Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-01
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vened November p. 1872 with disobedi-
on. ~ orders There were two spccluct-
tious On the Indictment. The first charged
Thar at the 11ttle or Manassas. more
Familiarity known as the second Bun nun
no did rot begin his march nc ! 4. Mv
as directed. but two hours later; the Sc
coud charged dIsObd.ence or TWO oiueio
mon the same CcC4slCh-cue an olotL
10 advance. and aiothCr an orcei 70 az
tack The court brought IN a verdict OF
guilty and General Porter was caSnieI5u
from the army Porter had many IFlend5
and admirers. ard many enemies, ana the
battle between these two clemcnl5-oAe
CndeaVoriug 20 remove the STAN from
his name and the ether insisting lnal
he was q traitor 20 his cOuntry-WaS
yKacod bitterly for a period Of nearly m
quarter OF u century. H. was alleged lhll
Porter uDOn one occasion said thal WINE
he was loyal to the country ana 70 ing
army, he was not loyal 70 JOhn rope,
General Pope being his commanding OF
fcer I'm The battle referred 10. numerous
attempts We're made TO nave Congress
reverse the sentence. but ii Was not unul
June %, 1873. nearly sixteen years at-Vt
Porter had been publicly dlsgfaced, In4t
"A court OF inquiry was appointed. ii5
body was composed OF Generals Sch0neiu'
Terry. and Getty and Us Verdlct was
thai "Porter's faithful, subordinate, anu
intelligent conduct that afternoon Az
gust 29th saved tho Union army Iloih
defeat. Porter had understood and appre-
ciated the military situation. ana so lar
"a he had acted on his own judgment,
his action had been wise and Judiclous'
It's a matter OF history that VINE
General Grant. both when c0mnaHa5I
o.. the army and subsequently When fLerl-
dent. opposed the reopening or me TOT
ter case vet subsequent nvestttu'N5
caused him 20 change his atLtupe, "'"
he is credited with having snil 20 Il.
dent Arthur; Porter Wds lLsn ti ~. ,fnder
thing that be did I'm the cinpalSn 49,
general P0pe. and / firmly be We lh.I
n Porter had been I'm comnahu ~ ~
forces on that field oI opelelyu7 49,
would have been no AhtlcldHl' ~ 49, 10.
c.ilOrsVilla no Gettysburg no AppoHidi-
~. fT,f the 6rhtrg would have ended
tnen and there" II became apparent
from the testimony adduced before tlo
court OF inquiry t1at When rope gave
Porter directions 90 attack Jackson ne
was Ignorant VI the fact. with which Por-
ter however was acquainted, That me
Confederate General. IOngstrCct, with
y Of0 men, had arrived upon The scene
Of action an1 lay between Porter and
Jackson's rieht wing. As result OF tle
courts verdict. bill Was introduced ln
Core rcss removing POrtcrs dlsdhliiic..
Tho ensuing struggle was fierce an bit-
ter General Logan's autag0nsfic all-
tudc can easily be understood by any one
acquainted with the mans personality
No more gallant soldier than he ever un-
shcathed sword. but DE was a bitter poll
teal partlsan-POrtcr was democrat
and his personal hatred once incurred.
was difficult 10 molhfy I'm the Original
phases OF the case he had made up ms
mind that Porter was "A traitor ano I'D
amount OF testimony could alter max
belief. The bill however. passed pp-A
houses % Congress. but President Artnnr
put his veto on n. giving as his reason
that Congress I'D not possess the con-
stlmtlonal right 20 pass the measure. IN
1855 another bin was introduced n Con
gross restoring General Porter TO mis- rank.
but making no provision Tor giving MN
back paw. This was adopted. was signed
bs President Cleveland, and became a
law. ..,.~.,.,,
Tardy Justice that MEGARGEE.