The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-19
-BEAUREdARD AND BUTLER
A Sad Romance in the Life of the
Confederate General.

Interview with Beauregard in N. Y. World.]
II left home suddenly February %
1861, having resigned from the Unit
ed States corps of engineers, on the cal
of the provisional government of the
Confederacy, at Montgomery, Ala.
l expected at that time to return in
about a fortnight to command in
Louisiana, where / had been sta
toned for many years. Instead, l
was ordered to Charleston, S, c.,
thence to Manassas, thence to West
Tennessee, ETC., to the end of the war,
remaining absent from home four
years and three months. When /
started from NewOrleans Mrs. Beau
regard was in very bad health, and I
was compelled to leave her with her
own family to be taken care of; hence
l was extremely anxious to return to
he with her ; but in wal a soldier be-
longs first to his country and then to
his family. Shortly after New Or
leans was taken possession of by the
Federals, my wife and family-com-
posed only of ladies. the gentlemen
having gone to the war-received an
order from Gen. Bntler's chief quar-
ter master to vacate their houses in
fOrty-eight hours, as it was to be oc-
cupied by Federal officers. An old
friend OF the family, DIR. Mercer, who
was we'll acquainted with Gen. But
Ter, went t him to demonstrate
against such a proceeding and to ex-
plain the condition of Mrs. Beaure-
CARDS health. Gen. Butler at once
countermanded the order, which, he
said, had been given without his ap-
proval. Moreover, he sent a guard
to protect the house from further in
trusion, but the ladies requested that
the guard be withdrawn, which was
done.
"The war progressed with variable
results, while Mrs. Beauregard's
health became worse and worse. At
last, in the early spring of 1864 it be-
came evident to her physician and
her family that she had not long to |
live. Our good old friend, DR.. Mer-
Ger, again went to Gen. Butler to
know if there were no possibility of
my seeing once more the tender and
wife from whom I had been
so suddenly and long separated. He
Immediately turned to his desk, and
with bis characteristic prOmptnesS |
an unconditional pass, which
authorized me to enter his lines and
come to New Orleans, where l could
unmolested as long as circum-
required my presence there.
That was a noble act, for which l
shall ever be grateful. 1t is doubtful
n my mind, whether many officers
If the United States service would
nave been willing to assume such a
responsibility without first referring
;he matter to the war department at
Washington.
When | received the pass Charles
on was threatened with another Sc
'ious attack, and Gen. Seymour, of
he United States army, was about to
eaye Jacksonville, Ala, on an exp
lition across north Florida, thence to
he gulf OF Mexico, and l vas organ
ziEg a force to check his march,
which was done shortly after by
lens. Finnigan and Colquitt, at the
Of Olustee or Ocean Pond. I
vas thus placed in the painful dilem-
IA of choosing between my duty as
commander and my affection as a
lusband. l declined the pass SO gen.
offered.
1.-Two weeks after while with my
r0ops In front of Jacksonville, into
Which General Seymour had retreat
d after his defeat, 1 received, and
cad by the dismal light of a camp
ire, the news of the death of one
7hom / loved dearer than life. We
Iad been married less than one year
vhen we parted, and [ never saw her
Gain ~ |,