The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-11-23
Gen. Esutterficld's Speculation ln
Ghe Battle of ChanCc7iOrsYElie--
The Teiesi; ANS That ale Sent. ,

Ghc Battle of EhanCc7lOrsVElic--
The Teiesi ailS That ale Sent. q,
Correspondence of the New York World
At the battle of Charlottesville, But
tcrfield, with the rank Of Major General
of Volunteers, held the position Of Chief
Of Staff to the Commanding General
His position made him the executive Off
cci Of the army, and admitted him to Il
full knowledge, not merely OF the plans
of the battle, but Of its progress and all
its varying chances. AS Chief Of Staff
he issued an order absolutely closing
tcIcgraphic communication with the rear,
not even the Government being permit
ted to send or receive dispatches to or
from the army. So close and stringent
was this blockade, that the writer Of
this article, then an army correspondent.
at the close Of the battle attempted to
send 4 dispatch to the newspaper i'll New
York which he represented, simply say
ing that he would be i'll New iIork on
the following day but this dispatch was
refused. On the following morning the
correspondent reached New York, and
gave to the public the first news Of the
result of the battle that had terminated
thirty-six hours previously.
! During this time Of tclegraphic sus-
pension, three dispatches were put upon
the wires at the headquarters Of the
army for transmission to this city. The
first Of these was as follows:
ARMY OF THE PoToMAC, May 2, 1868.
TO Leonard w. jerome, New York:
"The boy is wounded. ID. B.
The date of this dispatch and its tenor
intimate that it must have been sent i'm
mediatclv after the disaster to the Eley'
enth Corps. At later hOur,when moro
definite accounts OF the disaster were re
ceiyed at headquarters, and when Sickles
with the Third Corps, was cut off frcr
the rest Of the army, second dispatch
was sent, reading It's follows:
Army OF TIE PoroMAC, May ,, 1868
TO Leonard W. Jerome New York:
"The boy is badly wounded. 2. B"
And thea on the following day, whel
the rebels pressed their advantage, ant
drove our army into their contracted ant
hastily thrown up earthworks, two mile
nearer the river than where they wer
first met by the enemy, and the salvation
of the army seemed to depend or Sedg
wick's ability to join it from below Fred
, ericksburg, q thild dispatch WAS sent a
+ follows
"ARMY OF THE PoToMAc, May 3, 1868
ITO Leonard ". jerome, New YORK:
1.-The boy, we. fear, is mortally woun
ded. d. g."
,, 1t so happened that, pending thcs
movements, Gen. t. Z. Eckert held til
position of Superintendent of Militar
Telegraphs, with headquarters in tn
} War Department at Washington. Th
lines leading from the army passe
through his office. The singularity {
- these dispatches, and the fact that onl
: these came from the army, attracted til
S SuDerintendent's attention. Instead {
q permitting them to pass on to their de-
tination, he quietly took them to the Se
" retary Of War. The Secretary too
them to the President in indignation an
II demanded Butterield's dismissal. I'll
e President sent for the Secretary Of Stat
e who had always been Butterfleld's frien
|. and backer, and showed him the di
:, patches, and announced his dctermln
IS ton to act upon the recommendation
e the Secretary of War. Mr.. Sewal
l begged that extreme measures be not +
IS sorted to- ':He is a young man" pie:
e the venerable Secretary, "and has bee
Y inveigled into the crime by the W;
C street SPECTATORS Suspend him al
d send him to me. I'll lecture him ar
IS will be responsible for his future co
V duct" The President was won by Il
/ charitable views of the Secretary
f. State; Butterfeld was suspended and G
y dered to Washington; was severely re
le rimanded by his venerable patron, an
at his request, reinstated and sent bat
to the army.
is But despite this vigilance Of the Go
s ernmeut, it subsequently, turned out tn
Butterfcld was equally vigilant.
managed to learn of the suppression
at his dispatches,and Immediately prepar
/. others, which were sent to Washingt'
Vi by special messenger, and thence ft
10 warded TO their destination in New 70
y by Speeds Independent Telegraph line
~ which were disconnected from Cover
y ment surveillance, they not reaching
le the army. These dispatches reach
b. New York before any intimation of
result of the battle was received, al
operations in gold to large amou
were predcated upon them. What &c
s' Butterfeld's share of the profits was,
still as much a mystery as his share
ic the late pool of Corbin, Fisk, Butte.':iel
;" Gould & Co. j. N.