Letter From Gen. Fitz John Porter

Hirara Ketchum, Esq , has been pub isliing a series of ablo reviews of Uon. !dcC]ellan'i operationfi as commander of lio Aimy of the Potomao, which have íruufjht out tlie folluwinif from ono of he bravest ;md best of our soldiers, tho' i cruelly perseeuted man. The letter ffill be read with interest, uid s invalua dIü for 'he purposes of hifctory : MonistnwD, N. J., Sept. 12, 1862. Wy Dear S.it: - I have revd with íi-cat interest ycmr series of arrióles pub iihlicd in the Journal of Commerce orí Gcnfral McCIullau. Hav.tng been . ith tbe Army of tlio Potmnac during tho wliole of the Reuinsulacampaigu, I boar oheer ful testimony to the aceuraey of your statements in revi-ewing tlia opeiations ol thia campaign. and to the soundness o) your eoiicluhions. ín tho sicge of Yorktmvii, iu ihe capture nf ííanover Conrt House, in the battlo of Gaines' Mili, anc in the battlo ot Malveni, it beoiuuu ni) dutv to be:.r somuwhiit of i conspicuODí parí. I have not ihe süchtest hchitatioi in 'be expregsion of niy opinión tliat tlie course pursusd in busieghg Yorktown, instead oí niaking an assault upon tlio enemy's linca, was not oifly justifii!l but demanded, by tlio circumstances ex itiiip at the time our anny reached Yorlttnwn. and I hava uot seen or lieird anydiii g siuce the eneroy evacúa ted that post wliicli would induce me to ulter that ipinioii. If I had been joined by General MeDiiwl'H's f'ii'ee at Hurinver Cnurt Ilouse, on the 27th M:iy, 1862, or witliit: a week thoreaftet, thera is very little doubt that our anny, tlms reiníorced, could have niaile a Buocessful assault ou the fortifieations at iïiolmiond. But wliat indueea me to aildress tliis note to you at tbis linie, is your recent review of the buttle of (-ia nes' Mili. - Our forens, whieh amouuted to 32,000 men, were under my cnmrnand in that biittle. ïhe forceuf the onemy brought against U8 was more than doublé our uumbers. If, in thisbattle, I had been reinforced, in time, with 15,000 frah troops, the eiieniy, who was repulsed three times, would have been fiimlly dnveii back, and the batdu wou on our sida So, too, at Malvern, where I command)d tho Fiftli Anuy Corps; if at the terúination of tlint b'ittle we had had a reerve of 15,000 or 20,000 fresh troopa, I iave little clnubf that we could have uaruhcdinto Riehuiond: but. as it was, we iVere too rauoh exhau-ted to make au igyressive movemeut after the tucniy was repulid. You are pcifectly rijrht n ïtatiqg that uil we wantud to iusuro suco.-ss before Rioliiiioiid was the reinfuroetnent wlnth luid been repeatedly catled for by Gcu. McClellaii, and wbicll, by a vigorous and prompt effor' could hnvé been suppliud But oue thiög wus fully deraonslrated in the bal tlo b'-foro (vichmoiid, and that was tliis : bruve and desperate as the sul cliers of the enemy pr-vd themsehes, they wei'e ocennalched by ur loyal tronps. Ium,Mr, with lnifh respect Vuur obodiftDt Sfrvant,