Porter's Secret Fitz John Porter's Monument Decoded by Wayne Soini

West Point star cadet and Mexican War hero Fitz John Porter fought back when court martialed for cowardice under fire during the Civil War at the Second Battle of Bull Run. General Porter's ultimate exoneration and reinstatement has never stopped historians from continuing to argue over his guilt or innocence. A complex monument designed by noted sculptor James Kelly and General Porter, just before he died, stands today in his birthplace, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Through clues hidden in plain sight, it reveals what Porter was thinking and why he did not charge against General Lee's finest during Second Bull Run. FULLY ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOS BY N.H. PHOTOGRAPHER DOUG KERR AND DOCUMENTS FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, INCLUDING AMERICA'S FIRST AERIAL MILITARY RECONNAISSANCE SKETCH, MADE BY GENERAL PORTER FROM A BALLOON OVER YORKTOWN IN 1862.