Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-05-07

General and Admiral ReRghting
the Battle Of New Orleans.
AN ACRIMONIOUS CONTROVERSY.

Tn nm After Dinner speech Gen. Butler
Charges Admiral Porter with Running
Away from Rebels al New Orleans-The
Admiral says the General Was Not RE-
sponsIble for iris Statements.
Bosrox, May 7.-Gen. b. F. Buffers
accusation Of cowardice aga Ad-
miral Porter has attracted =, cad
interest throughout the countryssI The
accusation was not made direct. but its
insinuative purport left no doubt in the
in the minds of his listeners-the MEM
hers Of the Butler club, at whose dinner
the general spoke last Wednesday for
whom il was intended.
IN this speech the general said:
la1e taken some minutes of your time to
renew your remembrance Of this glorious VIC
tory of Iarragnt and his brave officers and
failOrs-her0es all, save one. a high officer who
ran AWAY. 70 the exception proves the rule.
These remarks were in reference to
the capture OF New Orleans in April,
1862. Afterwards, when asked to whom
lie referred Gen. Butler replied by
way OF answer:
'sSuplaae you have Admiral Porter
read my speech, and then ask him If he
knows who ] mean"
Admiral Porter Takes 1t Easily.
WAsHINGT0x, May Z. Admiral Porter,
when bis attention was first called to
the attack OF Gen. Butler, said:
.sGen. Butler knows my record too well
TO make such a charge against me, and
1 haven't the slightest idea that he re-
ferTed to me. There were three officers
who failed to take their ships past the
forts who were censured by Farfagut in
general orders One of the three, a
commander, undoubtedly did behave
badly and ran away. / will not give
you the name of the officer who ran
away / have no doubt Gen. Butler
means the same man do"
documentary Evidence.
In further REPUTATION of Gen. Buffers
charge, the admiral produced the fol-
lowing official letter:
NAVY DEPARTMENT.. May TO- 1862
SIN: Your dispatch of April 30 inclosing
the articles of equalization of Forts Jackson
and Sc. Philip, which surrendered on the @Sth.
after bombardment OF la consecutive hours
by the mortar tlotilla, has been received.
have also to acknowledge the receipt of the
flags taken In the two forts on that occasion,
including the one originally hoisted on Fort
st. Philip whom the Confederate forces de-
clared the state of Louisiana to have seeded
from the Union, which have been sent for
ward 10 the department. The important part
which you have borne in the organization of
the mortar fiotilla and the movement on New
Orleans has identified your name with one Of
the most brilliant naval achievements on rec.
ord, and TO your able assistance with the
fotilla Is Flag Officer Farragut much indebted
for the successful results he has accomplished.
no yourself and to the officers and seamen eft
the mortar flotilla, the department extends its
congratulations am, respectfully,
GIDEON WEIIEs.
Commander David ID. Porter, Commanding
United States mortar fiotilla, etc. etc.
Porter Says Butler Was Drunk.
In a second interview Admiral Porter
said:
at is all nonsense to say that we for
sock our duty, even for an hour. The
forts surrendered TO me, and Butler
knows it. His position is untenable,
and he never would have attacked me
had he been sober. That speech of his
was drunken speech, you know. I'll
give him enough of a reply, however.
Ill fire it at him for the next three
weeks, and then he will let me alone for
five years | shall not hear any more
from him during my lifetime, for don't
tAECCt 10 ave tA4lOlit0l liNC years 4 sup
pose he was celebrating his capture of
New Orleans He claims it, / UNDER
stand, although the city was in the pos
session of the Marine corps for fully
three days before Butler and his troops
got there know that because l towed
them.
The Sea Dog Tries Invectiye.
.sWhen that bird of i'll omen" he said,
takes ofTense at any one he bottles up
his venom until in one of his maudlin
intervals he expels it, On my first
acquaintance with Butler at New Or
leans he Sent me an impudent message
upon which wrote to him that if he did
not send me ample apology. / would
take personal satisfaction. He had to
make the apology after doing all he could
to dodge the issue. ~Since then we have
not been at all like Damon and Pythias.
Getting Warmed Up.
about once in every five years after
one of his drunken bouts Butler makes
spasmodic rush at me like a mad bull,
but l have always caught him on my
horns and thrown him flat on his back.
I wonder the PUBLIC should notice what
the old imbecile saws and except for the
fun OF laying him out again would not
notice him now. He is the only man /
Cftks 4f~xlAN VI WIN NOA&A O0AAktG tic
contempt of sae whole nation, could al
WAYS run away in times OF war and vet
flourish. / came very near thrashing
him while he was military governor of
New Orleans. and am sorry did not do
it, The general i going TO write a
volume OF "reminiscences. If he will
come t. me, viii give him book full
about himself. which viii enlighten the
public who may have forgotten the
time when he went by the name Of
Beast Butler among the children in the
streets.
Hutler Means business.
Gen Butler. fortified behind ponder
Gus legal tones and immured in huge
piles Of manuscripts. sat in his Office on
Capitol hill last niglatengaged in the pre-
paTation of reply TO Admiral Porter re-
gargling the New Orleans episode. He
has enlisted the assistance of his law
parter. Mr. Barrett, and business of every