The morning call., 1893-02-04
GENERAL BUTLER.
Incidents of His Life in
New Orleans.
ACTS OF KINDNESS RECALLED
Some Stories Told Since the Death of
the Soldier Statesman of
Massachusetts,.

The death Of General b. F. Butler, says
New Orleans correspondent of the Wash
lngt0n Post, has revived many of the recol-
lections OK events which occurred during
the period OF his command In the Depart
ment OF the Gulf, with headquarters In The
Crescent City, aud some curious stories are
told which place many of his acts in differ
ent light than that in which they were held
ct the time.
General Buffers force came over from
Ship Island 10 garrison the town simulta-
neously with the capture of New Orleans by
the Federal feet under Admiral FarTagut.
General Butler was directed to take CON-
mand OF the city and relieve the naval
forces OF any further responsibility for the
maintenance of peace and good order with
in its limits by putting it under martial
law.
AT the time of its capture New Orleans
was in most precarious condition. Nearly
all the able-bodied male residents of proper
age had gone away in the various regiments
that were then in Beauregard's army or
some OF the other armies in the COnfederacy.
The thugs, rOughs, and thieves from nearly
all the large GILES of the South who would
not join the armies had drlfted into New
Orleans. The police force had been so de-
mentS that 1t was entirely unable 10 deal
properly with the dangerous elements that
almost held the town, and, although Mayor
Monroe did his best TO remedy this cODdi-
ton OF affairs by enrolling special police
force, yet there was danger of a serious
outbreak at almost any time, and r0bberes
were occurring daily. The r0ughs and
thieves would not work. and there was but
little work to be found even if they had
been willing. Food supplies of all sorts
were daily becoming scarcer and higher in
price. Bread riots were threatened, and
old citizens OF New Orleans do not hesitate
now to say that had not the city been
placed under martial law when it was the
worst and most dangerous riots in its
history would have ensued.
As the commander in town under mar
tial law, containing the dangerous slemeHts
that then infested New Orleans, a better
man than Butler could not be found. For
many of the acts under his administration
which have caused so much adverse criti-
clsm General Butler was not so much to
blame as was his provost marshal, Lieu
tenant john /. Davenport, WHO has since
achieved rather dubious national
notorieiy under the name Of Little
johnny Davenport" as chief Federal
supervisor of elections in New York City.
General Butler soon cleared New Orleans
Of Its dIsorderly element. Every doubtful
personage, whom some respectable citizen
would not vouch Tor. was put to work at
cleaning the Streets, which were in the
worst possible condition. In thirty days, or
by the 1st of May, 1862. they were in better
condition than they had been for years.
The thieves and rOughs left the town. 1t
was not good place for them, and the
place in month was as peaceable and quiet
as Boston.
Davenport did so many things that got
General Butter into trouble that, under
orders from Washington, he was relieved
fftA L..
Jonas French, a prominent Massachusetts
Dem ocTat-whom Governor Andrew would
not commission colonel of one OF the regi-
ments raised by General Butler because he
(French) was Democrat-was appointed
provost-marshal in Davenport's place.
There was au Immediate change for the bet
ter Colonel French learned that Daven-
port had caused a considerable sum of
money, which had been left in a New
Orleans bank by General Beauregard for the
use of his wife and family, who resided in
lie city, to be seized and confscated.
General Butler at once ordered that the
money be released from seizure aud returned
to Mrs. Beauregard's credit. He also
directed that all letters she received from
her husband through the mails De allowed
To 20 to her unopened. and all that she
wished to send to him should go out of New
Orleans upoa her statement that they were
purely personal and contained no military
information.
Mrs. Beauregard was then very I'll Of an
incurable disease, OF which she died. When
Butler learned that she was in dying con-
ditiOn, and could not be moved out of the
city. he sent word through a confidential
source TO General Beauregard that il he
wished TO come to New Orleans to see his
dying wife. and would give his personal
parole to make no military use of his visit,
lie might do so, and he (Buter) would. In
turn, give him his word that no official
ShOHln q faEpD hp W
OF course, must be made with the utmost
secrecy. General Beauregard was then en-
gagged in the defense of Charleston, and
therefore was unable to avail himself of
this unequaed act OF generosity, but no.
Dody'eyer heard OF an uHklnd word from
this most distinguished engineer and soldier
concerning General Butler.
Ii came to Buffers knowledge somehow,
for he knew everything. that the sister Of
Mumford, who was hanged for tearing
down the United States flag from It's staff
on the New Orleans Custom house, was in
deep pecuniary distress. He INN diately
caused her wants to be relieved, and in 1866
procured for her position in one of the
departments at Washington. which she held
for years under the protection OF his in
fuence.
Money left for the maintenance of the
wife Of General Harry L. Hays, which had
been seized under the act OF confscation,
was returned to her credit, at Buffers direct
order, by Colonel Jonas French.
Learning that the family Of a distin-
guished cOlOnel-then commanding his regi.
ment in the army of Northern Virginia
was almost destitute of provisions, by rea-
son of the failure of the commission mer-
chant who had been paid in advance TO
furnish them, General Butler caused a sup
ply to be sent them ample to last until the
husband and father could be communicated
with and a new arrangement made for their
subsistence.
These are but few of the stories one can
hear daily upon the streets of New Orleans
since the old man died. They have been
long known to few, bat the bitter enmity
against him, by reason of his "wOman's
order" has kept them comparative secret
until now. when his sudden death has
caused generous people TO forget all but
tile good he did when he was the autOcrat of
Z no ALInnr Z 81. q.