Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-01-21
GEN. BUTLER MUSTERED OUT
Died Suddenly in Washington Wed.
nesday Morning.
Dissolution Was Su5i,n and Withou. PAN
-..Pneumonia AMI Hart Failure
...His Remarkable Career.
Senator Kenna Dead.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12--General Ben
jamin i. Butler Is dead.
He died at 1880 q. IN. Wednesday oi
heart failure, superinduced by an at
tack OF pneumonia.
General Butler came over from New
York on Friday last. lie was taken III
on the train, but recovered, ana no
marked preInonitions of his sudden
death manifested themselves. There
had been some apparent increase o.
fcebleness in his gait reccntly. but not
more SO than might be expected from
his advanced age74. This was partly
due TO his increasing bulk and the fact
that he had exceptionally small feet
and weak ankles upon which ID sup
port so heavy weight. His faculties
remained unimpaired.
He went to the war department af-
ter leaving the court in the afternoon
looking after'some business and during
the day took severe cold which later
developed into pneumonia. Neverthe-
less he sat down to dinner at his homa
with his accustomed cheerfulness and
afterwards sat chatting with the mem
bers OF the household. lie retired las.
night ut II o'clock and soon after mid
night his colorcd body servant. West
heard him coughing violently. liza
went into the generals bed room To seq
il he could be of any assistance. but
found that the general had passed on to
the bath room adjoining. There West
followed and offered him assistance. Tn!
general mentioned that his expectora-
ton had been discolorcd with blood. Hs
did not appear To think seriously of tho
lass Ia LAT
had assisted him 10 his bed he said:
That's all, West; You need not do
ANYTHING more and he apparently
went 10 sleep. He had lain upon his
bed but few moments, however, when
his heavy breathing again causej
alarm. Mr. Lanier Dunn, his nephew
by marriage, who resided in the same
house, started out in search of medical
assistance. 1t was fully fifteen minutes
before he could secure aid.
The end was apparently painless and
according to the doctors certificate wa.
brought about by heart failure super
induced 10y an acute attack of pncu
monia
Telegrams announcing General But
ler's death were sent 10 his surviving
children.
BENJAMIN Franklin Butler was born ir
Deerfeld, n. H., November, 1918. lie
was the son OF Captain John Butler, whd
served under jackson at New Orlet
He was graduated at Watervlle collegS
(now Colby university. Maine, In 1888,
was admitted to the bar in 1870. began
practice at Lowell Mass, in lSil, and
afterwards had high reputation AS "a
lawyer, especially Ia cFimina! cases. H.
early took prominent part in politics on
Hpmnpratic "a
member of the Massachusetts honsc OF
representatives, In 1853, and OF the stats
senate in 1889 In 1850 he was delegate
to the democratic national convention
that met at Charleston. When "a portion
of the delegation reassemblea al HAlti-
more Mr.. Butler, after taxing part in tho
opening debates and votes announced
that a majority OF the delegates from
Massachusetts, would not further partci,
pate i'm the deliberations OF the conven-
tion on the ground that there had been u
withdrawal in part of the ma lOrity of tha
states; and further, he added, upon the
ground that would not sit in convenl
tion where the African slave trade which
is a piracy by the laws or our country, ~
approyingly advocated"
In the same year he was the unsuccessful
democratic candidate for governor OF
Massachusetts. At the time of Presi!
dent Lineoln's call for troops in April,
1851 he hold thc commission OF brigadier-
general OF miiitiasN On the 1ytAuuunH-H1Ir6n~uu
month he marched 20 Annapolis With tli4
Eighth Massachusetts regiment and was
placed in commander the district of An!
napolis, in which the city of Baltimore
was included. On the 18th OF May 1851,
he entered Baltimore at the head of 90l
men, occupied the city without opposition,
and on the 18th Of May was made major
general and assigned To the command of
Fort Monros and til. department Of east,
ern Virginia. While h. was here some
slaves that had come within his lines were
demanded by their masters, but he re.
fused to deliver them up on the ground
that they were contraband Of war. hence
arose the designation of ''contrabands,
often applied TO slaves during the war
In August he captured Forts Hatteras and
Clark on the cost of North Carolina. Hs
then returned to Massachusetts to recruit
an expedition for the Gulf Of Mexico and
the Mississippi On March -, 1852,
the expedition reached Ship island
and on April II went up the Mis-
sissippi. The feet under Farragut hay
ing passed the forts April "a and vi,tu-
ally captured New Orleans. General But
Ter took possession OF the city ON May |.
His administration of affairs was marked
by great vigor. He instituted strict sani-
tary regulations armed the colorcd men
and compelled rich secessionists to con-
tribute toward the supper, OF the city's
poor.
His course in hanging William Mum
ford for hauling down the United States
flag from the mint, and in issuing Order
No. y, intended TO prevent women from
insulting soldiers, excited strong resent.
ment, not only In the south, but in tn,
north and abroad and in December, 1852.
Jefferson Davis declared him an outlaw.
On May 10, ls 2, Butler seized about $780,
900 which had been deposited In the Office
of the Dutch consul, claiming II was to
aid the confederacy.
This action was prote tied against BY
the foreign consuls, and the government,
after an Investigation, ordered q return
OF the money. General Butler played .
conspicuous part in the war tilt De-
cembsr, 1854 He conducted an in.ffect.
nal expedition against Fort Fisher, near
Wilmington. N. c., and soon afterward
was removed from command by General
Grant. He then returned to Massachu,
sets, was elected by the republicans fc
congress, where he remain ID till 1879.
with the exception OF the term from 1874
to 1877. He was the most active of tn,
managers appointed in 1873 by the housy
70 impeach President Johnson He wal
defeated rs a republican for governor OF
Massachusetts, In 1871 and again in 1871
and 1879 as greenback and democratic
candidate. In the year 1889 the demo-.
Gratis united upon him and he was elected,
though the rast of the state ticket WAS de,
feat During hts administrafion M
made = charge OF gross mism ana cement
by the authorities OF the Tewk sherry
almshouse; but. after long investigi.
ton. committee of the legislature dc.
cided that II was MT sustained In 1881
ne was renominated. but was defeated. I,
1884 he was the candidate OF the green.
back and ant mon ouolist m mi as %. xb.