Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-11

full explauati to his credit Of numerous lines
Of attack upon him with which the public was
RECALLED during and after the war. Most prom
inent among these was what came to be known
~ the 'bottling up At Bermuda Hundreds. Il
now appears that Gen. Grant, upon first study
ing Gen. Buffers plan of transporting the
Army Of the Potomac by water to Bermuda
Hundreds on the James, and establishing It
there for an advance upon Richmond, approved
1t and went to Warrington to put
1t In execution. II was subsequently,
abandoned because Of the nervousness among
politicians at Washington about what was called
'uncovering the capital. and the Wilderness
campaign. with its loss Of 40, 900 killed and
wounded as the price Of getting through to the
James, was substituted
''Of no one IN Congress can IL be a. accurately
asserted that everything he did or said at
tracted universal attention In the DAYS Of
impeachment and reconstruction he was
power, and there were few on the floor who
Fever cared to encounter him in debate.
He was charming host and those who have
been his guests at Lowell and on hia famous
yacht America. never tire Of telling Of the
fund OF apecdote and deeply entertaining in
side information which he possessed Of the
great men and the great times Of the country.
His book will prove his vindication against
all important Misrepresentation from which
he long suffered. And AZ ii is studied BY those
seeking to ascertain where Gen. Butler should
be placed among our generals and politicians
he will surely be lifted to q higher rank than
has yet been awarded him.
One Of the Generals Kind Acta.
Gen. Butler has been termed a military ty-
rant, but there are many men who served dur
ing the war who testify to his kindness Of
heart
Capt. Charles B. Tanner, now chief Of divi-
sion Of the War Department stands ready at
all times to proclaim the virtues Of Gen. Butler
An Interesting story lies beneath his admiral
bod
during the war and subsequently found in Gen.
Butler worthy but most unex pected champion
In the fall Of 1864 Capt. Tanner, recovered
from wounds received at Gettysburg, resolved
to return to the front. He was offered a COM
mission as first lieutenant Of the sixty ninth
Pennsylvania volunteers, then serving under
Gen. Smythe with the second army corps. The
army was thea in front of Petersburg.
DIDN'T WAIT FoA HIS COMMISSION.
Tanner was to serve on the staff Of Gen.
Smyths. In a patriotic fervor he committed
the objectionable sin Of going to the seat Of
operations before he received his COM
mission, and then transgressed further by
going into action at Petersburg and being
wounded. All this before he received his
commission. He expected to receive hat
precious document when he reported at head
quarters for duty, but was disappointed. He was
wounded November IL, 1864. and remained in
the hospital until December 49, His commits
sion had arrived in the meanwhile, and he WAS
mustered into service, to date from Novem-
Der 8.
PAYMAsTERs DECISION.
The army paymaster held that he was not
entitled to pay to the period Of service before
he left the hospital and reported for duty
under his DELAYED commission This ruling
was approved by the adjutant general and
all the other supervising army officials and
Mr.. Tanner was therefore refused pay for
fighting before he had received the proper
credentials, notwithstanding he had a
s sSpna s10" thu in pro1f of of 11u aa
several Intellectual efforts to interest bis dis
trict representative in Congress in his case.
That gentleman said it was useless to press the
claim as it would never be recognized.
GEN. BUTLER ACTS.
In the winter Of 1868 he was talking about
the case to a friend while riding up Pennsyl-
vsnia avenue in q street car. His friend was
loud in his denunciation Of his unjust treat
ment, and said it was shame that the govern
ment did not have more consideration for its
soldiers.
While they were talking stranger tapped
Capt. Tanner on the shoulder. 'Yonng man"
said he, ''come down to the House and see me-
Bring your papers with you" Capt. Tanner
asked him his name and he answered, "Gen.
Butler Of Massachusetts,"
They were perfect strangers to one another
and had never met before.
Capt. Tanner called at the Capitol AZ re-
quested and Gen. Butler took his papers into
the House. Addressing the chair, he said. II
have here the case of a volunteer officer
wounded in action and is kept out Of his Just
pay on a technicality. I ask the Immediate
reference Of his papers to the military COM
mittee." His motion was agreed to. He went
to the committee secured it's favorable &C ton and
had bill for the relief of Capt. Tanner
adopted by the House the same day. He then
went to- the Senate and induced Senator
Chandler to take similar action. The bill was
referred to a committee and was reported. and
became a law the following day, having thus
been only two days in its passage through both
houses.
HE GOT HIS MONEY
Capt Tanner got his money also on the Sec
ond day. The bill called for the payment of
only SiA.92, but involved most important
principle.
Capt. Tanner said to a STAR reporter who
talked with him about the case today that the
people who say Gen. Butler had no goodness of
heart were certainly not acquainted with him.
His Long and Eventfui Career.
Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler occupied
most conspicuous place in the public eve dur
ing all the years Of his active life. Whether in
the military service, in Congress, in state poll
tics or in private life, he WAS always conspicu-
GUS. He was man Of very marked character
istics and possessed quaint originality which
placed him apart from the other prominent
men Of his day. All things he did were done
with great earnestness. His blows were hard
and his thrusts we're keen, and left behind him
on the path Of his ambition there we're many
who bandaged their wounds and nursed VEN
geance against him. More conspicuous in the
busy throng of common life were the thousands
who regarded him as q benefactor and blessed
him Rs a great champion. He was a man Of
tho greatest self confidence and seemed to
enjoy a controversy. When told once that he
seemed to be very sanguine in fight he re-
piled: "Yes, and very sanguinary."
HIS BIRTH AND BoYHooD
He was a son OF Capt. John Butler, who
served under Jackson at New Orleans He was
born at Deerfeld, n H.. November 8, 1918,
and was educated at Watervile College, Maine,
graduating in 1888. He then studied law, and
was soon famous in that profession. Later he
became famous in politics and in war. He
located in Lowell, Mass, soon after being ad-
mitted to the bar, and there became prominent
in the democratic party Of Massachusetts,.
In 1853 he was elected to the house of repre-
sentatives of the state, and six years later he
entered the senate.
IN THE CHAMELEON CONVENTION.
1t was in 1S6O.5ust before the breaking out
of the war, that Butler obtained national
prominence. He was delegate to the Charles
ton democratic national convention that year.