Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-09-28
STORIES ABOUT BEN BUTLER

The old-timers again ranged them
selves in the usual order at the rendez-
vous, in order to swap stories and dis
cuss men and things-preferably the
old, for their minds, as was natural,
dwelt upon the things of the past, and
their talks naturally took a reminiscent
tone, though the present and its happen
ings and the lessons it affords to reflec-
tive minds, were by no means forgotten
or ignored.
"We were discussing the career of
Gen. Banks the other dav," SAID Squire
Ben perhaps l should say the late
Gen. Banks, but with such historic
characters think that term superhuous.
We do not say the late Gen. Washington
in speaking of the father of his country,
nor do we say the late Abraham Lincoln,
the late Gen. Grant or the late Daniel
Webster. Then why should it be the
late Gen Banks, or the late Gen. But
Ter? Such characters, though dead in
the flesh, are forever alive in history
therefore, in my estimation, it is not
proper to speak of them as the late So
and-sO, but as if they were in actual ex-
istence.
"Well, as 1 started to say, while dis
cussing the military career of Gen.
Banks, the other day, you, Bob, made
an observation in regard to the absence
of the element of humor in him which 1
conceive to be altogether true, and it is
also true, as | said, that humor is not
incompatible with earnestness of char
acter. You instanced Gen. Butler,
among others, as an illustration of this
"This brings to my mind a reminis-
cence of Gen. Butler which has pro-
found interest, not only to certain race
of our citizens, but to the social and in
dustrlal life of our country. When Gen.
Butler was in command at Fortress Mon
roe, in the early part of the war of the
rebellion, large numbers of slaves
escaped from their Virginia masters, and
came inside our lines on the peninsula.
1t was then the custom of most of our
military commanders to return these
fugitives to their masters, often expos
ing them to the most cruel punishments
for having tried to escape.
"It happened that among the fugitive
slaves arriving at Fortress Monroe were
three belonging to Col Mallory, who
was later on, | believe, an officer of the
rebel army. This Col Mallory had met
Gen. Butler in the Charleston and Balti-
more Democratic conventions, and, with
the assumption characteristic of his
class he came into Gen. Buffers camp,
and though engaged in open treason
against the government, he demanded
that Gen. Butler should enforce this
fugitive slave law upon the soil of Vir-
ginia with United States soldiers, and
return him his happy and cOntented'
slaves.
"Gen. Butler questioned this man in
his peculiar way. He said, in substance,
You hold, sir, that negro slaves are
property, and that Virginia is no longer
a part of the Uuited States?'
st do, SIR answered Col. Mallory.
"Gen. Butler then said: You are a
lawyer, sir, and want to know if you
claim that the fugitive slave act of the
United States is binding on a foreign
Nation, and if foreign Nation uses this
kind of property to destroy the lives and
property of citizens of the United States,
If that species of property ought not to
be regarded as contraband?'
"This was too much for the colonel,
who, it is needless to add, left the fort
ress without his slaves. but that famous
argument, which was also in the form of
a declaration, struck the keynote of
emancipation, and changed the whole
complexion of the war-in more senses
than one."
"Irecall another Virginia reminiscence
of Gen. Butler" said Uncle Joshua. "a
certain gentleman of Richmond-one of
the Virginia Reserves'-had come into
his lines below Richmond by some mis-
take, evidently bewildered as to the
points of the compass His appearance
was rather unmilitary-a suit of black,
wet and glued to his skin, a stovepipe
hat, and, what attracted most curiosity,
as coming from Richmond, black satin
vest.
"'Who are you?' thundered General
Butler.
"Sir,' replied the unfortunate indi-
vidval, with the air of Importance in
misery, I am one of the Virginia Re-
serves
"'And how many more are there like
you? asked the General.
"I will answer all proper questions
replied the unfortunate individual, but,
si-Gen. Butler-do not expect me to in
form you as to our military resourcesp