Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-26
BUTLER IN NEW ORLEANS.

mends the passage of the bill as modified.
Adjourned to l01 O'Clock tomorrow.
BUTLER IN NEW ORLEANS.
"Reminiscences of the Occupation
His Passion for Dead Mems
MISREPRESENTATION of the II Ouse of
Gen. Twiggs.
From the New Orleans Picayune.
The reported arrest of Gen. Butler in
New York, for one of his transactions in
this city, in the way of appropriating
private property, pay result in placing on
record proofs of one of the many charges
which have been made against him. The
account is confused, the persons are i'm
properly described, and the sum is greatly
exaggerated. But there was a case in
which the family mentioned are said ia
have been despoiled of silverware and
other property by violent acts of Gen
Butler; and it is inferred, from the insti-
tuition of the charge in New York, that
it has been ascertained that a portion of
the articles did not reach the public treas
ury, but has been traced to the possession
of Gen. Butler
The outlines of the Twiggs case, as
popularity believed, are these: Before the
fall of the city, Gen. Twiggs, who had
been in command of the city for the Con-
federates, had resigned, from age, agra
waited by acute disease, and he had been
carried away from the city in q failing
condition. He died shortly afterwards,
leaving an infant son, who, in right of his
mother, was the owner of the fine, large
house in which Gen. Twiggs had lived.
Before he left, the General made DISPOSE
tons of articles of personal property as
presents to friends, and deposited others
in places of security, apprehending that
sort of spoliatiOn which did come off.
Gen. Butler, after his arrival, and when
Gen. Twiggs was dead, took possession
of the house of Gen. Twiggs as his head
quarters. Everything in the house was
appropriated to the uses of the General,
his staff and the coterie of males and
females he gathered about him, in those
mighty feasts for which the place be
came noted. This appropriation included
the clothes and jewelry of a married
daughter of Gen. Twiggs, wife of an alb
sent Confederate officer.
Desiring to state the case moderately,
we forbear reporting the scenes in which,
and sort of persons to whom, these
trophies were exhibited, or the distribu
ton which is said to have been made of
the spOils. Not satisfied with the con-
tents of the house as he found them,
Gen Butler instituted inquisitOrial search
es after supposed articles of furniture and
pieces of property which he was informed
Gen Twiggs had caused TO be removed
before he left the city. Gen. Butler had
taken into his own service negro servant
of Gen. Twiggs; and, under his direction,
sent his military subordinates all over the
city hunting for stray articles in every
corner, which his negro conidant pointed
out, as likely place of deposit for any
thing that had belonged to Gen. Twiggs.
In this way he got a good many house
keeping articles, table and bed linen, etc,
which have never reappeared in any list
of restored property; and like the $50, 600
in gold of Smith u Co, will not be
found mentioned in any return to the
government of the proceeds OF captured
property. Some of the valuables of the
house, as the proceeds Of this foraging,
may have been found in Lowell. The
city gossip abOunds with anecdotes of the
eagerness with which Butler prosecuted
the search, and the brutality with which
he assailed and browbeat everybody sus-
pected Of having anything which had
ever belonged to the dead old Confederate
officer.
Butler had a great passion for taking
the swords of dead men, as military tro-
plies; witness the breaking open f Sid
ney JohnsOn's tomb, and exploring the
coffin, hoping for a sword; and his send
ing a file of men, with negro spy, to
break up the floor on Martin GOrdon's
| premises, to capture the sword OF eX-
President Zachary Taylor, dead and in his
grave twelve years before the war. He
wanted the sword of the dead Twiggs to
grace his victories here; and hunting it
up with the tenacity of blood hound,
lighted upon it in the possession OF the
family named in the dispatch from New
York. 1t was the legacy of the moribund
| father TO his infant child; a sword OF
honor bestowed upon him by the Legisla-
| ture of his native State, many years be-
fore the war. 1t was now given in charge
| for this same purpose, TO lady. As
mark of friendly regard, the General be-
slowed on the same lady articles OF SILVER
plate, but nothing like the sum mentioned
in the dispatch. On the information OF
the spy, the lady and her mother We're
made to follow military guard to the
presence of Butler in his office. They
were rudely assailed in his customary
style, driven to tears by his brutality, and
| the secret of the deposit was eNtorted
| by these tcrrOrs. All that was IN their
possession was given up. Here 1t was
| that he obtained that sword OF zen.
| Twiggs which was sent to Washington as
one of the TOPPLES Of the capture OF New
Orleans, and this it was which public
| proposition was made 10 bestOW upon
| Butler himself as a reward for his valOr.
Nothing could have been more
appropriate, in perpetual memory
of the achievements of Butler in
New Orleans, than the sword of a
dead septuagenarian, the property of
an infant, won, by rutfiany violence,
| from the fears of woman.
The sword was given up to the govern
ment. Its sale would not have melted any
thing to compare with the glory of having
| won it.
In the same package were two other
swords of honor, belonging to Gen.
Twiggs, presented by other Legislatures,
all very costly.
But among the articles captured with
it, were, we have said, some articles of
valuable plate and the case against Gen.
Butler in New York must relate to the
removal of this property, the failure to
make return to the government, and pos
sibly tracing some of them into Buffers
| possession.
Surprising the dispatch to be true, this
is probably the nature of the charge.
Even if it be not correct, in the fact of
such a procedure having been commenced,
it is worth while, all the same, to recite
one of many incidents which show that
such course of proceeding would not be
misapplied.
JUsr fancy a group of medical students
counting the pulse of patient IA miles
away; vet that was what was done short
| tirna o;poa Tvhpn DIR IDlam of Salem