The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-12-22
BIOGRAPHY OF A GREAT
GENERAL.

benjamin +. Butler was the son of
his parents, and was born at their place
of residence, at Lowell, Massachusetts,,
on the occasion of his birth. When he
first opened his eyes on the world and
things, he was very young, but increased
in age as he grew older. Nothing i'll
particular rendered his infancy peculiar
| from that of other children, save that 1T
is related of him that, on one occasion,
while imbibing in the lacteal nourish-
mcnt from the paternal breast, he was
detected in the act of purloining the
glass beads with which the lady adorn-
ed her neck. A good spanking, hearty
cry. and a sound sleep ended this little
episode.
The next we hear of him is as lad
attending the district school. The mar
blcs, tops, and other toys of his school
mates disappeared very rapidly, to the
great dismay of the losers and the Won
derment of the master, who could dis.
cover no clue to the daring robber. At
length the lad Butler was detected i'll
flagrante dilictu. 1t appears that lad
named Smyzer was the fortunate pos
SCISSOR of "white alley" that was the
wonder and admiration of all the
urchins ut school. The lad, Butler, had
long gazed upon the marbl with an
envions eye, and determined, at the
first opportunity that presented itself,
to possess himself OF it. Nature
having favored him with eyes
that gave him the appear
ance of looking in any direction when
in reality gazing contrary. course, he
sought occasion to use his optical intirm-
ity as an aid to his nefarious purposes,
and, one day, when a crowd of the boys
were hurrying by in game OF shiny
where he and the Smyzer boy were play
ing marbles, Butler called out, "Oh!
Bill. locke yonderw Bill saw the di-
rection in which his comrades eyes were
looking. as lie thought, and turned his
back to see what was the matter. The
truth is, Buffers eyes were fixed upon
the marble, and as soon rs Bills back
was turned, the toy found its way into
his pocket. When the robbed urchin
sought for his marble it was non est.
Butler Immediately charged some of the
boys of the 'shinnying" party with the
theft. Fortunately the transaction was
witnessed by a'bright-eyed, intelligent,
and truthful little fellow. named Tomp'
kins. who reported the matter to the
master, who, upon searching the culprit
discovered not only the lost toy, but
many other "fruits" of his spoilatlnG
disposition. The result of this affair
was good logging and expulsion from
school.
His parents, ashamed to keep him III
the town after such an expose, sent
him off to Cambridge grammar school
where he remained until ready to enter
college. through which he passed, as
most young men do, without giving any
further evidence Of those rare qualities
that afterward distinguished him rs a
warricr.
His next move was the study of the
law, for which profession his peculiar
style of honesty admirably lifted hlm'
He did not make more noise Ill the
world than second-rate alder pop gun,
until it became fashi hionable with him to
attend Democratic national conventions
for which may kind heaven forgive
the Democracy. At Charleston, by in
flammatory harangucs, and persistent
voting for Jefferson Davis, of Missis-
sippi," we are no little indebted to
Bntler for his valuable assistan CO i'll
IIpgng aRUpt the II haPRYs Ps statf tgaJtah4y fGf
the last four or five years.
As soon as the tocsin of war was
sounded, he took pencil and paper and
figured up the chances of "a good thing
on both sides, being in doubt about
which cause to espouse, but finally con-
cluded to make Il "spec" OFF both, by
drawing a salary from one and stealing
! from the other.
Accordingly he employed friend to
intimate to the good-intcntioned but
frequently mistaken, and now consid-
erably-lamented President Lincoln that
BENJAMIN +. Butler, of Massachusetts,
would have no objection to wear a pair
of consultations on each shoulder, and
command an army corps or two. Both
were given him, and at Big bethel and
Fort Fisher he succeeded in making Il
GOOD many corpscs ont of his corps.
Without. however, placing his OWL
corpus in any especial position of dan
But it was during his command at
New Orleans that he performed such
deeds as caused Us to employ our pen IN
indictinr this veraciOus-(and. by the
way, only authorized edition)-biog-
raphy of the distinguished warrior. HIS
! famous "woman order ii is not me-
ccssarv to republiSh here. We will on
" detail the circumstance that called 1t
forth. A distinguished Confederate
General left behind him, Mt her home in
New Orleans. young and pretty wife.
General Rutler paid her friendly call
Like most young and pretG widows
whose husbands are off to the wars,
Mrs. was possessed of considerable
vanity as we'll rs silver ware. The for
mer promptcd her to make dazzling
display of the latter. Butler saw. COW
eted. and pocketed rs much of the silver
as was pOrtablc when the lady was
compelled to leave the apartment for q
few moments at the call of servant.
She sent him note request
ing him to return the ware. He
replied that he would do so if she
would kiss him and allow him to act
in the capacity of her husband, during
that gentleman's absence. This reason
able request the lady was foolish
enough to decline. Butler then
issued the famous order chasing
all ladies who did not feel inclined to
suffer the embraces of his officers and
soldiers as women of the town, plying
their vocation, and ordering them to be
treated rs such. lie also fined every
lady who was housekeeper heavy
sum, and took all their silverware to
hold as "a pledge until the nne
would be paid. AS many of the fines
have not yet been paid, he of course
holds on to the ware of all recusants,
For this very legitimate business tran,
saction he has been the recipient OF all
the abuse that a vile rebel press could
command, and even now has to wear
the contemptuous and brutal title OF
"Thc Beast
oh! shame where is thy blush
! And, Butler where's the spoons Z
But the acme ofinjustice was reached,
and the ingratitude of republics fully
demonstrated, when General Grant
,nol,a of him os having been "bottleC