Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1893-01-19
TO THE SUPREME BENCH
BUTLER. LAWYER. SOLDIER AND
STATESMAN, is DEAD
Not Known the Old Warriors Life Was In
Danger-His Sixty Years of Active Career
Since His Graduation from College.
Death Came swiftly.


Gen. Benjamin +. Butler, OF Massachusetts,,
died at his Washington residence, New Jersey
avenue, opposite ths Capitol at 1880 O'Clock
ease. He had risen but a few minutes Lefore
and was suffering from an attack of nausea.
His servant started to assist him, when the
General murmured, 1T is too late; all Is over"
And within five minutes all was over, the old
hero expiring just as a hastily summoned
physician arrived. Not later than Tuesday the
General was discussing Mr.. Blaine's illness.
and said, Blaine may outlive me yet" Did he
feel prenpnition of his impending death?
bsn]IMn MN 5Stler ,S1a wa MAS ,h porn az Deerneid'
served in the war of 1912. Mrs. Butler and her
young son Benjamin settled in Lowell, Mass,
about 1923. The lad attended the Lowell
High School and the Exeter Academy, and was
graduated at Waterville College. Maine, in
1883. After pursuing course OF legal studies
he was admitted to the bar In 1s4O and began
practice at Lowell. He became prominent
civil as well as the most successful criminal
lawyer in Massachusetts. In 1884 he married
Miss Sarah, the daughter of DIR. Hildreth.
In 1853 he was elected q Free Soil Democratic
member of the Massachusetts, State Legisla-
ture and became the leader OF his party. He
next became the coalitionist delegate to the
constitutional convention and was again prom
inent. During the Know Nothing excitement
of 1855 he opposed the new party and when
Gardner disbanded the Irish companies he re-
sisted, thereby losing his colonel's commission
in the militia.
In 1859 he was nominated for Governor of
Massachusetts on the Liberal ticket, but was
beaten by Briggs. In 1860 the split took place
in the Democratic party when Gen. Butler op-
posed the prO-slavery clique, in both the
Charleston and Baltimore Presidential oonven-
ttons, yet voted fifty-seven times for the
nomination Of Jef Davis.
When President Lincoln issued his first call
for troops to suppress the southern rebellion.
Butler was brigadter general of the Massa-
chusetts militia. ON the I4th OF April he
marched with the Eighth Massachusetts Regi-
ment to Annapolis and was placed in COM
mand of the district of Annapolis which in
cluded the city OF baltimore. He entered that
n n ut ha hau6 6sNf M
men and occupied the city, placing IL under
martial law. lie was made major general
during the same month and assigned To
the command of Fortress Monroe. Here he is
sued his famous proclamation declaring slaves
contraband OF war, and for many years after
ward the negroes were universally referred to
as "contrabands," the intelligent contraband"
occupying large space In the war literature of
the period la August he commanded the force
that captured Forts Hatteras and Clarke, In
North Carolina. Hrs attempt TO dig the Dutch
Gap Canal cost Inarfy thousands of lives.
About this tfme he became involved in con-
troversy with Admiral Porter. and for the good
OF the service the two officers were separated
General Butler being assigned to command at
New Orleans. 1t was during this controversy
that the General referred to the Admiral as
Bottled Porter" sobriquet that clung to
the naval commander for many years. Before
his assignment to New Orleans General Butler
had recruited an expedition for service on the
lower Mississippi. In March, 1862, the expedi-
ti@n reached ship Island and marched up the
river to New Orleans and cc-operated in the atr
tack made upon the city by Admiral Far
ragut
ON taking possession of the city General
Butler assumed despotic powers, forbade the
promenading of women on the streets after
ntghtfall, and inaugurated sanitary reforms
that ultimately proved of inestimable value in
guarding agatnsG epidemics of yellow fever.
He armed the negroes OF the city and levied
forced contributions for the support of the
ordered the execution of William Mumford for
tearing the American flag from the mint. He
was cordially hated by the Southern people,
m har Iaff In ,aI
proclamation declaring him an outlaw. He
Also seized SSO0OOO In treasure that had been
deposited at the Dutch consulate, insisting
that 1t was intended for the purchase OF arms
for the Confederates
Dec. l6, 1862, General Butler was recalled
from New Orleans. AT the time he declared
that this was prompted by Louis Napoleon,
who contemplated an invasion of Mexico, to
which Butler was hostile. In 1863 he com
manded the Army of the James, including the
departments OF Virginia and North Carolina
He was subsequently sent to New York where
trouble was feared at the elections, but his
stay there was short, owing to the protests
of leading citizens and officials. Re-
turning to North Carolina he made futile at
tack upon Fort Fisher near Wilmington This
ended his military career. He removed by
Gen. Grant and returned to his home in Massa-
,ohusetts.
He was electtd to congress by the Republic
cans In 1866 and served until 1879, with the in
terval of two years. He was one of the mana
gers gers on the part OF the II ouse In
son and displayed so much malignity
m his conduct of the prosecution that
IL assisted in bringing about a great popular
reaction in the Presidents favor. He was the
Republican candidate for Governor OF Massa-
chusetts In 1871. In 1873 and in 1879 he was
again the candidate of small wing of the
Democratic party and of the Independent
Greenbackers, but was again beaten. He was
elected by the Democrats, however. in 1882
The following year he was again a candidate,
hurt failed of election.
Hew the Greenback and Anti Monopoly
for President in 1884, but received only
IS, ,s25 votes. He devoted the later years OF
ms life to the practice of law in the United
States Supreme Court and to writing a review
OF the public events in which he had borne a |
part He possessed large fortune, derived |
principally from the profits of bunting fac |
tory, the only one of the kind in the United |
States. His wife died several years ago. His |
only daughter became the wife of GOV. Ames, |
The Military Governor of Mississippi.l