Butler's Book Autobiography And Personal Reminiscences Of Major-General Benjamin Butler

Butler's Book: Autobiography And Personal Reminiscences Of Major-General Benjamin Butler

Benjamnin F. Butler...

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Publishers' Preface

General Butler has said in his introduction that every point is to be proven. This has necessitated a large staff of workers to carefully search the records of the War Department, and the consequent proof corrections have occasioned a long delay in the publication of the work, and required the reprinting of many folios. The work has in consequence been increased in number of pages and illustrations not originally announced or contemplated, making, we trust, valuable and interesting additions. Th

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Dedicatory

To the good and brave soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic, This book is dedicated by their comrade, a slight token of appreciation of the patriotic devotion to loyalty and gallant heroism with which they endured the hardships and fought the battles of their country during the War of the Rebellion, to preserve its existence and perpetuity as a nation of freemen, the proudest exemplar of a people solely governed by themselves, able to sustain that government as more powerful than any nation

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Preface

The Preface of a book is usually written after the book is finished, and is as usually left unread. It is not as a rule, therefore, either a convenience or a necessity. I venture, however, to use it at the outset as a vehicle for conveying the purposes of writing this book at all. Having lived through and taken part in a war, the greatest of the many centuries, and carried on by armies rivalling in numbers the fabled hosts of Xerxes, and having been personally conversant with almost all, if not

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List Of Illustrations

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Lineage And Education

The political system of this country is founded upon what Rufus Choate once termed a “Glittering generality,” contained in the Declaration of Independence, that “All men are created equal.”This is a truth as applied to political rights, immunities, and burdens, but an utter absurdity so far as it is made to describe other mutual relations of people. He would not be considered sane who should solemnly declare that all individuals of any other of the larger species of animals are created equal. Ta

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Early Political Action And Military Training

In chronological order it might, perhaps, have been well to record here what there has been of interest during my legal career. For I have been engaged in the practice of law with unabated devotion substantially to the hour of writing, save for some Fifteen years, more or less, which were devoted to the public service. Upon reflection, however, it seems best that I should pass over for the present my legal experiences Before as well as after my public services. These Two periods include that por

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The Democracy In 1860

The matters treated of in this chapter may seem a twice-told tale to readers who lived when they were taking place. But it is owed to the younger generation that the causes and events which led to the War of the Rebellion should be stated here. They can be given in a single phrase,— Perpetuation of slavery. But why and how this led to rebellion will need to be elucidated in order to show what caused me, a prominent Democrat, to be among the very First to go to the front. The Institution of slave

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The Call For Troops

Filled with apprehension, I returned to Boston about the 28th of December, being delayed One day in a snowstorm. I felt it my duty immediately to call upon Governor Andrew, and state to him that I believed there was to be an attempt, on the 4th of March, to prevent, by armed force, the inauguration of Lincoln, in Washington; and that it seemed to me that Massachusetts should be prepared to meet such a crisis, by having her militia ready to march to the aid of the government. I explained to him t

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Baltimore And Fortress Monroe

I had nothing further to do with Annapolis or its concerns subsequent to the 5th of May. It was on that day I marched for the purpose of cutting off railroad passage between Harper's Ferry and Washington, for at Harper's Ferry a very considerable body of rebel troops was gathering for an attack on Washington. It may be well to take a little time just here in doing what has not been done, namely, giving some account of the condition of things in Washington, as to the state of mind and action of t

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“Contraband Of War,” Big Bethel And Hatteras

On the day after my arrival at the fort, May 23, Three negroes were reported coming in a boat from Sewall's Point, where the enemy was building a battery. Thinking that some information as to that work might be got from them, I had them before me. I learned that they were employed on the battery on the Point, which as yet was a trifling affair. There were only Two guns there, though the work was laid out to be much. larger and to be heavily mounted with guns captured from the navy-yard. The negr

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Recruiting In New England

My return home under the circumstances related in the preceding chapter gave opportunity for occurrences at once very novel and diverting. When I got to Lowell, my friends and neighbors insisted upon showing me every honor and attention, which were accepted as tokens of personal friendship and regard. But there was another thing which I never heard of or read of before, and which showed me a curious phase of human nature. As I have said before, I had lived in Lowell from boyhood. I knew perhaps

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From Hatteras To New Orleans

It was my intention to call at Fort Hatteras in my Steamer, the Mississippi, to take off General Williams, who had been in command there and who had been detailed to me as a brigadier-general, at my request. The sea was calm and the night beautiful, with a light southwest wind blowing. As we were to go around Cape Hatteras, a course always difficult of navigation on account of the trend of the eddy of the Gulf Stream toward the shore, I stayed on deck for some considerable time and then observed

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Taking Command Of A Southern City

On the morning of the First day of May, having determined to disembark my troops, or as many of them as had then arrived, and take possession of the city at sundown, I issued the following order:— General Order No. 15. I. In anticipation of the immediate disembarkation of the troops of this command amid the temptations and inducements of a large city, all plundering of private property, by any person or persons, is hereby forbidden, under the severest penalties. II. No officer or soldier will ab

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The Woman Order, Mumford's Execution, Etc

It must not be inferred that the several matters of which I treat at so much length followed One another in point of time. They were all going on at once, each pressing upon the other and each interfering with doing the other, and requiring the utmost industrious diligence. Crowding in upon us from the First moment of our occupation came a matter which at First seemed would be an annoyance only, but which speedily grew into an affair of most serious consequence, and One causing much discussion.

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Military Operations

The question must have arisen in the mind of the reader, in poring over the administration of these many civil affairs: Were military operations delayed while these things were being done? By no means. Farragut and myself were ordered to do Two things, if we could; First, to open the Mississippi River; Second, to capture Mobile. Now, the capture of Mobile was of no earthly military consequence to anybody. It was like the attempted capture of Savannah, Port Royal, Fernandina, Brunswick, and Charl

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Administration Of Finances, Politics, And Justice.— Recall

One of the most important matters which pressed upon me immediately after my occupation of the city was the condition of the currency. It was absolutely necessary for the successful administration of my department in New Orleans that I should at once make an Imperium in imperio, in which somebody must assume the role of “Secretary of the treasury.”Who should it be but the general commanding? Both before the war and after it began the banks of New Orleans had been conducted upon an exceedingly co

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Occupations In 1863; Exchange Of Prisoners

It is superfluous to say that on my journey home I was received with the greatest regard and affection by every good and loyal man; and was abused in the most violent and calumnious language, and with the falsest of charges, by every Copperhead newspaper. At Philadelphia I was received with most enthusiastic attention, and had the pleasure of meeting there especially The Hon. S. M. Felton, president of the Philadelphia & Wilmington Railroad, by whose patriotic exertions my regiment was enabl

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In Command Of The Army Of The James

On the Second day of November, 1863, without solicitation, I was detailed to the command of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, with headquarters at Fortress Monroe. The Union forces were then in occupation of the peninsula between the York and James Rivers, up to the line of Williamsburg, the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and a line extending towards Suffolk, about Seven miles from Norfolk, on the line of the Dismal Swamp Canal in Virginia, and by the aid of the Gunboats, the Cur

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Operations Of The Army Of The James Around Richmond And Petersburg

On the morning of May 16, shortly before Five o'clock, I was awakened by a very sharp musketry fire. I at once mounted my horse and rode to the field. I ascertained that the demonstration on the right was too vigorous to be a feint. I immediately issued an order to Gillmore to attack the enemy with rapidity, See Appendix No. 54. supposing that they had massed their troops on the right and that Gillmore would be able to go through their line if he attacked with promptness and resolution. But the

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Capture Of Fortifications Around Richmond, Newmarket Heights, Dutch Gap Canal, Elections In New York And Gold Conspiracy

In August we had a small holding on the north side of the James River at a point known as Deep Bottom. General Grant wanted to get north of the James still further up so that if it became convenient or necessary the united armies of the Potomac and the James,— leaving enough men in the trenches before Petersburg to hold our position there, and in our front, to hold the position of the Army of the James at Bermuda Hundred,— could be thrown across the river by pontoon bridges, and make a full atta

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Fort Fisher

Early in September it was proposed to me by General Grant that I should send down General Weitzel, with Brigadier-General Graham of the naval brigade, to reconnoitre the position of Fort Fisher, and that I should act in conjunction with a fleet which was being prepared by the navy. General Weitzel was accordingly sent down to make that reconnoissance. About the 20th of September, as I remember, he returned and reported the condition of things there. On the 29th of September, the Army of the Jame

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Why I Was Relieved From Command

Ireturned to my command on the 16th of November, and there found an order from General Grant which put me in command of the Armies of the Potomac and James, as it informed me of his absence and enclosed an order to General Meade. See Appendix No. 145. General Grant had for a considerable time been impressed with the belief— in which I did not share— that Lee intended to abandon Petersburg with his main army and go down to join Johnston against Sherman; and he feared very much that Sherman might

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Observations Upon Matters Connected With The War

I think it is due that some word should be said in particular, before closing this account of my military life, of certain gentlemen of my staff and officers who contributed so largely to any success achieved by me. I think I have sufficiently dealt with those who got in my way. Gentlemen holding staff positions in the army, and especially at Washington in time of peace, who have been educated at West Point, in the language of General Sherman, “Too commonly construe themselves into the Élite, as

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Congressman And Governor

In 1863 I provided myself with a piece of land on Cape Ann, on the northeast coast of Massachusetts, for a summer home for myself and family. I pitched my tent on the southerly side of it next to Ipswich Bay, a beautiful and picturesque piece of water, where the sunsets are equal to those of the Bay of Naples. With my Two boys and their tutor I established myself in this tent on the beach as a seashore home. We all neglected that residence somewhat in 1864, but then we were occupying a tent with

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Practice Of The Law

The beginning of Chapter II. of this book having brought the events of my life down to my preparation for my profession and my admission to the bar, I thought it best to postpone a narration of the events of my professional career until I had set forth in due order the circumstances and opinions which brought me into the war and politics and until I had given the history of what I did or omitted to do in those great contests. Since that has been done, imperfectly as it may be, I propose to deal

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L'Envoi To The Reader. Summary

Much has been said and written as to my failure to do anything in my military capacity for the country, or to be of any service to it in any form. I hope I may be pardoned in bringing together for the purpose of recalling to memory, several things which are proven in this narrative to whomsoever shall carefully read it, which have been done by me, although I am supposed to have needed a “Technical military education.” With foresight and persistent effort I caused the Massachusetts Volunteer Mili

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Appendix

There is an urgent necessity to provide in your department a suitable depot for rebel prisoners of war, without any delay. I beg to recall the subject to your attention and ask you to take immediate measures to establish a depot at such point as you may deem suitable in your department, and inform me how soon you will be ready to receive prisoners of war, and in what numbers. Your report in regard to place for confinement of rebel prisoners has been received, and on consultation with the General

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Index A

Abbott, Judge J. G., 50. Adams Express Co., 515, 517. Adams County Iowa Suit, 992-995. Adams, So. Carolina Commissioner of Secession, 156. Advertiser, Lowell, anecdote of, 999. Alabama claims, 962-967. Alley, Hon. John B., member of Congress, 919; succeeded by Butler, as member of Congress, 919. Almaden, quicksilver case, Halleck convicted of perjury in, 872. Allen, Hon. Stephen M., interviews on conduct of war, 580, 583. American Emigrant Aid Society, suit against, 992-995. Ames, Brig.-General,

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