F-J. Porter

Federal (USA)

Major General

Fitz John Porter

(1822 - 1901)

Home State: New Hampshire

Education: US Military Academy, West Point, NY, Class of 1845

Command Billet: Army Corps Commander

Branch of Service: Infantry

Unit: Fifth Army Corps

see his Battle Report

Before Antietam

He graduated from the USMA in 1845, served in the Mexican War, as an artillery instructor at West Point, and was on the Utah Expedition. In May 1861 he was Colonel of the 15th US Infantry, and was appointed Brig. Gen. of Volunteers. He served as chief of staff to Patterson in the Shenandoah, and commanded the 1st Division/III Corps in Peninsula campaign and the V Corps at the Seven Days. In July 1862 he was promoted to Major General of Volunteers and led his Corps at Second Bull Run.

On the Campaign

He was in command of the Fifth (V) Corps, in reserve on the day of the battle.

The rest of the War

He was court martialled for insubordination (refusing Pope's orders to make an apparently impossible attack) for his part at Second Bull Run, and dismissed from the Army in January 1863. The court martial was (probably) politically inspired by (Sec'y of War) Stanton, to harm McClellan. Porter fought to clear his name, and was exonerated and reinstated by an Army review board in 1878.