The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-04-17
Gen. Buffers Career.

Matthew Calbraith Butler was born
in Greenville, Of illustrious parentage
His ancestors on the Butler side are
race Of heroes. They were among
the pioneers of South Carolina. and
settled in the northeyn part of Edge
field county. His great grandfather,
Capt. James Butler. was killed fight
ing for his country in the war of the
American Revolution. He was a de-
scendant Of the Duke Of Ormand, the
great royalist leader in England.
Gen. Butler grandfather, William
Butler, was very prominent in the leg.
islative department of the State. and
also served thirteen years in congress.
His father, DR.. William Butler, was
surgeon in the United States navy.
and was brother of Governor Pierce
M. Butler, of South Carolina, who fell
at the battle of Churubusco, while
leading the famous Palmetto regi-
ment," and DR.. Buffers other broth
er was the distinguished Senator An.
drew Pickens Butler.
While stationed at Newport, r. l.,
DR.. William Butler married Miss Jone
Tweedy Perry. the sister of Com
modore Oliver Perry, Of Lake Erie
fame, and Of Commodore Matthew
Calbraith Perry, who was the first to
open our commercial relations with
Japan. All readers of American his
tory are familiar with these disting-
uished naval heroes.
After his marriage DR.. Butler re-
signed from the navy and returned
to his native home in Edgefield. The
mother of Gen. Butler was a woman
of many sterling qualities and was
much beloved and admired for her
grandeur OF character and her great
beauty, sincere even to brusqueness
and truthful always. After the civil
war a friend presented to her Gen.
Sickles of the United States army.
saying, General, Mrs. Butler is a
sister of Commodore Perry" Very
emphatically, Mrs. Butler exclaimed: ::
I had rather be known as the mother
Of Calbraith Butler.' Here spoke the
mother, the heart-the "Cornelia" of
the nineteenth century. The mother
of the "Gracchi' could not have been
prouder of her "jewels" than was this
splendid woman Of her noble sons, of
whom there were five who "wore the
grey"
Gen. Butler was a lawyer by pro-
fession. and soon after his admission
to the bar married Miss Maria Cal
houn Pickens, one of the handsome
daughters of South Carolina's grand
old "war governor" Francis w. Pick.
ems.
When the war broke out Gen. But
Ter organized cavalry force and en-
tered the field as a captain. Grade
by grade he was promoted. until he
attained the rank Of major general
at the desperate battle of Brandy Sta
ton, and the most dashing, gallant
and debOnnaire figure seen that day
was this youthful. knightly "Paladin"
of the Army of Northern Virginia,
who possessed all the brilliancy and
valor of BOLD Henry of Navarro. In
that terrible fight at Brandy Station
Gen. Butler commanded a regiment
under Gen. j. T.. Il. Stuart and lost
leg, while Gen. Davis, who command
ed the Federals, was killed while
crossing the Rappahannock river.
1T was here, at Reanms's Station.
that he was promoted major general.
One of Gen. Buffers gallant couriers.
who was then only a youth of IL,
and by the way, was a relative of the
generals, has said, Had Gen. But
Ter no other war record, his victory
at the battle of Trevilian Station will
forever immortalize him.
After the din and smoke of the bat
tie had died away. and white e-robed
"Peacep crowned our once desolate