Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/87

 BUTLER.

BUTLER.

tion troubles of 1831 ; was a judge of the general sessions in 1833. and of the state court of com- mon pleas in 1835. In 1847 he was chosen by the governor of South Carolina to fill the vacancy in the U. S. senate, caused by the death of Senator McDuffie. Subsequently he was twice elected by the legislature as United States senator, and retained his seat during the remaining years of his life. The memorable assault made by Pres- ton S. Brooks on Charles Sumner was provoked by some remarks which the latter addressed to Judge Butler, who was a relative of Mr. Brooks. The ability, eloquence and humor of Judge But- ler made him a conspicuovis figure in the senate, where he took an active jjart in all debates, especially those bearing on the interests of South Carolina and the other southern states. He died at his home near Edgefield Court House, S. C, May 35, 1857.

BUTLER, Benjamin Franklin, governor of Massachusetts, was born in Deerfield, N. H., Nov. 5, 1818; son of Capt. John Butler. He first attended a district school, later studied at Phillips Exeter academy and was graduated at Waterville college in 1838. In 1840 he was

admitted to the bar, began the practice of la\^'" at Lowell, Mass., and early ob- tained distinction as «i criminal lawyer, his readiness of re- tort and his quick- ness to perceive and take advantage of a ^ ^ legal flaw in his op- s^^^ ponent's case render- y in 5 him a formidable adversary. He was a member of the Democratic party
 * and early became prominent in political life. He

was elected to the Massachusetts house of rep- resentatives in 1853, and in 1859 took his seat in the state senate. He served in the Massachusetts delegation to the Democratic national convention held in Charleston, S. C, in 1860, was active in the proceedings, but later refused to sit in a con- vention which " approvingly advocated the African slave-trade." He received the Demo- cratic nomination for the governorship of Massa- chusetts in 1860, but was defeated. At the opening of the civil war, as brigadier-general of militia he ofl'ered his services on the first call for troops, and was assigned to the command of the 8th ]Mass. regiment. On April 17, 1861, he proceeded to Annapolis, Md., and was placed in command of the district, which included the city •of Baltimore, and on May 13, 1861, he entered

^^. 9^^-^iyd-^

Baltimore and held possession of that city. On May 16 he was promoted to the rank of major- general of volunteers, in command of Fort Mon- roe and the department of eastern Virginia. In June his troops engaged in the battle of Big Bethel, Va., which resulted disastrously to the Federal army, and in August he was relieved of his command. In the same month he commanded the expedition that captured forts Hatteras and Clark on the North Carolina coast. He returned to Massachusetts to recruit an expedition to operate against the Confederates on the Virginia jjeninsula, which a misimderstanding, first with Governor Andrew and afterwards with the commanding general, prevented. It was finally decided to send him with his six thousand men on an expedition to co-operate with Ad- miral Farragut from the mouth of the Missis- sippi river, and he reached Ship Island, March 23, 1863. On April 17, he followed Farragut s fleet, which captured New Orleans, April 24, and on May 1 General Butler took possession of that city. He obtained much odium by his vigorous military government, by arming free colored people, by causing a man named Mumford, who had pulled down the U. S. flag from the mint, to be hanged, and by promulgating an obnoxious order in- tended to prevent insults being offered to the soldiery by women. President Davis proclaimed him an outlaw, and set a price upon his head. On May 11, 1863, he seized a large siun of money which had been intrusted to the Dutch consul, claiming that it was intended for the purpose of purchasing arms for the Confederates. The matter being investigated, the United States government restored the money. On Dec. 16,

1863, General Butler was recalled, and late in 1863 was placed in command of the department of Virginia and North Carolina, afterwards known as the army of the James. On March 12,

1864, Grant planned his great campaign, on assuming command of all the armies of the United States, and in the simultaneous move- ment to be begun May 4, 1864, gave to General Butler the direction of the army of the James. He was to operate south of the James river, move westward towards Petersburg, and attack Lee's army in the rear, while Grant personally directed the operations of the army of the Potomac against tlie front. Butler moved cau- tiously and was opposed in his march by General Beauregard, who occupied Petersburg and had entrenched the peninsula from the Appomattox to the James. Butler adopted similar- tactics, and undertook to take Petersburg by siege. This left his troops inactive; except as builders of fortifications and diggers of canals, and Lee had no foe in his rear. Grant ordered Butler to make a demonstration against the enemy's line