Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-29
REV nuTLERs MONUMENT.

BEN BUTLERS MONUMENT.
The question whether Benjamin Frank
lin Butler Is entitled to a military monu-
ment. or. rather, a monument commemo-
rative OF his military services. IL still
agitating the authorities OF the Bay
State.
AS Butler cut a more or less distin-
guished figure in Virginia during the
war. the question under consideration Is
one not devoid Of interest for US. 1t was
in Virginia that Butler declared that
runaway slaves wero 'contraband OF
war;" and thus gave to the photographers
OF the period a new synonyme econ
trabandD for "cullud gemman." 1t was
upon this sacred soil Of ours, at
Bermuda Hundred. that Butler was so
successfully bottled up" by our men
that he could neither retreat from nor
advance upon the Confederates. And 1t
was in this plight that General Grant
found him, when Grant moved his army
down from Fredericksburg to the James.
1t was In Virginia, too. that Butler
attempted to dig out the Dutch Gap
canal. This piece OF military engineer
ing was undertaken by him to enable
the Federal gunboats to flank" the
batteries that we had at the Hewlett
House, and pass up the James river to-
wards Richmond. 1t was there that,
to protect his workmen from our shells,
Butler did the monstrously mean thing
of mixing in with his workmen Con-
federate prisoners OF war. so that when
ever we fired upon his working parties
we had TO take the risk of killing our
brother onfederates.
But Butler was never allowed TO finisn
the Dutch Gap canal. He had done all
tho cutting OF IL, except to blow out the
bulk-head. when peremptory orders came
to him to cease work. The reason for
this order, as Butler explained after
the war was over, was that the Fede-
rails feared that II the canal were opened,
instead OF the Federals using 1t for their
ironclads 10 raid us. We would use 1t
for our iron-clads TO raid them Butler
pithIly put the case by stating that the
wolf, when fears began to be felt that
tbs wolf would rush through the open
door and eat up the dog.
At another time two divisions Of But
lsr's troops crossed the James river at
Deep Bottom, and surprised and captured
Fort Harrison, about eight miles below
Richmond. Butler was not with hi,
troops, which may account for his mems
success. Grant dlslil1ed Butler, and got
rid of him as soon as possible.
At New Orleans Buffers government
OF the city was inexpressibly mean. An
order that he gave concerning the ladies
Of New Orleans caused him to be out
lawed by the Confederate Government
and called "the beast" and his propensity
for Selling the personal property Of Con-
federate sympathizers earned him the
name OF spoons Butler" it being charged
that in many cases he had possessed
himself OF the plato and other valuable
household property Of helpless men and
women.
Setting aside all prejudice. as many
distinguished sons OF Massachusetts
have don. in this discussion, 1t cannot be
said that Butler achieved distinction as
n soldier For the most part he has only
useful in the performance OF work
too dirty for other generals to do. He
was a colonel or brigadier OF Massa-
chusetts volunteers when the war broke
out. and he thus came into immediate
prominence. That he had great mental
endowments. of a certain order, cannot
be denied. He was smart enough As
he himself often said, he had been called
by nearly all sorts OF bad names, but
nobody ever said he was a fool
Though Massachusetts, furnished the
Union army many gallant regiments and
brigades, none OF her army officers rose
10 the first. or even the second. rank du-
ring the war; yet scores OF them were
worthier 70 be honored in marble or
bronze than cheeky Ben. Butler. II the
State must vote Butler a monument, let
him DO depicted upon that monument as
a smart Aleck of a politician, not as
general.