The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-27
GENERAL BUTLER.

GordOn-HOw He Disposss of the ssSp00n
Question''-IIis Affection for General Grant.
from the Boston Evening Traveller, Oct. 2e.I
TO THE EDITOR OF TnE TRAVELLER
during which, with his free consent, wrote down
In short hand notes his answers to my questions on
pubic ,h affairs ana ms own personal career he
what he said now proceed to print.
BUTLER ON GORDON.
81 have been reading G0rd0n's speech In the Al
certtser,n began. .Mr. Dana's friends regard 1t
Us damaging "a Indictment against you. Do you
ssOh, yesp' said the General in tone OF contempt
II know Gordon very well. He was educated at
West Point-leit the army to become lawyer
tailed IN both capacties-was starving. In the be-
ginning OF the wag, when every man who had seen
West Point was supposed to be Wellington, Gov
ernor Andrew appointed him colonel OF the Second
Massachusetts regiment and regretted 1t but once,
aud that was ali the time; for before he lett the State
ne mad bitter quarrel with the Governor, which
ment. He was with Banks in the valley and there,
BY dsobedlence OF orders, brought on the 1ght,
called the disaster, in which Banks was wounded
lie was then transferred to the Depart
ment Of the South under Gilmore, where he
court martiaed-fOr which OF his virtues don't
remember; but ne was convicted BY the court com
dismissed the 1service which sentence the Com
manding General approved. When IL was forwarded
70 washington. Gordon got Senator wilson, VINO fs
always kind hearted, to nercede for him at the War
Department and got his pardon. He was then at
ms own request, on my application sent down TO me
the James. believed his plausible story that he had
been hardly dealt with and offered him the command
stomach for fighting, and requested that he might
he pat on some other dnty. and put
N 81 sas sa q s MARTIAL fna se
had experience In that line-having been twice
court marsialed himself-he would do very well.
And he did. when in New York, ut election time,
be being absent from the army, found him there.
Wanting an officer OF experience as chief OF stan,
appointed him 70 that position, and during the Ave
Va n a
from the Army OF the James General Ord succeeded
me, and Gordon applied for and got the command
could mud out many things against me II he
was allowed to open an investigation. am
inclined 70 believe that Gordon supposed that
was ruined man at that time. and that it would
not harm me II he helped himself by joining in the
abuse Of me, which was 80 popular with the
West Point officers at that time, and besides might
lngratiate himself with General Grant. When he
began don't think he was malicious; but only at
tempting to use what he regarded as dead body as
. stepping stone His investigation proving fruit
less, he was very much chagrned, and attempted by
the most arbitrary and cruel measures to extOrt con-
fessi0ns ana testimony which might tend to impli-
cate General Shepey and myself. When he made
his report General Shepiey demanded Of General Ord
that II there were anything In 1t which touched his
honor or propriety OF conduct q court Of in-
qury should be given him, and Ord informed
him that there was nothing in the report
which went 10 SHOW anything that affected
him. or course, if there was nothing which anected
General Shepey there could be nothing affecting me,
because during the time covered by the investigation
was seventy miles away at the 'front.' and the whole
affairs OF the district OF Norfolk were conducted by
Generai Shepley and with very great propriety and
ability. have the aflidayltS or Mr. Ezra Baker, OF
Lynn; Colonel George w. Johnson, OF south Boston,
In command OF the Second regiment Of Massachu-
sets militia, and the testimony Of Mr.. Renshaw,
y. Smith, then commanding the Twentieth New
York cavalry, and OF Mr.. II. T.. Rockwell (since
member OF the Mas saclesetis Legslature), who re-
ported All the testimony taken before Mr. Gordon In
his investigation, and who made sworn report all
showing mat Gor.lons manner Of investigation was
10 call witness on the stand, swear him,
ana then take him aside and tell him that hts object
was not 10 harm hun, but TO get something against
Then n them anu ,he sca AND begin 10
question them, ana when they would say that they
knew nothing against me or General Shepley, Cor
Knew they were lying, and order them into close
confinement, without the privilege Of seeing their
friend, Or counsel and keeping them there some o.
offered bal Ia very large suns-sl00oo, $4,000 and
t5c.o These aindayiis. OF sworn petitions TO
senate 10 interfere were not acted ON previous to
his death. Those who were released on bah had TO
they would not disuire anything that look place be-
fore Gordon, aud in some cassr IN oatn was admin
Ills pains utterly faicd TO md any thing against
chnseiis aud attached himself to Andrew johnson,
and wrote articles that were pubshed In the Daily
Advertiser 10 prove the constilutionaty Of Johnson's
policy. AZ q reward Tor this service Johnson APP
pointed him United states Marshal for Massachn-
setts Al the request OF these persons, whom he had
injured, I laid the evidence before the Massachli.
sets senators. and he was rejected Hence his per-
sonal bitterness towards me-"
"well,- said. !. but all this relates to Cordon's
character and motives; what ABOUT his statem5ntsr'
Tus cAsv or LANE.
..weI reoined the General, III Gorsion's speech
IL carefully read II VIII be that he does dare
u make any specific charges against me, except that
my friends, beng connected with George w. Lane,
now OF Boston who was carry Ing On. according TO
Gordon. unlawful trade with the rebels, when his
properiy conascsied aud he msef ned 81 oco i ~
General Palmer. commanding az Newborn, released
his steamer, restored hun the nne AMI only pre-
trty becanse was relieved from command before II
could he done. The facts are simply that
had re'asea nr a a,'so,,;, permit ,u % trade
though I thought the object good onc--,o Get DOT
cotton In exchange for srclcs DOT conraband OF war.
Lame received his permit from Abraham Lincoln and
the supervisory agent ~ the Treasury. Upon that
he got the ordinary military permit granted MIN by
Wise. The or,i.f. ~ he War pcpsTsnent We're that
all Treasury orlers 20 frde should be respected by
the military officers cn pain ~ conrt martial Gene.
raj Shcpcy took ouf ~ Lane boat everything IA the
shape 81 provisions leaving him scarcely enough 10
support hs crew. Lame, when HIS boat WAS seized
National hans % norfolk, TO General Grant to Iay
the fac In reward 20 the sciyur Of 'nr ve~ec before
han. and after was rCiisscd from command. by
the boat Wa Restored his fne was rcGlfiea
ant the proceeds ~ the -ac ~ nis pro. crty.
IA the hands ~ -n~rni Palmer were ordered 10 be
viii APPEAR lren tie efidavus vnich ~ soon a.
have tms, propose " have prbil she'd 80 much
Tor ihc tlsarfte n e8nuerle1 win Lane. The other
aidalts VII cover every insinnailo1 or impuiafiou
~ Gorlcns speech ai,d show that ffcfe 4 rot asnb
s'antlai truth ~ y a,n gi,l w: ';orton. N sup
poTl "a Sr Dnna ana thcsc having hin ln charg ,
mas made fhf- a''act. There have hccn inan,.
au.nyia.a- ana vlra'ent ISLANDERS on re 10 which
coulu nos feply and Nhffh I Aafr always thought
lesf sly ~ rfnif' a. die ~ tactr ewn Nlru.ence."
vEy uisEhsh EffitN DOR Not N,sEh MS
20 s~ufGgn~
ssTne safss.," 7 rtfouvfsi. tnncr male that ~
one s.r0t. charge Hgeifrs 'tssl. WIZ have sou nui
answered. These sefiutf@ rflFr. CO.
.iecag@..f' sn~vrrs-i flufler. III si,uld entirely
snur oiu one offncrl ~ aunld te easy ~ To- aGd
then liof 4n*wVr fhe meki fta' Ial cne.Ae- should
bring nj, tnes ~nnd irinvatatrly say thai nc woud
rr,i's 10 NJ y, cUui. aa'l ~ ,ois-irua ms aicncc
lnla cuis, isoa sni Nfe wouln ~ To- sloft -
swtr ail lai fsi. lnNiigniat eOuia -ugg.,l. II ans
person efns~ts ~ ncf1hn TRIAL tn commanding Ngn
trsi ~ 4 department uUuii .fu .p0On~ wAe1, ~
sllnrN ,fdeE ~ rxuifi ia 20 lntyn@ ~ nuury hg
vii Az hsAtevv scaa t.e l~ ~ mind a fstitnie
ma ~ kauag n hog'a haze st'.vn sreuns u hc has
~, oiYpurusNS.
n'srlrr.. starsr 80 Nls sroo> QUESTION.