The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-01-02
Am Incident of the War.
umbia, south Carolina, dec, 21,) Cores
nonderlce Of the New York Sun.

K. Hawley, of Connecticut
Il thought that Joe held hisown very
we'll in his row with Butler" said I.
Seward braced his knees against the
ear-seat in front of him, and laughed.
YES" he replied, ben. forgot what
had happened down on the james River
when he woke up Joe Hawley in that
Springfield speech. That was the first
trouble between them"
"What was it?' / inquired.
WELL" said:Seward, ''you know that
Butler had forty thousand men at Ber /
muda Hundred while Grant was fight
ing Lee in the Wilderness. If he had |
been prompt and bold he might have |
gone into Richmond like book But
he got bottled up as Grant said, and |
that was the end of him. Then Grant |
took the most of his troops away from
him, leaving with him about four or i've |
thousand men under General Terry and
Hawley. 1t cut Butler up terribly
knocked his military dignity into cock
ed hat. So Butler got his back up, and
determined to do something on his own
hook. He had his engineers cut new
road through the woods, which would
bring him out in the open country be-
tween Petersburg and Richmond. He
ordered uawley's brigade to march over
the road during the night, expecting
that Joe could reach the open country
by daylight, and then assault and cap
ture Petersburg. He sent Kautz with a
regiment of cavalry around the other
side of Petersburg to make an assault on
the works south of that city, at the same
time that Hawley struck it on the north.
Well, Joe started off with his brigade
during as dark night as ever you saw.
1t was the night that Grant was fighting
Lee at Cold HarbOr. | remember that
we could hear the guns of that battle.
But Joe found that Buffers road was
wonderfully and fearfully made. 1t was
hacked out of thick forest. His engi-
neers had left the stumps two and three
feet high. 1t was almost impossible for,
| Joe to get his batteries over them. He
worked like beaver, but at daylight he
was not more than halfway to the open
ground. Butler heard of it, and sent
message to Joe, wanting to know why
in hell he wasn't in the open country.
'D-you' said Butler, don't you know
that have removed Major Generals for
less than this?' Joe sent back word
that he was doing the best he could,
Ter he could remove and be hanged
to him. 1t was well along toward noon
when Joe struck the open country.
There was line of works extending
toward Petersburg for miles.
at would have taken several hours to
reach the city in straight march. 1t
was SO far away that you could not see
one of its church steeples, and you
know the city is on rising ground at that.
But Joe obeyed orders. He carried line
after line of works at the point of the
bayonet, but the city seemed as far off as
ever About sundown Kautz's cavalry
formed junction with him. Kautz re-
ported that he had assaulted the works
at different places, and found them we'll
manned. He had been repulsed on every
side. A strong force was already mass
ing in front of Hawley, and common pru-
dence dictated return to camp. 1t
was late at night when the troops reach
ed their quarters. Joe sat down with
out going to bed-his newspaper life
had made him a sort of night owl
and wrote ont his official report, sending
it TO Butler as soon As it was finished.
Next morning an orderly came TO the
tent, and said that General Butler want
ed to see General Hawley Immediately
I rode up to Buffers headquarters with
joe Joe got off his horse and went in
side / remained without heard them
at it inside. Butler was roaring at Joe,
and browbeating him as though he were
a witness in rape case. Every once in
while Butler would shout, You say in
your report so and So Hawley would
answer, You misquote my report; / say
no such thing Then Butler would
swear and talk about the Major Gener-
ais hs had removed. For long time
Joe kept his temper. The lie direct
was given. 1t was too much. Joe went
for Benjamin. He caught him by the
coat collar, and shook the stuffing out ot
him. I was thinking about going in
! Al &c IL
tent. He was as calm as a summer sea
Come, Seward he said, let US go.
shall be removed if stay here much
longer And we went back to our quar-
tiers.
"What did Butler do about it?'' / ask
ed.
"Why, the hulking coward did moth.
ing" Seward answered. "He was asham.
ed to have it known. He took the lick
ing like dog, and never spoke of it af
toward. When Butler for the first time
attempting to get the nomination fol
Governor of Massachusetts, Hawley
opened upon him in the Hartford Cour
ier. Butler attempted to reply in hii
speech at Springfield. He began to rid
, icule Joe's military record, but one o.
the Curant reporters croaked him up by
rising from his seat and calling him g
liar. Then Joe threw editorial vitriol
, on him, and since then the fight ha:
ragged with more or less intensity. Ever
since Hawley licked him, Butler has ex
pressed the most profound contempt fol
newspaper men. But the meanest thing
he ever did was his action toward Chs p.
lain Thomas You've heard of that
havn't you"
"No," / responded; "what was it2"
"Well, Thomas was a chaplain in oul
brigade Some reporter from the New
York Herald asked him what he
thought of Butler. Thomas said hewas
good lawyer, but a mighty poor Gen
eral. The Herald man printed the sto-
ry. Soon after that Thomas disappear.
IJ:. 1oofxaJ f. ~