New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-23
LIE TILDEN.BUTLER sun.
More About the Seizure of the Nassau
Evidence for the Defense.

More About the Seizure of the Nassau-
Evidence for the Defense.
We copy the subjoined report from the
New York Tribune of Wednesday:
The suit of Henry A. Tilden against Ben.
iamin +. Butler was resumed yesterday h.
fore Judge Shipman in the United States
Circuit Court. George Hunnewell, the
former owner of the Nassau, was oues-
toned by General Butler in regard to his
connection with the alleged seizure, and
testified as follows:
When was brought into your Office IN
New Orleans you asked me What would
take for the Nassau; taid / did not want
to sell her; you said if / would not sell
her YOU would seize her for the gOvernment.
/ remarked that your brother had lust
offered me $22,500 for fve-eighths of her,
and thought it was hard for you to take
her away from me at your own price; YOU
then told me that lied, and that your
brother had never offered me that; Ireplied
that your brother had not told me this him
self, but / had good authority for saying
that he had made that offer, though he
never said he had done so to me; Mr.. Buell.
was with me when Treceived the check and
the mOney-S28, 0O0-which you gave me
for the Nassau; paid Mr.. Buell. tWo-thirds
of this money for his interest in her, the
first draft made on account of the pur-
chase money of the steamer Nassau / made
for Henry a. Tllden-$lO,0OO on one occa-
sion and $4,000 on another; offered one of
these drafts to Mr.. Van Wickle, in part
payment of his interest in her, but he
would not accept it, though do not know
why.
General Butler stopped at this point to
consult the District Attorney, when Judge
Shipman asked him to go on, as there were
other cases of great urgency which were
waiting to be tried, and he had no idea,
when he took up the case, that it would
take so long, General Butler remarked
that, for his part, he would have been just
as well satisfied if he had never been sued.
Laughter. The witness continued:
was at that time partner of Henry A.
Tilden, and had an interest in the Nassau;
when l was sent for to come to your office,
after you seized the Nassau, came, and
you told me she was not fit for the purposes
for which she was intended, and asked me
if wanted to buy her back, and said You
would give me but five minutes in which to
decide; l raised the money in q short time,
and when was about to hand you the check
you said that the quartermaster wanted her
Immediately, and / could not have her; as I
was about to leave the office, said 1
thought that you had sent me on wild
goose chase"
General Butler-And it must have been
very short wild goose chase" for you
say only gave you five minutes. Laugh
ter.
Mr.. Devlin, of counsel for defense. then
opened the case for the government. In
the course of his address be said:
As for the calumny and reproach heaped
upon General Butler and his brother, will
say that had the winding up of the affairs
of the late Andrew jackson Butler, and
instead of being worth millions, as the
prosecution would have you believe, he
died bankrupt-his estate would not paw
fifty cents on the dollar. General Weitzel
telegraphed to General Butler that the ex-
peditiOn which he was making in the lakes
of Louisiana required one more boat, and
that the only one he knew of that would
answer the purpose was the Naseau, and
even she would have to be remodeled In
view of this telegram, General Butler
sent for the owner, Mr.. Hunnewell, and
stated to him that he wished to pur-
chase his vessel, as the government
wished to use her. The result of that
you have heard. General Butler
never knew until this trial began that his
brother had any connection with the Mas
san. We shall prove to you by incontrO-
vert1ble testimony, that this man Wiegel
who was once one of General Buffers aids.
was ignOminiOusly discharged from his
service on account of misconduct. The
Nassau was seized in July, 1862, as a
blockade runner; the case was brought up
in this very building, and she was con-
temned, and pronounced by a committee of
The most prominent shipping merchants in
this city to be worth only $4,000 She was
lfterward sold under the hammer, after due
notice had been given, for S2I, 900.
Charles H. Haswell testiied-I have
been acquainted with steamers since 1898;
was chief engineer in the United States
Navy for over sixteen years; in August,
1862, examined the ship Nassau thorough
y, and decided that she was worth not
more than $50, 900 or sos, 900; she was built
n 1851; that year examined perhaps 500
vessels.
Henry S. Van Wrinkle testifed-I have
'eslded in New York for three years; went
Town to New Orleans in command OF the
steamer Nassau, in August, 1862; on the
way from New York to New Orleans we
prang leak, and were detained in Port
Royal for ten days. l was instructed to
ieliver the vessel over to Mr.. Buell. on GER
ain conditions; negotiated with Mr.. Buell.,
md no one. else; the first time saw Mr.
1unnewell was when he came in company
With Mr.. Buell., when Mr.. Buell. purchased
he steamer Of me; l agreed with Mr..
,utphln, one of the owners of the
teamer, to deliver his share over to
lr. Buell. when got to New Orleans: had
greaG deal of trouble to get the purchase
money out of Buell., and it was not until
.fter had threatened to return TO New
lis purchasing her; before the bill of sale
vas given me Buell. put a gang of men on
Q convert the steamer into towboat;
told Buell. that if he did not buy the other
OrtiOn of the boat, according to the CON
ract, should sell her to General Butler;
G said if | attempted to see General Butler
bout it he would have me arrested; he said
hat he intended to take her over to AL.
iers to have her altered into a tOwboaG,
ut would not let HIM until he had paid
he.
Captain Puffer testifed-I was on your
General Butler's) staff during the year
362, in the latter part of that year / went
18th hag-Of-truce boat across Lake Point
lartrain; | was in command; during the
1yage Mr.. Wiegel grossly assaulted an
heer, and l was compelled to arrest him,
hieh did, and brought him to you; you
mined him in close quarters; this Mr.
iegel, whom l refer to Is the same man
no testified here yesterday.
The case was then adjourned.
At Metz, recently, little girl, twelve or
urteen years old, was playing ball on
me walk where there happened to be a
russian General, accompanied by a couple
aides The child's ball happened to roll
tween the legs of the General. He picked