The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-17

civil life we have n previous issue cited
| conspicuously shameful illustration. OF
| course if Gov. Butter would be guilty Of
exceptional brutality; Gen. Butler wouId
be sure to De military tyrant. Ard this
| is exactly what Butler was, military
| tyrant whenever he dared TO be. II any
| body doubts the truth Of this statement
| let him read Experiences a. an Army
| Chaplain" written by Rev. II. y. Hud-
con, an honored clergyman Of the Protest
ant Episcopal church and a man Of dis
tinguished literary talents. author OF
Lectures on Sheksreare's Plays" q book
| Of permanent value. Mr.. Hudson was the
| best Shakspearean critic that our country
has produced and his lectures always drew
large audiences Of cultivated and scholarly
persons in ali the great cities Of the coun-
try. When the war broke on. Mr.. Hud-
son entered the army IS chaplain Of an
engineer corps that formed part of the
Army Of the James, commanded by Gen.
Butler from April, 1854 10 January 1865.
He was then about 80 years Of age and
was not in strong bodily health. He was
the army correspondent of the New York
Ereaing Post. and II several Of his letters
TO that journal was imprudent enough TO
make some caustic criticisms upon Gen.
Butler as a military commander. Chap
lain Hudson said nothing Of Butler that
was untrue. but as an officer Of the army
ne was guilty Of q violation OF the army
regulations in publishing any criticism Of
mis- commander. For this offense, how
ever, he was, as commissioned officer,
entitled TO be fairly tried and punished by
a court-martial. The penalty inflicted by
court-martial would probably have been
a severe reprimand; at the very worst he
would only have been dismissed the ser.
vice.
Somebody sent Gen. Butler printed
slips from the New York Erening Post con-
tanning these letters and the information
tina, the author was Chaplal AIN Hudson.
Instead of reprimandi the chap ain and
cautioning him not TO repeat the offense.
or preferring charges against him, Gen.
Butler summoned Mr.. Hudson to his tent
and asked him if he wrote the letters in
question. Hudson answered in the affima-
tive. Gen. Butler called file of soldiers
and p aced Chaplain Hudson in "the bull
pen," called. This was large guard
house ct City Point, which was filed with
the criminal refuse and dregs OF the whole
army of Grant some 125,o00 men. The
prisoners IN this ''bul. pen" included
thieves. murderers, deserters. bounty
jumpers, drunkards; all the despera-
does and dissolute, vicious trash
of great army. OF course Gen. Butler
had no more right under military law
to place an army chaplain, who had not
been tried or found guilty, or even had
charges preferred against him, in such
place of confinement than he had to order
Mr.. Hudson shot Or hung without trial.
The appearance of an officer and an army
chaplain at that in this bull pen" was
at once understood by its depraved popu-
lation. These obscene ruthans at once
understood that Gen. Butler had sent
them an officer and gentleman to torture
to their hearts content. and most cruelty
and shamelessly was Chaplain Hudson,
refined and pious gentleman. prosecuted
for a number of weeks by this army YER
min. He was insulted by profane and
obscene abuse; he was forced to lis
ten to the most fetii and ribald
conversation and anecdote, and his
vile associates taxed their ingenuity TO
cause him personal annoyance and indig-
nifty. so that the poor man before he was
released was rendered almost insane by
his mental, physical and spiritual suffer
ing. He probably would have remained
in his horrible place of confinement to
the end of Buffers military command of
the Army of the James. but some Of his
influential friends in New York and Boston
heard OF has fate and appealed to Secretary
Stanton, who at once sent Gen. Butler
peremptory order directing him to re ease
Chaplain Hudson. Even then Butler
could not refrain from bringing his victim
before him and goading him with insult.
telling him with grim smile that
he thought he had been cured of
| his passion for writing army letters 10
the New York Erening Post concerning
the operations of Gen. Butter" Hudson
| resigned from the army and published a
| pamphlet describing the treatment he had
| suffered at Buffers hands. 1t created
| great sensation, and Hudson's friends,
! among whom were included such men IS
| Longfe.low. Bryant, Holmes, Lowell, Ban
croft-in short. all the lterati of Boston
and New York-were not with just indig-
! nation. Gen. Butler could not success
! fully impeach the veracity of q gentleman
of Chaplain Hudson's high standing, and
| he did not try.
| 4 more brutal act than the persecution
! Of Hudson was performed by Gen. Butler.
| Two subaitern officers of his command
| who had been abused by him. resigned;
| he refused 10 accept their designations;
| they again sent in their designations,
| whereupon Butler arrested them, had
their shoulderstraps and al other badges
! Of their military rank removed and he
| placed them in a gang of military convict
| laborers that were then employed with
! negroes digging the famous Dutch Gan
canal. BY Buffers directions they were
| placed where they would be under con-
slant fire from the enemy's gunboats and
batteries. This act was as brutal and law
less a BIT Of military tyranny as ever was
committed by the worst OF Russian cars.
Buffers military career, if is secre. or