Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-06-06
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF
Cen. William o. Butler,
OF hEN OSh
nv FRANCIS p. BLAIR

hing of even an ordinary acquaintance III "Ioin
interest is tel Il will indulge, therefore, only
na,nral and proper curiosity 10 Introduce 'ne sup
;sct of this notice byla short account OF family
whose striking traits survive in him so remarka-
bly,. p..,,..
General Buffers grandfather, Thomas bu1iet,
was born 9Th April l720, in Kilkenny, Ireland.
He married there in l742. Three OF his hve sons
Who attained manhood, Richard, William, ana
Thomas. were born abroad. Pierce, the falher
Of General William O. Butler, and Edward, the
Youngest son, were born in Pennsylvania. II is
remarkable that all these men, and all sheir I'M
mediate male descendants, with single e1cep-
lion, were engaged in the military service OF 'nis
The eldest, Richard, was lieutenant colonel OF
Morean's celebrated rife regiment, and 10 him II
owed much OF the high character that gave u
fame of its own apart from the other corps Oh tne
revolution. The COOL disciplined vaor which
Gave steady and deadly direction 10 The rines OF
his regiment, was derived principally from tnis
oficer. who devoted himself to the drfs OF oil.
MS. He was promoted to The lui, conlo'anu y.
a regiment some time during The war, aeo 10 .na.
canaciy commanded Wayne's left IN tne a'lach
20 sow point, Abou, The year 1870, ne was
.nno;n,ed major general On The 4th Of Novem-
hsr ,1ai he was killed in Gen ST. Glars bloody
h,,,,e With The Indians His combat win the To-
5;ans aher he was shot, gave such peculiar IN
,.r.s, ~ b;s fate that representation OF himself
snd rho GROUP surrounding him was exhibited
,hrouobopl The Union in wax figures Notices OF
,h;s accomplished soldier will be found IN Mar
sbal,s Life of Washington, pages 290, 3ll, APO.
Ia Gen. ST. Glars report in The American Mu-
scum, volume XII page A, appendix.
William Butler, The second son, was an ofncer
throughout the revolutionary war, rose to the
rank OF colonel, and was in many OF the severest
battles. He was The favori,e OF the family, and
was boas,ed of BY lh, race of heroes as the cool
eat and bodies, man in battle they had ever
known. When the army was greatly reduced in
rank and file, and there were many superiuous
officers they organized themselves into separate
corps, and elected him 10 The command General
Washington declined receiving this novel corps
of commissioned soldiers, but, in proud tesi.
monial did honor 10 their devoted patriotism.
OF Thomas Butler, the third son, We CLEAN the
following facts from The American Biographical
Dictionary In the year l716 willis, he was
student OF law in The office of The eminen; Judge
Wilson, OF Philadelphia, he let his pursuit and
joined The army as a suballern. He soon OBJ
tanned The command Of company, in which ne
continued 10 The close OF the Revolutionary war.
He was in almost every action fought IN The
middle States during the war. AT the battle OF
Brandywine he received The thanks of Washing
ION on the field of battle, through his abide.
raIlying detachment OF rercaling troops, and
giving the enemy severe fire. At the battle OF
Monmouth he received the thanks Of Gen. Wayne
for defending dehle, in the face OF severe flre
from the enemy while Col Richard Buffers re-
giment made good lis retreat.
At the close OF the war he retired into private
life, as farmer, and continued 10 The enjoyment
Of rural and domestic happiness until the year
1871, when he again took the fie! to meet the sa-
wage foe that menaced our western frontier. he
commanded battalion in The disastrous battle OF
November 4, 1871, in which his brother fell. Or
ders we're given by Gen. ST. Clair 10 charge with
the bayonet, and Major Butler, though his leg
had been broken by a ball, yet on horseback, LED
his battalion 10 the charge. II was with dithculty
his surviving brother, 4ptain Edward Butler,
removed him from the field. 10 1892 he was con-
tinued in the establishment Of major, and In 1I94
he was promoted 10 the rank OF ientenaol-colo-
mel commandant Of The All sub-leson. he com
manded in this year Fort Fayette, al Piitsburs,
and prevented the deluded insurgents from taking
it-more by his name than by his forces, Tor ne
had bat few troops. The close OF his life was
embitiered with trouble. In 1903 he was arrested
by the commanding general (Wikinson) al Fort
Adams on The Mississippi, and sent to Maryland,
where be was tried by court martial, and &C.
Quilted Of all the charges save that OF s'sar1ng
his hair. He was then ordered TO New Orleans
where he arrived, to take command OF the troops,
October Doth. He was again arrested next month;
but the court did not sit until July Of the next
year, and their decision is not known. Colonel
Butler died September I, 1905. Out of the arrest
and persecution of This sturdy veteran Washing
inglon Irving fRnickerbockerl has worked up
fine piece OF buresque, in which Gen. Wilkin-
sons character is inimitably delineaed in that OF
the vain and pompous General Won Poffsnburg
Percival Butler, the fourth son, father Of Gen.
VIM. o. Butler, was born at Carlisle, Pennsylva-
mia, in 1850. He entered the army as lieuten-
an; al the age of eighteen; was with Washington
al Valley Forge; was in The battle o! Monmouth,
and al the taking of Yorktown-being through
III. whole series OF struggles in the middle States
with The troops under the commandments,
except for short period, when he was attached
10 the light corps commanded by La Fayette who
presented him sword Near the close Of The
war, he went 10 the South with The Pennsylvania
brigade where peace found him. He emigrated
10 Kentucky in 1874. He was The las, OF The old
stock Jeff when the war of 1912 commenced -
He was made adjutant general when Kentucky
became State, and in that capacity joined one
OF The armies sent out by Kentucky during the
war.
Edward Butler the youngest OF the five brothers
was TOO young 10 enter he army in The first sta
ges OF the revolution, but joined il near The Close
and had risen 10 captaincy when Gen. ST. Clair
took The command and led it TO that disastrous
defeat in which so many of the best soldiers OF
inc country persisted. He there evnced he high
est courage and strongest tralernal affection, in
CARRYING his wounded brother on, Of the massa-
ere, which was continued for miles along The
route OF the retreaiog army, and from which so
few escaped, even OF those who fed nnencunber-
ed. He subsequently became adjulant general
in Wayne's army.
OF these five brothers, four bad sons-all OF
whom, with one exception, were engaged in the
military or naval service OF the country during
the last war.
Isl. Gen. Richard Buffers son William died a
Lieutenant in The navy, early in the last wall
His son, Captain James Butler, was al The head
Of The Pitisburs Blues, which company be COM
manded in The campaigns Of the northwest, and
was particularly distinguished in The battle Of
Mssissinnawa.
3D. Col. William Butler, also OF the revolu-
;ionary army. had two sons; one died in the navy,
The other subaern in Waynes army. He was
in the battle with the Indians in 1894
Sd. Lieut.. Col. Thomas Butler, Of the old stock
had three sons, the eldest Judge The second,
Col. Robt. Butler, was at The head OF Gen. Jack
sons staff throughout the last war. The third
William E. Butler, also served in the army Of
Gen. Jackson.
Alb. Percival Butler, captain in the revolu.
lionary war, and adjulant general of Kentucky
during the last war; had four sons: first, Thomas,
who was captain, and aid 10 Gen. Jackson al
New Orleans; next, Gen. William o. Butler, the
subject of this notice; third Richard, who was
assistant adjutant general in the campaigns Of the
war of 1912. Percival Butler the younges, son,
now distinguished lawyer, was no, oil an age TO
bear arms in the last war. Or the second gene
ration OF the Buffers, there are nine certainly,
and probably more, engaged in the presen, war
This glance at the family shows the character
OF the race. An anecdote, derived from letter
OF an old Pennsylvania friend Of the parents,
who transpianted it from Ireland shows that it.
military instinct was an inheritance. "While
INC hse sons" says the letter, "were absen.
IRON , nome IN the service of the country, the
old father look il in his bead 10 90 also rha