Porter, Fitz-John (1822-1901), an American soldier, became the central figure in a celebrated military inquiry during the American Civil War (1861-1865). In August 1862, as a major general, Porter commanded a Union corps in the second Battle of Bull Run (also called Manassas). The corps was part of an army led by General John Pope. During the battle, Porter refused to obey Pope’s order to attack Confederate forces. Porter believed such an attack would destroy the Union army. The Union forces eventually lost the battle, and Pope charged Porter with disobedience, disloyalty, and misconduct. In January 1863, a court-martial found Porter guilty and dismissed him from the Army, though the evidence was confused and the fairness of the trial questionable. Porter had pleaded innocent. In 1879, a board of officers reopened the case and ruled in Porter’s favor. The United States Congress restored Porter’s rank in 1886.
Porter was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Aug. 31, 1822. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1845. Porter died on May 21, 1901.
