American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-05-15
SWORDS AND TROPHIES.
Twigs', Taylor's and Sidney John
sons.

FROM Inc New orleans Picayune.t
Gen. Butler had passion for
swords-as the trophies Of battles
never fought. He got possession OF
several i'll that way, by bloodless
victories over trembling women.
Gen. Twiggs, in the early part of
the late war, was the Confederate /!
commander in Louisiana. Bat be /
had been superseded, and retired |
from the service, in consequence Of
are and infrmities. Just before the
arrival of the Federal troops, in 1862,
he WAS carried away from the city, a
helpless invalid, stricken down with
the attack of which he died not long
afterwards. In leaving the city he
deposited some family relics pieces
of plate, and his sword of honor
with New Orleans family, in special
charge of some ladies, to preserve
for his infant son. BY piece of do
nestle treachery, through a negro
who had been taken into confidence,
Butler learned where the sword of
Gen. Twiggs was. He summoned
the two ladies before him-mother
and daughter-and by his peculiar
modes of practicing OH the fears and
weakness OF women, extOrted the de-
livery of the deposit. Among the
articles was one sword, given to Gen.
Twiggs as mark Of honor twenty
years before, by his native State of
Georgia. What became of the plate,
we are unable to- say. The swords
were transmitted to Washington, as
military trophies, for which the cap
tor deserved special national recog.
milton. 1t was actually proposed III
Congress to bestow one of them on
Gen. Butler himself, as a mark of
, national esteem, for prowess in war.
, We do not remember what became
, of the proposition. There was all
appositeness about it which deserved
to succeed. Nothing could be more
appropriate, in public acknowledge
ment of Buffers military honors,
than the gift OF a sword, which had
been left by dying non combatant
in the charge Of some helpless women
: and been eXtorted from them by
=, oaths and scowls.
There was also another sword, the
property of the family of dead sol
:. der, which Butler sent for and got
q. in the s%if1e heroic manner. 1t was
the sword which the State of Ken
a lucky had bestowed upon Gen
! Zachary Taylor. That, too, was il
\ the custody of females, friends anG
connections of the family. 1t was
: carefully put into what was thought
p to be a place of security but domes
: tic pertidy, which Butler boosted
q here of having organized into a per
: feet system, taught him where to fine
it. He marched file of soldier int
the premises, and in the presence O
. the trembling females captured tba
3 sword, and assumed the right to be
! stow it on some friend of his own.
Another story of a hunt after .
r sword is current here. 1t was one O
~ the shocking incidents of the war
. that the tomb in which the remains
; of Gen. Sidney JOHNSON had beef
. deposited, on their way to be burie'
= i'll Texas, was broken open and sack
- ed under Buffers rule.
:, Public rumor then had it, and it /
h made probable by such misdeeds a
Il we have recorded, that he was keen
ly after the sword of the dead Gen
eral. in his coffin, as another troph,
for the s. Hero of New Orleans"
- While ware on the subject 0
Butier litaTy trophies, We ma,
as well mention another of whicl
b. his biographer will never recount TIN
particulars as they are vOucEed TO
= here. 1t is said the Confederat
of flag which he forwarded to Lowell
:. aud which was displayed on the At
IS of July, 1862, in that city as a SYN
in Dol of the glory acquired by thei
o. townsman was bought of avivandier
p 2. in Confederate company, who de
#. serted with it to the city when tn
= COnfederates were retiring unor
n. posed from Fort Livingston, on b,
o. ing recalled to the main body a
nt Pontchatonla.
o. These antics of a charlatan polit
10 clan playing, soldier, are as disgust
e, ing, as they are to us, to the true hi
IN roes OF that great conflict, whom hi
to tory will remember with favor.