The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-16

manhood. With the bayonct you have
unlocked the iron.barred gates Of preju-
dice, opening new fields Of freedom, lib
erty and equality and Of rights to your
selves.
Comrades Of the Army Of the James,
I bid you farewell.
BENJAMIN F. BUTLER
Major General.
A letter from the Army of the James
gives an interesting account Of his de-
parture from that command:
The order was received at Buffers
Headquarters about half-past II o'clock
A. NJ. yesterday. The only person pre-
sent who did not appear to be at all sur
prised was the General himself Whether
he knew that it was coming, or whether
he has the faculty of viewing the most
unexpected events calmly, is more than
can determine; but certainly the Genes
raj was not at all disturbed. Immedi-
ately on it's reception his orders were
issued clearly and decisively, and before
O clock he was ready to vacate his COM
mand at the front.
Adopting the theory that General But
Ter was removed on account of the Will
miugton expedition not meeting with the
expected success, only one question re-
n.aincd to puzzle curious military men:
They could not imagine why the General
had not been removed some days ago.
This question, however, received final
solution when General Ord was assigned
to the command. The hero of Fort Har-
rison was away on leave of absence, and
the authorities only waited for his return
to remove General Butler.
General Ord returned yesterday, and
at once proceeded to the headquarters of
his Command, the Twenty-fourth army
corps. He had hardly arrived before he
received notification of the removal of
General Butler and his own assignment
to the command of the Army Of the
James.
Immediately on tho PRONUNCIATION of
the order relieving General Butler and
replacing him by General Ord, the staff
of the Army of the James assembled
around the quarters of their late COM
mander, reinforced by numerous other
officers of the command. Numerous
would hardly convey and idea of the
number of officers present to bid him fare
we'll. The General was deeply affected,
and expressed his regrets at parting with
an army which, under his command, had
achieved so much. But any express
sions Of sorrow were cut short by the
rapidity of the Generals arrangements.
lie had received his orders to report. at
Lowell at the earliest moment, and before
3 O'Clock p. NJ. he announced that he
was ready to leave. The order directing
this change instructed General Butler to
proceed to Lowell, Massachusetts,, and
report from thence to the acknowledgement
of the army. .
Before 8 P. NJ. the General started for
the North. He was accompanied by
General Ord, General Devins, General
Turner, General Ludlow, Captain Bruce,
Captain Clard, Captain DeKay, Lieu
tenant Merrill, Medical Director Suckley,
Major Davis and Captain Wheaton,
Never had an order been more promptly
obeycd. All of the above-named officers
accompanied the General to Aiken's
landing, where he went on board his
t!agboat, the River Queen. General
Butler was accompanied by Captains De
Kay and Clark, Of his personal staff
while the remaining officers turned their
horses heads homeward. General Orc
also accompanied General Butler as far as
City Point, where he stopped to see the
Lieutenant General, and returned late last
night.