Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-05-24

Cen. Butler and Admiral Porter ar

Gen. Butler ana Admiral Porter are
still going 1t hot and heavy.
RULERS SIDE OF THE STORY.
The general says: AT the time the
forts were passed by Farragut / was fol
lowing him where could see the whole
proceeding. l was well up the river on
my headquarters boat, the Saxon,
watching the progress of the fight.
Porter was in command of the mortar
flotlla and was ordered to lombard the
water batteries below Fort jackson after
Farragut had passed up. Farragut got
well by the forts about sunrise, and 1t
was about Z o'clock, or after, perhaps,
when the insjdent connected with Porter
took place. Ny army was nearly thirty
miles down stream on transports. which
anchored at the head OF the passes.
About the time | have mentioned my
men on the transports saw Porter S
whole fleet rushing down the river pell
NELL and out TO sea. When Porter
rushed by my troops he cried out: 1.-The
rebels are coming down the river: get
out Of here as fast as you can" lie
came back the next day. ! did not
know of this occurrence until several
days afterward at the time when Capt.
Boggs, sent by Farragut. met me at
quarantine station. Were the rebels
coming down the river rs Porter stated:
They couldn't come. The only thing
they had was the ponderous dry dock,
Louisiana an the two steamers TO tow
her. The Louisiana never had machln-
cry in her and couldn't even be used as
water battery" "Whv did he run
them Il can't tell. except that il was
reported that the enemy was transferring
heavy guns from the fort TO the Louis
lana, and Porter conjectured that the
Louisiana was coming down stream
after them The lIl-feeilng between
Butler and Porter dates from 1864. when
Porter accused Butler of not supporting
with land force, Porter's naval opera
tions against Fort Fisher.
WHAT ADMIRAL PORTER SAYS.
Admiral Porter is inclined TO look
upon General Buffers utterances, rs
sent out tonight, as huge joke. He
was told the contents Of the dispatch.
And so General Butler has been saying
things about me- he said. well.
what if he has? | shall not take any
notice of it, He knows what think of
him. | have said time and again that
he is a coward and worse. Now i sup
pose he wants to get even with me IN
his old age. Let him talk. Nobody be-
lieves him" But he says you ran
away" "Does he? Well, let him say
50. have in my possession letter
written TO me by Gideon Welles after
the capture of the forts thanking me
for my efforts and saying that but for
my exertions Admiral Farragut could
not have captured New Orleans. / do
not want any stronger praise than
Secretary Welles gave me in that let
ter. People who run away do not get
10 the head Of the navy. There were
three officers who We're censured by
Farragut. two of them unjustly. The
other one has never TO my knowledge
satisfactorily explained his conduct.
supposed Butler meant him but you
say he referred to me. Well, we'll
well. II does not trouble me one bit.
People who believe what Butler says
must set history aside, and | have not
the slightest regard for their opinion. J"
GEN. SHERMAN WISELY KEEPS NUN.
Gen. w. T. Sherman declined to ex-
press an opinion in regard to the Porter
Butler controversy. but said: 81 was
not at New Orleans and don't feel quail
fled to say anything on the subject.
The gentlemen concerned are both
strong. able men, and capable of look
ing out for themselves. Butler was a
gallant soldier and Porter was one of
the hardest hitters in the navy"
Grand Army men-the majority of
them-seem TO think Gen. Buffers
talk is uncalled for.