The Last Battle of Fitz-John Porter

Rebforever

Lt. Colonel
Joined
Oct 26, 2012
I kinda like this General. He reminds me of Meade.
He was a better General than he gets credit for by politicians.

Enjoy.

"HISTORY MATTERS

Life was a battle for Fitz-John Porter. Court-martialed and disgraced early in the Civil War, General Porter spent 16 years struggling to exonerate his record and clear his name. But the battle raged on even after his death. More than 40 years after the Civil War citizens of Portsmouth were fighting over where – if anywhere – to place a large bronze monument of Porter on horseback. "

http://www.seacoastnh.com/History/History-Matters/the-last-battle-of-fitz-john-porter/
 
Porter's defensive stands at Gaines' Mill and Malvern Hill were outstanding. There's more than a little reason to think his biggest crime was loyalty to McClellan.

Porter is also said to have commanded creditably at the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek (Mechanicsville to all you Rebs out there). Most of what I have read about that fight, however, tends to blame the botched attacks against the Union line on blundering by the Confederate high command, rather than on any special skill by Porter.
 
"Porter spent the rest of his life trying to clear his name. Due to some ugly politics, he couldn't get a fair hearing. Finally, in the 1880's John M. Schofield convened a panel to investigate the situation.

After ample evidence was presented, including testimony from Longstreet himself, the panel found that Porter had been wrongly convicted, that he should be reinstated, and that he was entitled to his pension.

It took another couple of years and a Congressional enactment, but Porter was restored to his Regular Army rank of colonel and his pension restored. His name and the injustice were finally cleared. Thus ended the sorry saga of the man who was generally considered to be the finest soldier in the entire Army of the Potomac. The truth is that court-martials were appropriate, but not of Porter.

Certainly, the court-martial and conviction of Porter for using common sense was a travesty of justice that should never have happened. Instead, he was a victim of the politics of high command, which was undoubtedly a great loss to the Republic."

http://www.civilwarhome.com/portbuf.html
 
It seems like Porter was a pretty good defensive general. He seems to have been very cautious however. His "crime" in addition to his close relationship with McClellan was that he was too political, and he was too outspoken in his dislike of John Pope.

That's it right there. He was a good general but didn't know to keep his big mouth shut.

Ryan
 
Important to note that Porter was eventually vindicated years later by an army commission, President Cleveland, and an act of Congress that restored his regular army rank as of 1861.
The first Democratic President since the war.
Porter is also said to have commanded creditably at the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek (Mechanicsville to all you Rebs out there). Most of what I have read about that fight, however, tends to blame the botched attacks against the Union line on blundering by the Confederate high command, rather than on any special skill by Porter.
Picking the right place to make your stand is a very good skill in a general. Keeping your command together while retreating after an overwhelming assault on your flank is inspired.
 
Yes that is true. Both times I know of that he was in a position to attack, 2nd Bull Run & Antietam, he did show much aggressiveness. Bull Run is understandable, Antietam much less so. Of course there is no guarantee McClellan would have ordered an attack at Antietam even had Porter had been in favor of it.
 
Back
Top