Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-10
HOW BEN BUTLER WAS RILED
An Army Officers Gibe that Put
the officer Out of
.I0h.


Army and navy officers are always a bit
in awe OF politicians though their whole
some respect is tempered by the reflection
that a mans political life is usually short.
But it is sometimes a dangerous thing to
incur the displeasure of these fellows who
get elected term after term. There was the
case of Sklrvington of Ours and Ben But
Ter, for instance. Skirvington was a Maine
man, but he had been stationed south
right after the war. and the soldiery down
there in reconstruction days pretty gener-
ally sympathized with the south in what
1t had to stand.
Some of the southern feeling against
Butler percolated up into New England
itself But, although l was myself born
not much above the latitude of New Or
leans, and like southerners better than any
other people in the world, 1 never thought
Butler was such a terrible fellow. He
went on Shermans principle that war ;
hell, and the heller you made 1t the quicker
it was over and suffering was saved in
the long run. Started in rough right of.
In Norfolk he even jailed the Eplscopalian
rector for alleged reasonable utterances
in the pulpit, Or. Wingfield, afterward
bishop of California. Had him in convict
garb sweeping the streets.
Had a kind of penchant for arresting
Episcopalians Jailed several in New Or
leans for praying for the confederate pres
ident after we had taken the city Your
church, wherever 1t is, prays for the ruler
of that particular country, according to the
set form In your prayer book. We are in
control here now, and President Lincoln
Is your ruler" They all saw the point ex-
cept DR.. Leacock, and he was in and out
Of jail right along.
Well, Ben was in Portland, Me-, in 1856
making speeches and he wanted to address
the populace from little balcony of the
leans for praying for the confederate pres
of ours, was on furlough, and, going home
to Rockland, he had the room that led to
the balcony. The proprietor asked him IL
he had any objection to General Butler
passing through his ROOM
mo" said Skirvington. IF you will nut
policeman in my room to watch my
things"
Well by George, the proprietor did put
policeman in there, and all the while
Ben was talking the policeman stood there
Affected the generals oratory, too-em-
barrassment and Indignation. Story was all
over town by night and went around Maine
and did good deal to counteract Ben's
labors In that state in that campaign. The
utter contempt Of it, you know-a northern
soldier putting the stamp of belief on the
southern charges-it did Ben lots Of injury,
thought when Skirvington said it, he prob
ably meant 1t only as a somewhat malicious
| little gibe that no one but the landlord
would hear.
Next session of congress, Skirvington had
been promoted TO the lieutenant colonelcy
| of the regiment. Got his new straps All
done except the ordinary routine, perfume
| tory confirmation by congress. But, by
| thunder, he wasn't confirmed! Most amazed
man in America. Old Ben Butler was in
| congress, and he hadn't forgotten. who
James Skirvington was and what he had
| said In Portland.
Skirvington was out, plumb out of the
| army Another man had been promoted
to his place as major and confirmed, vice
| Skirvington." IL was distinctly stated in
orders. and his attempt to get a decision
| that he was still major accordingly failed,
And he wasn't a lieutenant colonel-just
Mr. Skirvington of Maine. No joke at his
time OF life to be trying to learn some new
way Of making living after being in thS
army since IS.
! Next congress SkirYington tried to ge
! reinstated, but Ben was there and unfor
getting. He kept Skirvington out from 1856,
to 1875. when for the only time between Vi
and 70 Ben was out OF congress. Sklrving
ton got his bill for relief through. and II
was too late for Butler to touch him wher
the next election brought him (Butle) bacl
10 congress.
Pretty dear joke a Buffers expense, am
SkirVington got 50 he hated Louisiana al
most as much as he did Butler, for II hi
hadn't imblbed the Louisiana feeling 81
much when stationed there he wouldn'
have said what he did about the general
New York Times