Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-05-04
THE BUTLER.HoME At BUTLERseURY, ~

Since Walter Butler was the apotheosls OF the
worst type OF enemy to the cause OF Liberty
1t would seem natural that information about
him should be fairly complete. And yet, the
author of aWar Out Of Niagara says: "There
Is an absorbing mystery about his life and char
acter. The date OF his birth Is unknown
There Is no physical description of him except
In fiction Letters about him In catalogues even
of the Schuyler Papers the Gates Papers, the
Library OF Congress and many other papers are
mysteriousy marked missing. Timothy Dwight,
the President OF Yale university invented
great myth about him that got Into every Amer
lean history In the Nineteenth century. Lafay-
cite lis said to have been his friend but there
Is no authority for 1t. Haldlmand british COM
mander In Canada) Is said to have refused to
receive him after Cherry Valley and this book
contains an original letter from Haldimand ap-
proving of his conduct that November day. He
appears plainly to have broken his parole a
prisoner but, with every horror of massacre and
rapine laid at his door, for some reason that
seems to have escaped notice Brant the In
dlan Is portrayed as a noble paladn, Mortified
at Buffers excesses. Yet Smms the gossip of
the Revolution, In The Frontiersmen OF New
York. tiresome In the multiplicity Of its detail,
never places Walter Butler at the scene OF any
OF the atrocities In the North. Thousands of
men are mentioned by name but young Butler
Is mentioned only at Cherry Valley"
But, thanks to the researches Of this histor-
an, some OF the mystery Of Walter Butler Is dis
solved and we see him, not as the BLOODY mon
ster," painted by the early historians Instead
there stands forth IAN amazing ngure-a young
man who could not have been over twenty
eight when he was killed, to the rejoicing of all
New York, most dauntless and enterprsIng
leader, eager, ambitious treless, offering to
cover Albany Fort Pitt and Detroit for Haldi-
mand, grasping early In the war the grand STRAIT
egy of the long Northwestern flank, impatient
of older men, defending his every action at Cher
ry Valley, scorning to make on women and
children, while pointing out the treatment of
his mother and sister held as hostages In Al
bany. He is condemned for his red allies and
was himself killed and scalped by an Indian ally
OF the Continental army and the newspapers an
nouncing his death say. The Oneida Indians be-
hayed well In the action and deserve much
credit"
So in "War Out OF Niagara" we see Walter
Butler as a boy at Butlersbury seeing his IA
Their and Sir William Johnson returning In tr-
umph at the head of Colonial troops from the
wars with the French. We see him busy at his
law studies in Albany and as a rising young
: lawyer at the outbreak of the Revolution Then
when the break comes In ITS and those who
live In New York province must choose between
King and their native land, he casts his lot with
the Loyalists (who were decidedly In the ma
1orlty In that province). But the Patriot forces
under General Schuyler gain temporary ascend
yancy and Guy Johnson and Sir John johnson,
nephew and son of Sir William and his success
ors In charge of Indian affairs Col John Butler
and Walter Butler and Joseph Brant OF the Mo-
hawks go to Oswego..