Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-28
RoDEnICK RANDOM BUTLER.


RODERICK RANDOM BUTLER.
'Avery" details an interview with a
citizen of the first Congressional district
of Tennessee:
''Who will the Radicals trot out for
Congressl" | asked.
'"There are several talked of, and as
they are bullet headed set, they may all
run. Butler wants to be reelected mighty
bad, but this cadet business that has lately
come out on him has weakened him very
much. They say he is going to come
home and explain it all, and fix it up
somehow 50 as to get the nomination.
But il will be hard to cover up and smear
over; but he confessed before the COM
mittee that he had sold the appointment
and got the money. He knew they
would prove it on HIM anyway, and be
thought he could break the fall, so that it
would not quite break his neck y
'Could he poll the full Radical vote of
his district against Johnsongn
'1No; many of the Radicals are down on
him for his cadet sale, and for his bounty
money transactions. They want an hon
est man, if they can get one, but when it
comes right down to a close question,
whether Butler7or a Democrat should get
the position, they would go for But er,
cadetship and all If there is anything
the Tennessee Radicals hate, it is Dem
ocrat.n
'Did Butler really make use of pen
sion money that he had collected for
widows and orphans 2"
"Why, there is no doubt about it. |
can give you several instances. Before
Butler was elected to Congress, he col
lected one hundred and eighty dollars for
an old lady whose son was killed in the
Federal army. She kept going for it, and
he would put her off by saying that it was
not yet collected. She was in much dis
tress, as she was very needy, and went to
a citizen in Greeneville to see if he could
not find out something about it for her
He wrote to E. b. French, an official con-
nected with the Treasury, and French re-
piled that the claim had been paid to But
Ter eighteen months before. One day
when Butler was in Greeneville, she got
after him again for her money, but he de-
clared that the papers in the case had
been mislaid, and the claim not yet col
lected. The woman then went and got
French's letter, and taking an ex-Federal
soldier with her, confronted Butler with
it. Now said she, give me my money!
Butler. squirmed like a boiled eel. He
liked to have twisted clear out of his
clothes, it was such clear catch. But
twisting did no good; he had TO fork over
the money, which he did. The woman
went and told it every where, and all who
had claims in his hands got after him.
The widows, orphans, cripples and old
| pension women came down on him like
forty cats on one poor rat. Some of them
got their money, and others didn't He
| owes several of them yet, and probably
always will. l know one old woman
whom he owes four or five hundred dol
lars. She put the case in lawyers hand
some time ago, but has got nothing as
YETI
"What did the department do about it7''
''They struck him from the roll of
claim agents. OF course they don't want
no such men collecting the money of
| widows and orphans of soldiers.
''What, was be stricken from the roll
of claim agents for being a rascal, and
then sent to Congress? That's curious.
ooh, no, not curious at all; he's a
Radical"
(Which side did he fight on during the
war;"
swell, he did not hurt anybody on
either side, though he made big splurge
on both sides. In 1861 he was 4 mem
Der of the Harris Legislature and was
about the bitterest Rebel in the whole
concern, as the records show. He tried
% make up q regiment FOR the Rebel
army. Do you see that low, thickset,
| plain-looking man over there!"
| eyes"
| t.Well, that's Upton, State Superint en-
| dent of Public Instruction. Early in the
war, Butler came to him and wanted b in
to help raise Rebel regiment. But Tip
ton couldn't see it. When Butler saw
that the Southern COnfederscy would &C
up, and that no Southern man could viii
five Yankees, like they thought they coulC
at first, he turned mighty loyal, and jOines
the Federal army. But he never killed
many Rebels. ="
AS a fghtist, Butler was not a success
1t is said that his main achievement in th'
army consisted in rigging himself in full
uniform, and having his photograph taken
Having accomplished this brilliant fea
he resigned apd went into the claim bust
ness. Imagine the. First District Cadet
broker, now pursuing his peaceful avocs
ton as dealer in cadet-appointments a
the lowest market price, and genel
ously dividing the profits of said lucra
tive business with his party friend
for the purpose of conductin
political campaigns in this state (Ctde hi
confessions) to imagine him on a charge
which smelleth the battle afar off an
wants to go to it; see him with two row
of brass buttons on. his breast; epaulets 6
large as oyster-cans on his CORY shoulder
and clanking spurs upon his feet the siz
Of dump cart wheels; imagine him heal
ing the sound of battle, and then rushin
toward picture gallery to have b
photograph taken.