The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1848-06-06
BIOGRAPHICAL.
From Graham's Magazine.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF Naa
GENERAL WILLIAM O. BUTLER.
BY FRANCIS P. BLAIR.

In memoirs of individuals Of distinction it
is usual to look back to their ancestry. The
feeling is universal which promps us 10 learn
something Of even an ordinary acquaintance
in whom interest is felt. II will Indulge,
therefore, only necessary and proper curios.
ity TO introduce the subject of this notice by
short account of family whose striking
traits survive in him so remarkably. Gener-
nj Buffers grandfather, Thomas Butler, was
born 9th April, 1910, in Kilkenny, Ireland
He married there in l742. Three Of his
FIVE sons who attained manhood, Richard,
William and Thomas, we're born abroad,
Pierce, the father of General William 0.
Butler, and Edward, the younges. son, were
born in Pennsylvania. II is remarkable that
all these men, and all their immediate male
descendants, with single exception, (who
was judge,) were engaged in the military
service of this country. 4oe f..-s.,
The eldest, Richard, was Lieutenant Col
onel of Morgan's celebrated rife-regiment,
and 10 him it owed much of the high charac-
Ter that gave it fame of its own, apart from
the other corps of the Revolution. The
cool, disciplined vaor which gave steady and
deadly direction to the rifles of this regiment,
was derived principally from the officer, who
deyoiedhimself to The drill of his men. He
was promoted to the full command Of his
regiment sometime during the war, (when
Morgan's great merit and services had raised
him TO The rank of general, } and in that ca
pacity had commanded Wayne's left in the
attack on Stony Point. About the year 1890,
he was appointed major-general. On the
4th of.Noyember, 1871, he was killed in
ST.. Chris bloody battle with the Indians,
His combat with the Indians, after he was
shot, gave such peculiar interest to his fate
shat a representation of himself and the
group surrounding him was exhibited thro'-
out the Union in wax figures. Notices OF
this accomplished soldier will be found in
Marshall's Life of Washington, pages 200,
3ll, 400. In Gen. ST. Clair's report, ir the
American Museum, volume xi, page a., Ap-
apendix. a ,a aeagD
'r William Butler, the second son, was an of
fcer throughout the revolutionary war; rose
q 10 the rank of colonel, and was in many of
the severesl battles. He was the favorte Of
the family, and was boasted of by this race
of heroes as the coolest and bodest man in
battle they had ever known. When the ar
my was greatly reduced in rank and file, and
there were many superauous officers, they
organized themselves into. a separate corps,
and elected him TO the command. General
Washington declined receiving this novel
corps of commissioned soldiers, but in a
proud Testimonial did honor to their devoted
patriotism. 3s.s5gs. Ks, 9sst
h Of. Thomas Butler, the third son, we CLEAN
the following facts from the American Bio
graphical Dictionary. in the year, l776,
whilst he was student at law in The Office
of the eminent Ju ige Wilson of Philadel.
phia, he left his pursuit.! ard joined the army,
asa subaltern. He soon obtained the com
mand of company, in which he continued
+, to the close of the revolutionary, war. He.
was in almost every action fought in the Mid
K die States during the var. AT tie battle of
Brandywine he received the thanks Of Wash
inston on the field of battle, through his aid !
de-camp Gen. Hamilton, for his intrepid con
duct in rallying detachment of retreating
troops, and giving The enemy severe. fire -
Atthe battle of Monmouth he received the
thanks Of Gen. Wayne for defending de-
file, u the face of-a severe fire from the enc