three
days before Butler and his troops got there.
I know that. because I towed them up to
the city,"