The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-12
A SKETCH oF HIS LEE.

Gen. Butler was born in New Hampshire
In 1918. His father was the Capt. John
Butler who served under jackson at New
Orleans. He graduated at w Waterville Col
lege now Colby University, Maine, in 1898,
and two years later was admitted to the bar
at Lowell, where he soon built up a good
practice and took rank as one Of the lead
ing criminal lawyers in the state. He took
q prominent part in politics almost as soon
as he began the practice Of law. de began
os a democrat. In 1883 he was elected
member of the Massachusetts House OF Rep
resentatives. Six years later be was sent to
the state Senate. Mr.. Butler was
delegate to the democratic
national convention In 1850 which
met at Charleston and finally resulted in a
hopeless division. When a portion of the
delegates reassembled at Baltimore Mr..
Butler, after taking part in the opening
debates and votes, announced that ma
jority of the delegates from Massachusetts,
would not further participate in the delib-
erations Of the convention. In the same
year he was candidate for governor of
Massachusetts, but was beaten. AT the
time of President Lincoln's call for troops,
in 1861, Mr.. Butler held the commission of
8 brigadier general of militia. In March,
1861. he was placed in charge of the An
nspolis military district, in which Balti-
more was included, at the head OF
the Eighth Massachusetts regiment.
On May Is, 1861, he marched
upon and occupied the city of Baltimore
without opposition. and three days later was
made major general. He was then as
signed to the command OF Fort Monroe and
the department of Eastern Virginia. In
August, 1851, ne took Forts Hatteras and
Clark, on the coast. In March, 1862. after
recruiting his troops in Massachusetts, he
went on his notorious Mississippi river ex-
pedition, aud on May entered and took
possession of New Orleans after Farragut
had captured it. "His administration of af-
fairs there was marked with great vigor,"
says the encyclopedia. 1t was, indeed, TO
the sorrow and hurt of the south and the
chagrin and modification of even
his own people, who had him re-
called in December. Near the close of 1868
he was placed in command of the dspart-
meuts OF Virginia and North Carolina and
his command was afterward known as the
Army of the James. In October, 1864, he
was sent to New York 10 insure, at the
point of the bayonet, quiet election. In
December he conducted a bootless expedi-
ton against Fort Fisher. and was soon after
removed from command by Gen. Grant,
when he returned to Massachusetts,. In
1866 he was a republican, and as such was
elected to congress, where be remained until
1879, with the exception Of the term Of
lSI5-'7G. He was the most active
worker In fhe matter OF the impeach-
ment of President johnson. He ran for
governor of Massachusetts, in 1871 as q re-
publican, ana was beaten. he changed his
politics then, became a greenbacker and
tried again in 1878 for the same office, with
the same result. In 1882, having become
democrat again, be was finally elected gov
ernor, though the rest OF his ticket was de-
feated. During his administration he
made charges of gross mismanagement in
the Iewkesbury aims house, which he failed
TO substantiate. When his term was about
expiring be was renominated end defeated.
In 1884 he was the candidate of the Green
back party for President aud received less
than $50 600 votes. Since that time he has
devoted himself chiefly to the practice of
law aud the writing of book which has
recently oeen given to the public.