Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter
Born: August 31, 1822
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Died: May 21, 1901
Morristown, New Jersey
1845: West Point Graduate
1845: Brevet 2nd Lieutenant
June 18, 1846: 2nd Lieutenant
May 29, 1847: 1st Lieutenant
September 8, 1847: Brevet Captain
May 14, 1861: Colonel
August 1861: Brigadier General
July 4, 1862: Major General
Brig. Gen. Fitz John Porter
1845: West Point Graduate - 8th out of 41
1845: Brevet 2nd Lieutenant in 4th U.S. Artillery
June 18, 1846: Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant
May 29, 1847: Promoted to 1st Lieutenant
1845-1848: Mexican/American War
September 8, 1847: Brevet Captain for bravery at Battle of Molino del Rey
September 13, 1847: Battle of Chapultepec - Received Brevet Major
1849-1853: West Point - Cavalry and Artillery Instructor
1853-1855: Served as adjutant to academy's superintendent (Robert E. Lee)
1857-1858: Expedition against the Mormons
1859-1860: Reorganized defenses of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
1861: Aided in the evacuation of military forces from Texas after the state seceded
1861: Chief of Staff and assistant adjutant general for Department of Pennsylvania
May 14, 1861: Promoted to Colonel in 15th Infantry
Gen. Porter accused Porter of convincing Gen. Patterson to let Ge. Johnston's army to escape to reinforce Gen. Beauregard allowing the Confederate victory at 1st Bull Run
August 1861: Promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers, backdated to May 17
This promotion allowed him to receive a divisional command in the Army of the Potomac
Peninsula Campaign
April 5-May 4, 1862: Siege of Yorktown - Along with Gen. Heintzelman, first to use the Union Army of Balloon Corp
June 25-July 1, 1862: Seven Days Battle
June 27, 1862: Battle of Gaines Mill
July 1, 1862: Battle of Malvern Hill
July 4, 1862: Promoted to Maj. General of Volunteers
August 29-30, 1862: 2nd Battle of Bull Run - Received conflicting orders where he was ordered to attack the flank and rear of Stonewall Jackson's command, but ran into Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
August 30, 1862: Ordered to attack Jackson's right and presented Gen. Longstreet's men to push against Porter's much smaller force pushing them back into the main army
September 17, 1862: Battle of Antietam, but his Corps was held in reserve
November 25, 1862: Arrested and court-martialed for his actions at Bull Run
January 10, 1863: Found guilty and dismissed from the army on January 21, 1863
1878: A special commission under Gen. Shofield exonerated Porter finding his reluctance to attack Longstreet probably saved Gen. Pope's command at Bull Run
President Cleveland commuted Porter's sentence and with a special act from Congress restored his commission of infantry colonel to May 14, 1861, but with no back pay
August 7, 1886: Voluntarily retired from the army
Boatner, Mark M. III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: David McKay, 1967. p 661, 662-663
Fitz John Porter. 7 March 2020. web. 10 April 2020
Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State, 1964. p 378-380