The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-06-16
BUTLER.
A Letter to the Hero Of Big
Bethel and Fort Fisher.
His Brutal Treatment of a Chap
lain of the Union Army.

1lS DTuGdl 1T6dIm6uL VI d Ouop.
lain of the Union Army.
Implement Of Butler by the
Chaplain.
THE following letter was written by Rev.
HENRY N. HUDSON, minister of the Episcopal
Church, and distinguished for his piety and
learning. 1t is complete extinguisher of
"the beast. "1-ED. PIONEER.
New YORK, Jan. 4.
To Maj. Gen. B. r. Butler, Commanding Depart
nsent of Virginia and North Carolina:
GENERAL-Under date of Sept 26, 1864,
wrote and sent to you pretty full statement
of my case, being advised thereto by Colonel
Edward w. serrell, speaking, as understood
leave to lay before you another statement, and
to invite your special attention to 1t. Before
going to the seat of war, which was in Febru-
ary. 1862, l entered into an engagement with
Parke Goodwin, Esq, of the New York Ece,sing
Post, to write for that paper. Soon after land
ing at Bermuda Hundred. last May, went to
your Provost Marshal, told him who was in
formed him of my engagement with Mr.. God
win, and asked if there were any restrictions
on newspaper correspondence. or any regula-
tions concerning it. I understood him TO say
there were none, and so l thought should
not be wrong in continuing to write for the
paper. My articles written for publication in
the Erening Post were signed Loyalty" and
published with that signature. Besides these,
I often wrote private letters to Mr.. Goodwin,
which were not meant to be published, and
were not published Soon after your grand
defeat up on Proctor's creek, near Drury's
Bluff, l wrote private letter to MIR. Goodwin,
giving what believed to be fair and truthful
account of that adventure. | put the matter
as to the propriety of setting it directly before
the public. Most of the letter appeared in the
Evening Post of May "a. As private letter, it
was signed with my own name, but was print
ed without any signature, the editor introduce
ing it with sort of voucher for its authen-
tcity
On the 29th of May Gen. Gilmore ordered
me to New York on special duty; which duty,
he said. was to superintend the printing of
| some official matter to be published by Mr.. Van
NOstrand. The general, on giving me the Or
| der, said he would send to the publisher for
| me particular instructions in what was to do.
| As l had, the night before learned by tele-
| graph that my son William was very danger
! Ously Ill, the general gave me permission to
| 60 to my family in Massachusetts,
My son died the first week in June and his
mother, broken down with grief and care, was
| sick nearly all the summer; SO much so, that
| at one time she was hardly expected to live.
was also very much out of health myself, from
| the effects of bilious intermittent fever con-
| tracted while on duty in South Carolina. About
| the middle of June l wrote to Mr.. Van Nos
trand to know if any instructions had come for
me from Gen. Gilmore. He replied that none
had come, and if any should come he would
notify me at once. Not very long after this
Gen. Gilmore was relieved of his command of
the 10th army corps, SO that / was no longer
subject to his order. Early in July was in
New York, and there received an order from
you remanding me to my regiment. AS our
colonel was then in the city, called upon him
to know where l should report. He replied,
in effect. that he could not tell, the regiment
being so scattered that lie hardly knew where
the headquarters were: II do not know"
said he, but am as much the headquarters
as anywhere" The next day l learned that
my wife was good deal worse; and being
somewhat perplexed as to my duty, l ventured
to return to my family, where was soon after
so prostrated with illness as to be unable to
travel. Owing to these causes was delayed
from day to day, till l became discouraged,
and resolved to offer my resignation. Accord.
ingly went to New York, and on the 1st of
September handed my resignation to Col. Ser
that he thought there was no need Of going to
the seat of war. On the 18th the colonel, be-
ing still in New York, as also was, received
telegram as follows:
"BUrLERs HEADQUARTERS, Sept. Ii, 1854.
ITO Col. SerreA, 81 West Washington Place:
Find Chaplain Hudson, of your regiment,
who has been ordered to report to his regi-
ment and has failed to obey the order. Take
his parole in writing forthwith to appear at
these headquarters. If he tails to give his pa
role, have him sent here 10 me under guard.
Your special attention is called to the execu-
ton of this order.
B. F. BUTLER, Ma. Gen."
Itwas very soon evident that you had called
me before you, not for the purpose of hearing
me or of learning anything about me, but
merely for the pleasure of browbeating and
condemning me. During the interview OBJ.
served and studied you intently; of that you
may be sure. And, however it may have been
before, I know you now-know you like
book. Indeed, my General, you disappointed
me much. You did not appear nearly so well
as had expected. Your wits seem badly out
of tune. YOUR whole inner man distempered
with unbenevolent passion. You put on airs,
indeed you did, that were both mean and silly.
Some parts of your performance reminded me
of. ''Then, soldier, full of strange paths, and
bearded like pard, seeking the bubble repu-
tation even in the cannon,s mouth. but par
don me: I do not mean to stick upon you the
latter part of this deception; for l know of no
cannon's mouth that you have ever sought
unto" for reputation or any other bubble. L
have seen you ride, and have heard you
swear, though 1 never saw you doing both at
the same time: but, from what has been told
me of your accomplishments in that line, am
moved to suggest that you take this as your
motto: "Come, wilt thou see me ride! and
when I am o. horseback l will swear"
You first called me to account for having
been absent without leave; and on my explain
ing the matter, you presently left this topic,