Year: 1870




CAPE FEAR RIVER, JANUARY 81, 1860 \


Ny DEAR SIR--I received your kind letter of the
th lnSt and thank you warmly for the confidence
you reposed IN my g0od opinion that this place
could not he taken. To the Navy Department alone
il The country indebted for the capture of this rebel
for had it not been for your perscver-
ance in keeping the fleet here, and your constant
made to the army, nothing would have
been done. AS it was, after the propositions had
been received, and Gen. Grant promised that troops
should be sent, it was not done until Gen. Butler
consented to let the matter go on and when he
hoped to reap some little credit for the explosion of
the powder boat Now, the country gives Gen
Grant the credit OF inaugurating the expedition,
when, on both occasions, he permitted it to 90 inn
properly provided. In the first place, it had
neither head nor tail, so far as the army was con-
cerned. In the second place he, (Grant sent too
few men, when he ought to have calculated that the
rebels would have more strongly defended the
works after seeing what narrow escape they had
Nothing but the most desperate fighting and a de-
termination to win on the part of the army gaye us
the victory. he gallant band of sailors who fear
les5iy went into the " Grks amidst Il shower of can
mister and bullets, drew the enemy's attention away
from the assault on the land side, and enabled the
troops to obtain Il secure footing. [ don't say this
to dotract from the gaantry Of the soldiers for
never did men fight harder more handsomely
than did our troops that day.


Now that the most important fort on the coast
has been gained usual, you will her but little of
what the navy did, and no doubt efforts will be
made again to show that the work was mot sub
ANiiltidiiy ilIuICu dS tltltUSlNC NOGk. 10 lien.
GRANT, WHO Is ALWAYS WILLING 10 TAKE TIE
CREDIT WHEN ANYTHING Is DONE, and equally
ready to lay the blame Of the failure on the navy
when failure takes place, feel under no obliga-
tons for receiving and allowing report to be
spread from bis headquarters that there were three
days when the navy might have operated and did
not. He knows much about it as he did when
ne wrote to saying ''the only way in which the
place could be taken was by running the ships past
the batteries, showing evidently that he had not
studied the photography Of Cape Fear river, and
III
walls when they went in for a fair stand-up fight
Any fort in rebeldom can be taken if we can only
get in reach OF it. have served with the Lieuten
ant-Cfeneral before, where | never worked so hard
in my life to make a man succeed as | did for him.
You will scarcely notice in his reports that the navy
did him any service, when without the help it has
given him all the way through, HE NEVER WOULD
HAVE BEEN LIEUTENANT-GENERAi He WANTS
MAGNANIMITI, like most officers Of the army, AND
Is 50 A ANARlCIOUs as regards fame that he will
never, if he can help it, do justice 10 our depart
ment.


When the rebels write the history of this war,
then, and only then, will the country be made to
feel what the navy has done I DO NOT TEET. AT
ALL KINDLY TOWARDS GEN. GRANT for the ndf-
ference he displayed in this matter until lie found
his own reputation at stake, then he glad to
throw the elephant overheard that had weighed
HIM down SO heavily. He could not help but know
that Gen. Butler was going in command of this eX
peditlOn. The matter was constantly discussed
with him; he knew that he had placed himself, and
all of his numerous staff, on board the flagship Ben
de Ford, and everybody spoke of him as comman-
der of the troops. IN A CONVERSATION WITH GEN.
GRANT [ EXPRESSLY TOLD HIM THAT | WANTED
NOTHING To DO WITH GEN. BUTLER, AND HE
PROMISED ME FAITHFULLY THAT HE SHOULD NOT
HAVE ANY CONNECTION WITH THE EXPEDITION.
Two months waited, the fleet ready to sail at an
h0ur notice. and acqueSced in the Generals de-
cslon that he could not spare troops for fear of en-
Jangcrng the dcfences in his front. said ''Then
the eNpeditionw never go until Butler has finger
in the pie y and sure enough when Butlcr said 90
went. The fear of WpaEpOiOu tha 1ofnnrns Il
appeared on Buffers presenting his plan for blow
ing the forts down. and army was shipped so
quick (unpreparedl on the transports, that they al
most sailed III the middle OF heavy gale Gen.
Grant knew that did not t9 for the powder
boat, though | was very willing to try it AS an eX-
pertinent, but not disposed to trust it altogether
THINK II MOST uNHANpsoME IN HIN TO listen for


moment to the idle talk of Buffers stall, and his
timid. calculating engineer, Comstock, who wanted
some excuse for not doing their duty.


The Lieutenant-Gcneral and | were together
eighteen months before Ncksburg--neycr had to
wait for me, nor did any of his Generals, (but
have had TO wait for them and he shOuld have
posed from The past and my anxiety to 60 to wors.
that had not become any slower in my movements
than was on the Mississippi. HIS COT RISE PROVES
TO ME THAT HE WOULD SACRIFICE HIS BEST
FRIEND RATHER THEN LET ANY ODIJfNi fAII. ON
LEUTENANT-GENERAI GRANT. IlEWIIT TAKE TO
HIMSELF ALL THE CREDIT or THIS MOVE NOW
THAT IT Is SUCCESSFUL, WHEN lie DESERVES ALL
THE BLAME FOR THE FIRST FAILURE TO TAKE TIE
PLACE. Ali this is now saddled Oh Gen. Butler,
and history VIII tell nothing OF Gen. Grants share
in it. tell it TO you for your own personal salts
faction, that you may know and feel that YOU are
entitled to the entire credit for getting this cXpedi
ton ofand for its success. am merely the agcntand
only used to advantage the ample means placed at
my disposal which any one else could have done
well us L. | expect you sometimes think am
little too impotic in what 1 say, but that is my
nature. | am always ready TO fight right away, if
any one reflects upon the navy.


| know that no country under the sun ever
raised navy as you have done in the same space
of time, and that no navy ever did more. Could
the navy operate in James river, Richmond would
now be ours. Nicksburg, stronger place, fell
when the navy was brought to bear on it. Every
place has fallen where naval cannon have been
brought into play. 9 y This is not pet place
with the Lieutenant-G General and lie leaves it with
about seven thousand men, and don't think knows
much OF the situation. An army man thinks if he
has gunboat at his back he is all safe. but this is
one case where, at times the a1lnboals are driven
off by bad weather. and those inside cannot COOP
crate effectively. have given you a long letter.
but find an apology for myself i'll the fact that
know your whole heart is in the navy and that
everything concerning it interests you. Again,
permit to thank you for the confidence you have al
ways placed in me, and the opportunities you have
given me for distinction, and assuring you that ii
has been nv Warmest wish to merit your approba-
ton | remain


Respectfully and sincerely,


Your obdt serv't.


fSigncd) DAVID ID. PORTER.
To Hon Gideon Welles Secretary of the Navy,


Washington, d, G.