The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-06-27
Gen. Buffers (" Bull-Peno-His Attempt
TO Blow up ParsOn.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald
The military career of Gen. Butler, whenever
the same shall come to be dispassionately written,
without fear favor, will present not injurious
variety Of phase. widely differing His first
moveul from the Relay House, the railroad
line connecting Washington with the north. by
which he seized Federal Hill in Baltimore and
dominated therefrom that then rebellious city,
was success of the first magnitude both in pop
ular and in its practical results, although con-
deraned by Lieut.. Gen. Scott as an act grossly
mischieyous, laundering, and Insubordinatie, for
which the perpetrator deserved dismissal or
cashierment- @
Gen. Buffers next success in the ewes of the
public was his discovery of the term contra
band, full reply to all shareholders demand
ing the return of their fugitive chattes from
within the lines of the various armies. THIS
term, it is true, was not original with the major
general from Massachusetts,. But as il was new
90 the public, and furnished u weapon whereby n
gordian knot of an otherwise much entangled and
dIfhcult controversy could be suudered at n blow,
the people took up the phrase with both svidity
and humor and Butler, in those early days of
our military innocence, was as much praised for
having ''invented" it if he had won a battle.
The last success of this remarkable officer was
his civil administration of the CITY of New Or
leans and his evil government of so much of the
state OF Louisiana our navy could bring and
hold within our hnes-for of military successes
i
ment, there none of a striking nature
Gen, Weitzel, it is true, did some quite respec-
table marching IN various directions and had
some little skrmishes, and even affairs which
reflected credit on his troops In these tn ings
however Gen. Butler had no direct part his
headquarters being permanently in New Orleans,
and the only weapons he welded coming under
the head of stationery and not Ordinance and
ordnance materials"
OF his military reverses and bundevs need
only remark that they were numerous as the
occasions which he was brought within s'pre-
sence Ofthe enemy or had personal direction of
any movements which exposed the troops IN
der his command TO the possibility of repulse.
At Big Bethel he WAS badly Decentralization out
of boots" said the soldiers At Fort Fisher he was
only not beaten because he refused 10 fight. At
Lowell he found himself despitefully eptreated at
the h snds of a sturdy builder OF sewers and cul-
verts; while nt Drury's Bluff in his mad attempt,
with few regiments of unreliable troops to
iorcstall Gen. Grant IN the glory of capturing
Richmond, his command suffered useless aud
cruel slaughter to extent which aroused
erudite Shakspearean chaplain of the New York
volunteer engineers, to write a bitter private
letter. theresnent TO one ofthe poets of the Ere
ming Post.
Thus private letter the poet, of course, used in
a manner clearly indicating the Rev. Shakespear-
can chaplain, Mr. Hudson, its author; where
upon Gen. Butler caused said chaplain to be
ferings which he caused this worthy and rever-
ened man to endure are they not written out and
printed in full IN pamphlet now before us, enti-
tied Letter from an Army Chaplain to Gen. B.
F. Butler?" The letter is strange commingIe-
ment of piety and the drama Its quotations
from the Old Testament and Timon of Athens
are equally reconcile and applicable. St. Mark
and Macbeth, Luke, and Loves Labor Lost, St.
John and Romeo and Juliet-all the EvangeIsts.
in a word, and all the plays from Shakspeare's
pen impartially laid under contribution to
furnish opposite illustrations for the sufferings CT
the par son in Buffers bullpen," aud for the |
parsons precise estimate of Beast Buffers bru-
tality."
Now, we respectfully submit to Gen. Butler |
that this business of locking up clergyman in |
good standing of the Protestant Episcopal |
Church" in an ordnance tent, containing several |
open barrels of gunpowder and piles of detonat-
ing three hundred FOUNDER shells filed with
Greek fire, wss not wise occupation for a CON-
manding officer in front of Petersburg to engage
in. The parsoR, il is true, in danger of
blowing up In earnest, and piteously -though
a brave man, who often had been under fire-des.
cribes his terror lest some involuntary motion in
his sleep should roll down on him and explode
about his ears one of those dreadful shells But |
now the blowing up ID on the other side; and,
with all the pulpits in the land making common
cause with their reverend erudite, military and
dramatic brother, there is no knowing but the re-
putation OF Gen. Butler may suffer more
from this act of alleged tyranny than il had to
endure in consequence OF the undisguised mutiny
and INSTRUMENTATION of the generals farewell
order 10 his troops when last relieved from com
nand BY Gen. Grant.