Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-05-16
rWiggs, TayIOF's. and sidney
JOhnstOn's swords.
From The New Orleans PIo.vuns1

From the New Orleans Piczyune
Gen. Butler had a passion for swords
As the trophies Of battles never fought.
He got possession of several in that way.
by blOOdless victories over trembling
women.
Gen. Twiggs, in the early part Of tie
late war, was the Confederate com
mander in Louisiana. But he had been
superseded, and retired from the service.
IN consequence Of age and inirmities.
just before the arrival of the Federal
troops, in 1852, be was carried away
from the city, 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 swords of honor
with New Orleans family, in special
charge Of some ladies, to preserve for
his infant son. By piece of domestic
treaehery, through a negro who had
been taken into confidence, Butler
learned where the sword Of Gen. Twiegs
was. He summoned the two ladies' be-
fore him-mother and daughter-and
by his peculiar modes Of practicing on
the fears and weakness Of women, ex-
torted the delivery of the deposit.
Among the articles was one sword, given
to Gen. Twiggs as a 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 eaptOr deserved
special national recognition. 1t was
actually proposed in Congress to bestow
one of them on Gen. Butler himself, as
mark of national esteem, for prowess
in war. We do not remember what be-
came Of the proposition. There was an
appesiteness about it which deserved to
succeed. Nothing could be more ap-
propriate, in public acknowledgement of
Buffers military honors, than the gift
Of a sword, which had been left By
dying non -cambatant in the charge Of
some helpless women and been extOrted
from-them by oaths and seowls.
There was also another sword, the
property of the family of a dead soldier,
WI ich Butler sent for and got in the
same heroic manner 1t was the sword
which the State Of Kentucky had De-
slowed upon Gen. Zachary Taylor.
That, too, was in the custody Of females,
friends and connections Of the family.
1t was carefully put into what was
thought to be place Of security but
domestic perfdy, which Butler boosted
here as having organized into perfect
system, taught him where to find It. He
marched file Of soldiers into the prem
ises, and in the presence Of the tremb-
ling females captured that sword, and
assumed the right to bestOw it on some
friend of his own.
Another story Of hunt after a sword
| is current here. Il was one Of the shock
ing incidents of the war, that the tomb
in which the remains Of Gen. Sidney
Johnston had been deposited, on their
way to be buried in Texas, was broken
open and sacked under Buffers rule.
Public rumor then had it, and It is made
probable by such misdeeds as we have
recorded, that he was keenly after the
7 sWUFu VI lH6 utdu dcuCIdAr III GtS COAuu,
as another trophy for the " Hero Of New
/ Orleans.
While weare on the subject Of But
ler's military trophies, we may as well
mention another Of which his biogragher
will never recount the particulars as
they are vouched for here. 1t is said
that the Confederate flag which he for
warded to Lowell, and which was dis
played on the 4th of July, 1852, in that
city as a symbol Of the glory acquired
by their townsman, was bought of q
| vivandiere in a Confederate company,
who deserted with it to the city when
the COnfederates were.retiring unOpposed
/ from Fort Livingston, on being recalled
to the main body at PantehatOula.
These antics of a eharlatan pollution,
playing soldier, are as disgusting, as
they are to as, to the true heroes Of that
great conflict, whom history will remem-
! Der with favor.