Evening star., 1869-11-03
Libel Sutt by General Buaseraeld-
New York letter 10 the PHILADELPHIA Led,

~ We" hoik iettcr 10 the fhiladelphta Ledycr
says
General Butterheld, il is said. has instituted
legal proceedings against one of the city morn
ing journals for libel, in charging that lac useI
the news OF the battle Of Charlottesville 20 pro-
mote private stock operations in Wall street ali
the while that he was withholding intelligence
of the disaster from the newspaper CORRESPOND
ents and the public. III the case is ever pressed
Tor trial, the lawyers say one of the most start
ling OF the unwritten histories of those times
viii be opened up"
The charges above referred 20 appeared in the
World, and were made by an eN-army CORES
pondent OF that paper, who alleged thas at the
battle Of Characteristic, General Butterteld,
tolegraphic communication with the rear. MT
even the government being permitted TO send or
receive dispatches TO or from the army.
The World writer says:
"During this time of telegraphic Suspension.
three dispatches were put upon the wires at the
headquarters Of the army for transmission 10
this city. The first OF these was a. follows;
ARMY or TIRE POTOMAC. May ?, 1sC3.-ro
Leonard w. JerOme, New Tork:-The hoy is
wounded. D.B
The date of this dispatch and it, tenor init
mate that il must have been sent imm ediately
after the disaster TO the Eleventh Corps. At q
later hour, when more definite accounts Of that
disaster were received at headq quarter-, and
when Sickles, with the Third Corps, was cut on
from the rest Of the army, a second dispatch
was sent, reading as follows:
"ARNy or rhE Potomac. May 2, iss3.-rs
Lecnd,d W. Jerome, NeW HOrk:-'rhe boy is badly
And then on the following day, when the rebels
pressed their advantages, and drove our army
into their contracted and hastily thrown-up
9arthworks, two miles nearer the river than
where they first met the enemy, and the saliva
tion of the army SET med to depend ON Sedgwick's
ability TO join Il from below fredericksburg,
third disyatch was sent as follows:
"ARMY OF THE PoroNAc, May 3, lss3.-To
Leonard w. Jerome, Nso ToTk.-The boy, We
fear, IL mortally wounded DID,
In 81 bannened that nendi ~ tl,asa ,,,ove,oan,s
General t. j. Eckert held the position OF super
iBteDdent OF Military Telegraphs, with head
quarters in the War Department At Washington.
The lines leading from the army passed through
his office. The singularity OF these dispatches,
and the fact that only these came from the
army, attracted the Superintendent's attention.
Instead OF permitting them 20 pass 10 their
destination, he quietly took them TO the Secre-
tary of War. The Secretary took them TO the
fields dismissal. The President sent ior the
Secretary OF state, who had always been But
terfields friend and hacker, and showed MIN the
dispatches, and announced his determination To
act on the recommendation of the Secretary OF
War. Mr.. Seward begged that extreme meas
ures be not resorted 20. 'He is a young man."
inyeigled into this crime by the Wall street spec
ulators. suspend him, and send him 10 me. I'm
lecture him, and will be responsible for his fu-
charitable views OF the Secretary of stat: Rut-
terfeld was suspended aud ordered 10 Wasbing-
ton; Was severely reprimanded by his venerable
back TO the army.
But despite this vigilance Of the Government.
IL subsequently turned ont that Butterfield was
equally vigilant. He managed TO learn of the
suppression OF his dispatches, and Immediately
prepared Others, which were sent 90 Washingtog
10y special messenger, and thence Forwarded to
their destination i'm New York by Speeds Inde-
pendent Telegraph lines, which were fscon-
nected from Government surveillance they NOT
reaching TO the army. These dispatches reached
New York before any intimation of the result OF
the battle was received, and operations in gold