Porter, David Dixon, 1813-1891 to Colonel Montgomery C. Meigs
Order a pdf of this item here.
A high-resolution version of this object is available for registered users. LOG IN
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09034 Author/Creator: Porter, David Dixon, 1813-1891 Place Written: s.l. Type: Letter signed Date: July 1861 Pagination: 11 p. ; Order a Copy
Criticizes inefficient war effort, speculates on foreign intervention, forwards his plan to take New Orleans to end the war, and discusses a failed mission to enter the Mississippi. "The more I become acquainted with matters and things here, the more convinced I am that the place [New Orleans] deserves the serious consideration of Government. I long to see this war brought to a close, but at the same time I want to see it done in a manner that will reflect credit upon the Government, give future traitors a holy horror of encountering the wrath of an outraged people, and elevate us in the opinion of Europian nations, who would like to side with our opponents if they saw any want of strength in the Administration... I feel myself that this is the turning point of our fate, and that we are neither going to be a great nation or we will dwindle down to an equality with the miserable Mexicans...blood was made to be spilled - when the body Politic gets so diseased that you cant manage if any other way, let out the blood and save the patient... if the Government will send the right kind of force here, New Orleans will be ours without a struggle. They cant know every thing in Washington, and though, they are no doubt all Statesmen, I dont believe that they know any more about military matters than you or I, therefore I consider it the duty of every one who has got a spark of virtue in him to enlighten them all he can..."
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.