The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-01-27

utes. Later in the war there were
thousand such incidents never heard of
But at Big Bethel brilliant young man
an author, Theodore Winthrop, wal
killed. He was lamented, and Butler de
rided.
Bull Run, several Republican H&ehf6er'
of Congress and myself, equipped will
credentials, took boat at Baltimore anC
ran down to Fortress Monroe to see But
Ter and get glimpse of war, as We
thought. The voyage was not exactly
festive. The Virginia shore was in
tensely dark at night. The lights were
all out. 1t was suspected there were
"Secesh sympathizers" on board, and
that an armed tug might put out from
some gloomy rook to capture squad OF
members of the Yankee Congress- and
an table editor Nothing of the kind
happened. Butler was aboard snortiDg
tug, going out to the Rip Raps, where he
had Parrott gun mounted, and shelled
the woods at Seawell's Point opposite.
Smelling the pine woods was a warlike
amusement at that time, and held to be
highly exciting. 1t was so stirring to
see gun fired with a ball, even a shell,
in it, and to mark presently the puff of
white smoke in the green trees far away,
showing there had actually been an ex-
plosion there and some one might have
been hurt. Some of the Congressman
held it was daring in Butler to go out to
the Rip Raps and sling iron into the sa-
cred red soil of Virginia. No one mag
ined then how sacred the soil was to be,
and how redeemed with the blood of the
brave.
When we saw Butler at his headquar-
tiers he was engaged, but said 81 have
business with my reverend friend here,
and will see you in few minutes" He
referred to Massachusetts minister who
had gone to the front to get the b dies
of some of the young men slain at Big
Bethel, and Butler was signing the per-
mits for the transportation. He was
nervous about this ceremony, and his
small viii hand seemed agitated as he
scrawled the signatuses. We "paid our
respects" as they do in Washington, and
Butler at once took on the air of the
military patriot and hero, and mentioned
blandly to me that, in his opinion, the
war would not close until several editors
were hanged, and then he politely indi-
Gated that even members of Congress
might be spared and sacrificed with adj
vantage to the cause of the country.
Butler was not in favor with the West
Pointers, and could not get a command
equal to his ambition. The severity of
his rule at New Orleans yielded him
crop of enemies as we'll as admirers, and
was followed by the milder reign and
the misfortuhes of Gen. Banks, against
whom the leading accusation, after his
Red River expedition. was that he had
charged the Confederate cavalry with
cotton wagons. One thing Butler did at
New Orleans-he cleaned the town, and
it remained wholesome for years.
Tho Fort Fisher fasoo vvas not Rntler's
fault, and the failure of the powder ship
raised an international laugh on him that
he did not deserve. Then Grant used
the expression that Butler had been
"bottled up at Bermuda Hundred and
the notion that the Confederates had got
him in a hole, and put in a cork to hold
him, immensely pleased the people, es-
pecially as the words were Grants.
This phrase Butler resented, and he pre-
pared pamphlet against Grant that was
suppressed; but speech on his return
to Massachusetts, was quite satirical.
However, after Appomattox there was
no use in criticising Grants military
record.
In the johnson impeachment case the
energy of Butler was striking, and he
became the leader, and provoked the
sarcasm of Evarts about the difference
between discussion and ''concussion,"
a reference to the powder ship. At this
time Butler was showered with letters
his assassination, and read
some of them before the Senate. One
was decorated with skull and cross bones,
and 1T read: "Butler, prepare to meet
your Godr"
He was formidable member of Con-
gress, and drifted after while toward
the Democratic party; but there was not
a disposition to receive him as a long
lost brother. He had said many terrible
things. He had sworn on the battlefield
to be true to the cause of the black man.
He had hanged man for tearing down
the American flag. He had been out
lawed by Beauregard and JEFF Davis for
an order that treated New Orleans ladies
who insulted the blue uniform as women
of the town plying their vocation. He
had proclaimed the slaves centraband of
war.
Butler was greatly distressed by he
Hayes-Tilden campaign, and had much
to say. In 1878 he was investigating,
and seemed to believe he had hold of the
threads OF conspiracy. He was, in fact.
in one of his transitions. He shocked
the sentimentalism of Massachusetts, at
last, and trampled on her traditions by
becoming Governor, and saw him in
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