Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-27
LIGHT IN A Dark PLACE.

The Fort Fisher affair, on the coast of
North Carolina, created considerable dis
cussion at the time Of its occurrence, and
led to the retirement from the field of active
operations of that redoubtable warrior, BEN
JAMIN +. BUTLER, surnamed the brute. 1t
will be recollected that with a full feet and
armament of men, and all the equipments
necessary for the reduction of this fort, an
expedition ordered by Gen. GRANT, and
placed under the command of Gen WEITZEI.,
was repulsed, and returned to Hampton
Roads. 1t appears from Gen. GRANTS
report that BUTLER, who was the immediate
superior of Gen. WEITZEL, accompanied
and assumed command of the expedition
without the knowledge of GRANT. A month
or two later similar expedition under Gen.
TERRY, BUTLER being then in the Dutch
Gap canal, succeeded in capturing Fort
Fisher, with inconsiderable fighting and
loss.
Bearing in mind that the Fort was the
key to the city and harbor of Wilmington, a
point which, after the successful closing by
blockade ofall the other Southern ports, be-
came the chief outlet and inlet of contra
band goods, and that BUTLER without orders
forced himself into the charge of the attack
which proved unsuccessful, the following
letter addressed to Senator of the United
States by responsible officer who was a part
of the expedition, sheds food OF light on
Buffers conduct, and adds another chapter
to the record of infamy which history is
writing against his name:
UNITED STATES STEAMER MAssAsoIT, !
JAMES RIVER, Va, Jan. IA, 1866. !
DEAR SIR: In making the statements /
am about to do to you, it is with the conf
dence that, if you see sufficient cause to take
any steps toward inducing Government TO
unravel the matter, you will do so without
giving me any publicity in the affair, and,
if possible, without my being a witness
Government will be able to find its own, and
sufficient proof, however, if it follows the
matter up.
have only hesitated in making it known
before for want of direct proof and dislike
of being called upon as a witness.
On the 3lst Of last month | was returning
from n visit to Providence, and met on the
wharf at Fortress Monroe a man named
William HOWARD, an Englishman, and for
merly in the employ of the Boston, Provi-
dence and New York Railroad as baggage
master. He usually accompanies the train
and as my duties have called me over the
road two or three times Il week for the last
two years, until within short time, have
known him quite intimately, and have
known him to be, at heart, rebel sympa-
thizer and sesessionist.
On the morning of the day | met him we
passed through Norfolk together. In reply
to my inquiries as to how he came there, and
why he left the railroad, he said he was on
a little money-making expedition" showed
me passport to Newbern, North Carolina
furnished, he said, through General BUTLER,
and then, after some preliminaries, said in
substance that a friend of BUTLER, named
PETERS, then in New York, had three
thousand bales of cotton in Whining
ton; that they were going to get 1t out.
BUTLER was to work the thing through, and
have half the money that he was to furnish
passes, and he (HOwARD) had no doubt but
that they should succeed. That himself
and some other person, whose name | do
not remember, were merely acting as agents,
knowing nothing but what they were told to
do, buff successful, would make money, that,
being Englishmen, they should have no diff
ficulty in moving within the rebel lines.
He further stated, what | had already began
to see, to-wit: that II Wilmington had been
captured, Butler iCOlId hare lest his cotton, as
it would have fallen into our hands and ex-
pressed his opinion freely that there was but
little patriotism in any of our leading men
that they meant money, and like the one
who, as he expressed it, was doing such
mean things for his own benefit, looked out
for themselves"
HOWARD has gone TO Newbern, | sup
pose. The proprietor of the Atlantic Hotel
in Norfolk, a relative of BUTLER, believe,
is concerned in the matter.
There mny be no truth in HOWARD estate
ment; ifthere is, detectives will soon trace
it out, and it will readily be seen why. Will
mington was not taken, though it is hard to
believe any man would so sell his country's
honor.
You can use the letter to inform the
proper authorities, for consider it my duty
as an officer, and lover of my country's
welfare, to make it Known but the result
can be attained without my gaining any
publicity.
am, very respectfully, yours,
LEVI +. GREENE,
First Assistant Engineer, L. S. n.
Senator II II NyTIToN-N-