The New York herald., 1874-07-21
CENTRAL BUTLER SLANDERED.

A Positive Denial from Him OF the AL
legged Story of General Hooker Touch-
Ing the Money and Valuables of the
COlOred Troops.
BOSTON, July 1s, 1874
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
see going the rounds or the newspapers ex.
tracts from a statement of which General HOOKER
is alleged to be the author, but OF which have
not seen the whole, that 'when Butler was in CON-
mand OF the Army Of the James he required the
coloied troops to deposit their money and valua-
bies at headquarters for safe Keeping" and the
Iurther statement that ''when one OF these poor
devils got Knocked over and put under ground, do
you suppose" asks "Flghting Joe,' 'the money
he had let at Buffers headquarters was ever heard
from a9ainf Not cent OF 1t. 1t all went
to the credit and account OF Butler, who made at
the least $1,O00,000 in this way out Of the poor
negro regiments on the James. l was with the
army in Virginia, and learned the facts about that
business, which ought to be told"
do not think that any intelligent man ought to
require me to state even that there Is not one
word Of truth in all this. Nobody once knew bet
ter than General Hooker that an Oruer issued by q
commanding general Of such description would
have to be fled In duplicate at the War Depart
ment published TO the troops, and would be as
wei! known and as thoroughly understood by the
country at the time OF Its issue even, as was the
battle OF ChanceOrSvllle.
There we're 25,OOO colored troops in the Army
of the james under my command, with ull
complement OF sagacious and vigilant officers,
each one Of whom must have seen and known OF
the existence OF this order and the facts OF the
deposit Of the money and vauaDles OF their
soldiers. Let those officers speak General
Hooker never was with the Army OF Virginia alter
he was relieved from Charlottesville, long before
General Butler took command OF the Army OF tho
James, and therefore could not have learned "the
facts about that bustuess' there
Poor General hooker! Ii he made this insane
statement attributed to him there is An apology IN
the impaired condition Of his mind arising rom
the paralyzed state OF his body. His friends
would do him kindness TO take him IN careful
charge, as the country would regret to see one OF
Its heroes tarnish his welearned fame.
To the exact contrary OF this SANDER, savings
bank was established Ut Norfolk Tor the Deneht Of
the c0ored troops, SO that they might have place
to deposit their money under the charge .
quarterrnaster OF the army, which was transferred
to the Freedmens Bureau ut the c.0se OF the war,
and the accounts duly settled and vouched for long
after General Butler was relieved of the command
OF the Army OF the James.
Tie apparent respectabllity of the source of this
slander leads me to break a custom, which is not
to reply to newspaper ISLANDERS, but to 80 order
my life that 1t shall be an answer to all. From
this one, however, learn all.
here aver, after ten years. careful espionage
into my afalrs by every enemy OF mine, with
equal iearessness, that every accusation touching
my acts during the war in civil administration IS
equally untrue, and defy proof or probable evl-
dence to the contrary. BENJAMIN r. BUTLER.