In this letter he says , "I was glad when I head of Gen. Porter's dismisal from the service and think him as blacka traitor as we had in the service and yet he is one of O.W. Norton's favorites while on the other hand I uphold General McDowell who is declared by Norton to be a traitor but I would go into battle under him as quick and as willingly as under under any other man and I have been told confidentially by some of Porter's own men that in the Battle of Bull Run they lay in position idle and saw Longstreet march right past them and reinforce Jackson and cut King's division to pieces when they might have cut Longstreet to pieces and by that means won the day and annhilated the rebel army instead of being whipped as we were." Later in this same letter he says, "The Proclamation is hard to say - a great many like it and a great many dislike it but on the whole I rather think the majority are in favor of it."