Fitz John Porter
Fitz John Porter | |
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United States of America Union | |
Service/ | United States Army Union Army |
Years of service | 1845–1863; 1886[1] |
Rank | Major general |
Commands held | V Corps, Army of the Potomac |
Battles/wars | Mexican–American War
|
Other work | Public works commissioner, police commissioner, and fire commissioner (NYC) |
Signature |
Fitz John Porter (August 31, 1822 – May 21, 1901) (sometimes written FitzJohn Porter or Fitz-John Porter) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general during the American Civil War. He is most known for his performance at the Second Battle of Bull Run and his subsequent court martial.
Although Porter served well in the early battles of the Civil War, his military career was ruined by the controversial trial, which was called by his political rivals. After the war, he worked for almost 25 years to restore his tarnished reputation and was finally restored to the army's roll.
Early life and education
Porter was born on August 31, 1822, in
Career
Porter was promoted to second lieutenant on June 18, 1846, and
After the war with Mexico ended, Porter returned to West Point and became a cavalry and artillery instructor from 1849 to 1853. He served as adjutant to the academy's superintendent until 1855. He next was posted to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as assistant adjutant general in the Department of the West in 1856; he was brevetted to captain at Fort Leavenworth that June. Porter served under future Confederate Albert Sidney Johnston in the expedition against the Mormons in 1857 and 1858. Afterward, Porter inspected and reorganized the defenses of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, until late 1860, when he aided the evacuation of military personnel from Texas after that state seceded from the Union.[5]
American Civil War
After the start of the Civil War, Porter became chief of staff and assistant adjutant general for the Department of Pennsylvania, but he was soon promoted to colonel of the 15th Infantry on May 14, 1861. General John A. Logan, Porter's later political nemesis, would accuse Porter of helping persuade his commander Robert Patterson to let Joseph E. Johnston's force escape out of the Shenandoah Valley and reinforce P. G. T. Beauregard, thus turning the tide at the First Battle of Bull Run.[6] In August, Porter was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers, backdated to May 17[4] so he would be senior enough to receive divisional command in the Army of the Potomac, newly formed under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan. Soon Porter became a trusted adviser and loyal friend to McClellan, but his association with the soon-to-be-controversial commanding general would prove to be disastrous for Porter's military career.
Porter led his division at the beginning of the
Inadvertent balloon ride
In addition, Porter had a memorable experience when he decided to make aerial observations in a
For his successful performance on the peninsula, he was promoted to major general of volunteers on July 4, 1862.[4]
Second Bull Run
Porter's corps was sent to reinforce Maj. Gen.
On August 30 Pope again ordered the flank attack, and Porter reluctantly complied. As the V Corps turned to head towards Jackson's right and attacked, it presented its own (and consequently the entire army's) flank to Longstreet's waiting men. About 30,000 Confederates assailed Porter's 5,000 or so men, driving through them and into the rest of Pope's forces, doing exactly what Porter most feared would come of these orders. Pope was infuriated by the defeat, accused Porter of insubordination, and relieved him of his command on September 5.[10]
Porter was soon restored to command of the corps by McClellan and led it through the
Court martial
On November 25, 1862, Porter was arrested and court-martialed for his actions at Second Bull Run. By this time, McClellan had been relieved by President Abraham Lincoln and could not provide political cover for his protégé. Porter's association with the disgraced McClellan and his open criticism of Pope were significant reasons for his conviction at court-martial. Porter was found guilty on January 10, 1863, of disobedience and misconduct, and he was dismissed from the Army on January 21, 1863.[12]
In describing the Battle of Second Manassas, Edward Porter Alexander wrote that Confederates who knew Porter respected him greatly and considered his dismissal "one of the best fruits of their victory".[13]
Later life and death
After the war ended, Porter was offered a command in the Egyptian Army but declined it.[10] He spent most of the remainder of his public life fighting against the perceived injustice of his court-martial.
In 1878, a special commission under General
Porter was involved in mining, construction, and commerce. He was appointed as the New York City Commissioner of Public Works, the New York City Police Commissioner, and the New York City Fire Commissioner.
On December 27, 1894, Porter, along with 18 others, founded the Military and Naval Order of the United States, which was soon renamed the Military Order of Foreign Wars. Porter's name was at the top of the list of signers of the original institution and received the first insignia issued by the Order.
Porter died in
Legacy
- In 1862, Camp Fitz-John Porter was established in 140th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment and Mack's 18th Independent "Black Horse" artillery battery.[14] In 2008 a historical marker was erected to mark the location. 43°08′7.6″N 77°37′14.3″W / 43.135444°N 77.620639°W
- In 1904, a statue of Porter designed by artist James E. Kelly was dedicated in Haven Park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
- In World War II, the United States liberty ship SS FitzJohn Porter was named in his honor.
- Porterstown Road in the town by the same name runs directly through the area where his forces were placed for the Battle of Sharpsburg.
- His Portsmouth home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
See also
- List of American Civil War generals (Union)
- List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States
Notes
- ^ Eicher & Eicher, p. 435. Court-martialed 1863, restored and resigned in 1886 to rank from 1861
- ISBN 978-0-9828236-8-2.
- ^ "Fitz John Porter • Obituary Notice (Association of Graduates USMA, 1901)". penelope.uchicago.edu. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Eicher & Eicher, p. 435.
- ^ Dupuy, p. 607.
- ^ John A. Logan (1886). The Great Conspiracy: Its Origin and History. New York, NY: A. R. Hart & Co. Chapter XIII.
- ^ Dupuy, p. 608: "he was a skilled defensive commander who possessed a fine eye for terrain ..."
- ^ "The Siege of Yorktown". Brooklyn Eagle. April 14, 1862. p. 15. Retrieved May 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Day General Porter Gets Lost in a Balloon". Little Wars TV. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Dupuy, p. 608.
- ^ Sears, p. 291; McPherson, pp. 543–44.
- ^ John H.Eicher and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001), p. 435.
- ^ Edward Porter Alexander, Military Memoirs of a Confederate (New York: Charles Scribner & Sons, 1907), p. 208.
- ^ "Camp Fitz-John Porter Historical Marker".
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-0-06-270015-5.
- Eicher, John H., and ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- Grant, U. S. "An Undeserved Stigma" in North American Review, Vol. 135, No. 313, December 1882, pp. 536–46.
- ISBN 0-19-503863-0.
- ISBN 0-89919-172-X.
- Porter biography, Civil War Home
- Court Martial of Porter, Civil War Home
Further reading
- Dreyfus Affair, Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1950.
- Hennessy, John J. Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1993. ISBN 0-8061-3187-X.
- Soini, Wayne. Porter's Secret: Fitz John Porter's Monument Decoded. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Jetty House an imprint of Peter E. Randall Publisher, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9828236-8-2.
- Paleno, Gene. "The Porter Conspiracy, A story of the Civil War", PAL Publishing, Upper Lake CA (ISBN 978-0-9894847-4-9)
- Porter, Fitz-John; Grant, Ulysses S. (1869). Appeal to the President of the United States for a re-examination of the proceedings of the general court martial in his case. Morristown, N.J.
External links
- Harriet Porter, Wife Of Union General Fitz John Porter
- "Fitz John Porter". Find a Grave. Retrieved December 28, 2008.