Porter, David Dixon (1813-1891) to Colonel Montgomery C. Meigs
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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..."
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