Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-04-14
Gen. Butler at Fortress Monroe.

A Fortress Monroe correspondent Of
the Boston Journal gives this sketch
of Gen. Buffers operations:
With loyal men General Butler is
very popular. If he is rough, severe
and unamiablc, it is only with those
who show regard for our Govern
ment while they are traitors at heart.
He has faculty of unmasking those
hypocrites, and for them he has no IA
vors. He holds court in primitive
style. The doors of his office stand
wide open. As in the time OF Solomon,
all who have cause bring it directly
to his presence. He decides 1t at
once. The Pool of Sloan had not
more variegated patronage than can
be seen around the headquarters OF
General Butler. Cases OF assault and
battery, poor colored women wronged
10y their landlords, petty broils, par
ties seeking to be free from arrest. with
the higher and the more important and
responsible duties of his trust, keep
him busy from early morn, often, till
midnight. Never wearied-clear, cool
and sharp, with ready wit, clear sense
of justice, a courage equal to any
emergency, with perfect knowledge
of human nature, learned in his prac-
tice as a criminal lawyer-all enables
him to dispatch business with amaz-
ing rapidity and to make recreation
of what would crush most men. "A
specimen or two will illustrate this
in the plaincst possible attire he
sits ia his Office. without show or pa
rade, with genuine courtesy, but with
the air Of man not to be triiicd with.
He receives one after another of the
vast throng who come TO his headquar-
ters day by day. First comes in an
old man. His daughter is under ar
rest as spy. He assures the Gener-
al that his daughter is innocent of the
charge. He has the papers to prove
it. 1t is not right that his daughter
should be held on suspicion of such
crime. Gen. Butler reads carefully
the affidavits put into his hands. He
says "These papers only show that
your daughter was loyal at a certain
time. have proof that her offence
was committed after the time men
toned in these papers. / can't dis
charge your daughter with this accu-
sation over her. | shall order her to
be tried that her innocence may APP
pear" .......
Next comes gentleman about his
sou who is prisoner at Richmond.
He wants him exchanged. The Gen
eral asks: How long has he been
a prisoner ?" Thirty days." was the
reply. IL have eight hundred off.
GERS" says Gen. Butler, "who have
been in Richmond for year or more.
| appeal to you if your son was one Of
those eight hundred if you think it
would be right to leave him still long
er in prison, and release one who
had been in confinement only a few
days" The father replied :" You are
right General Butler, but | want my
boy"
One other case. A Presbyterian
minister in the employ of the Christ
ian Commission, called on the Com
manding General in relation to the
prisoners at Point Lookout Rebel
prisoners were many of them sick and
dying, and needed spiritual consola-
ton. He asked that DR.. Junkin, ia
ther-in-law of Stonewall jackson,
might be appointed to visit them.
Where is the post chaplain ?" the
General asked. He is sick, was the
reply, and can not attend to his du-
ties" I" Let him resign" was the re-
spouse. He is too faithful a serv-
ant of Christ to allow men to suffer
for spiritual aid which he can't rem
der. When he resigns, | will appoint
DIR. Junkin TO his place" To this, Of
course, there could be no reply. The
clergyman bowed himself out with his
answer.