New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-22
BUTLERls BOLD sEIzURE.
IFrom the New YORK World, June III


LFrom the New York World, June III
The suit against General Butler for dam
ages for his Seizure of the steamer Nassau
/ at New Orleans, in 1862, is still on trial be-
| fore Judge Shipman, in the CRited States
| Circuit Court. The usual large attendance
at the trial was sensibly diminished yester-
DAY on account Of the heat and the very
defective ventilation of the court room
The jurors empaneled viii have cause
for self-cOngratulatiOn if they escape the
fate of one Of the jurymen upon the trial of
Mayor Hall, and come away at the close of
the trial with health Unimpaired. The ear
lier half of the day was occupied in the
discussion of the admissability of the as
Segment by George Hunnewell, from
whom the Nassau was seized, of
his interest in the vessel, and his
cause of action againt General Butler,
to HI. A. Tilden, the present plaintiff. The
court admitted the assignment in evidence,
and then the testimony of Samuel p Griffin
was read, to the effect that Griffin, subse-
quently to the seizure of the Nassau by
General Butler became, at the suggestion
of Andrew jackson Butler, the brother of
General Butler, interested in the Nassau,
and that Andrew Jackson Butler was owner
of the steamer Union, and was interested
in cargOes of other vessels, and offered to
loan Griffin money to buy the Nassau with
drew, found the Nassau unfit for his pur-
poses.
BUTLER AND HIS STAFF.
Colonel William H. Wiegel was recalled,
and his direct examination resumed, as fol
lows:
Question-W you, or not, on friendly
relations with General Butler on the twenty
second of September 1862 Answer-I
was, during all the month of September;
there had been no trouble between General
Butler and myself until 1869
QuestiOn-What was the first real diff
Guilty between you and General Butler2
Answer-The first difficulty that occurred
between General Butler and myself was in
relation to moving some men from the Ma
tiOnal Asylum for Disabled Soldiers.
QuestiOn-State only difficulty in rela-
ton to this suit AnsWer-While / was on
leave of absence in March, 1869, few days
after the inaugurs ton of President Grant l
was at the Generals office, and in the con-
versation was asked in reference to this.
suit: the General asked me in this interview
what my recollection of the seizure of the
Nassau was, and stated that he expected
some difficulty, some trouble about it. (
told him didn't think my recollection of
the difficulty would be of benefit to him.
The conversation was interrupted by the
entrance of Mr.. Boutwell,.
QuestiOn-What further did he say before
the interruption Answer - He simply
asked what recollection had of the seiz-
ure; l stated very frankly thought the re-
collection would be of no benefit TO him.
Question: want to know if he said any
thing of the interest he or anybody else mad
in your memory? Answer-That was some
time after.
Question-What was said thenl An
swer-I don't remember the exact date,
six weeks or two months afterward
when he met me again; another
conversation took place, and this mat
ter was brought up again; the General
asked me what my recollection was; l again
told him l didn't think my recollection of
the seizure would be Ofany benefit at all to
him; he said if / could make my recOIlec-
ton agree with his, that it would be of con-
siderable interest to him, and l wouldn't
lose anything myself; told him l wasn't
that kind of man, and that ended it; shortly
after this the real difficulty commenced.
Ex-Judge Porter proposed to put in evil
dence the successive appointments and pro-
motions of Mr.. Wiegel while on General
Buffers staff and afterward, and to show
that be did not leave the army until the
close of the war.
The court excluded the evidence as ir-
Judge Shipman remarking that he
did not propose to gauge the integrity of
any witness by the number Of stars or bars
on his shOulder-straps, and he did not in
tend to allow the jury to do so.
Question-To what did that letter refer
in which you ask not to be dishOnorably
discharged
General Butler objected to the question.
Judge Shipman asked the object of the
proposed testimony.
Ex-Judge POrter-We propose to show it
was written to cOunteract efforts of Andrew
jackson Butler, who insisted upon Colonel
Wiegel being discharged.
The COURT exclude it.