A Real Holiday

[plankmaker]

With all this talk about celebrating heros and martyrs, I am proposing that Next Nov. 5, everyone celebrate the birthday of a true American: Benjamin Franklin Butler. His achievements before, during, and post war are truly legendary but often overlooked because of the ruthless slander heaped on him from yellow southern journalists and political rivals. His letters during the period when he liberated New Orleans from the rebel scourge show how he strove to make New Orleans a more livable place by eradicating Yellow Fever. He also looked to motivate wayward rebels into becoming loyal citizens again by teaching them engineering skills during the construction of the Dutch Gap Canal. By reading his letters during the early period of the war, you can readily see what a caring and giving man Benjamin Franklin Butler was.

http://books.google.com/books?id=tXZ4lFjO-3kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Benjamin+Butler#

I am hoping that the ground swell for this celebration of good ole Ben will take off like Pirate Day.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[reddcorp]

Beast Butler? No sale here.

November 5 is reserved for Leonard Slye Day. A/K/A Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys.
His role as Fletch McCloud in "Dark Command" never received the critical acclaim that it deserved. An Oscar winning performance.

Andy Redd

[plankmaker]

You are misinformed, good ole Ben was not a beast, those are all lies perpetrated by the vile, yellow, southern press. He was just misunderstood and no one could ever be sure of what exactly he was looking at.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

P.S. Ben would have had too much compassion to have Trigger or Little Sorrel stuffed.

[sbl]

I dated one of his local descendants. Cute girl.

General Butler was a Yachtsman.

"JP Morgan supposedly said: "You can do business with anyone but you can only go yachting with gentlemen.".."

[plankmaker]

Yeppers, not many remember that good ole Ben was once the owner of the America which the America's Cup was named after. He also, for a reletively short time, had the fasted boat on the James River named the Greyhound. Things did not end well for that one.

I just think everyone was jealous of him because of the dashing figure he cut in his carpet slippers.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[Blockade Runner]

With all this talk about celebrating heros and martyrs, I am proposing that Next Nov. 5, everyone celebrate the birthday of a true American: Benjamin Franklin Butler. His achievements before, during, and post war are truly legendary but often overlooked because of the ruthless slander heaped on him from yellow southern journalists and political rivals. His letters during the period when he liberated New Orleans from the rebel scourge show how he strove to make New Orleans a more livable place by eradicating Yellow Fever. He also looked to motivate wayward rebels into becoming loyal citizens again by teaching them engineering skills during the construction of the Dutch Gap Canal. By reading his letters during the early period of the war, you can readily see what a caring and giving man Benjamin Franklin Butler was.

http://books.google.com/books?id=tXZ4lFjO-3kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Benjamin+Butler#

I am hoping that the ground swell for this celebration of good ole Ben will take off like Pirate Day.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

I used the day to take an inventory of my flatware...particulalry my "spoons".;)

[plankmaker]

You obviously base your historical knowledge on the writings of Bruce Catton. Makes perfect sence. He was a hack who based his perspective on modern political views as well. Oh, and as long as you are throwing the names at the Federal Commanders, Grant was the Butcher, Butler was the Beast. If you are going to be disrespectful, at least do it correctly. I'll leave the King of Spades out of it.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

P.S. I don't use smileys to show that I am an a$$.

[Spinster]

I wish the nice folks down at that museum in New Orleans would do another run of commemorative Beast Butler reproduction chamber pots.

Mine's got a crack in it from being thrown too many times.

[plankmaker]

Miz A. Queenie,

To actually be period correct, you just take any old chamber pot and line it with god ole Ben's picture, just like they did. The pots with his portrait glazed in are actually post war. You may want to add Admiral Farragut to your collection as well. He was just as popular. Glad I could help.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[Pvt Schnapps]

I've enjoyed reading some of Butler's correspondence, especially on exchange issues. But I thought this one was pretty good, too:


From General Butler
Headquarters Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, FORT MONROE,

January 13th, 1864

J. L. DOZIER, E. H. BEAZELEY, and others, the representatives
of a sect calling themselves "Christians," in Norfolk and
Portsmouth, who petition to be excused from taking the oath
of allegiance and doing military duty

GENTLEMEN : I have read your petition to General Barnes,
setting forth your objections to swearing allegiance to any
earthly government, in which you therein establish, to your
own satisfaction, three points.

First. That government, although an evil, is a necessary
one.

Second. That for a time it is permitted to exist by the
wisdom of Jehovah.

Third. That the time of its existence at which a period is
to be put to its existence is not yet come.

Therefore (you) ought to swear allegiance to the Govern
ment of the United States.

First. Because, although an evil, you admit it to be
necessary.

Second. Although an evil, you admit that it is permitted
by the wisdom of Jehovah, and it is not for His creatures to
question the wisdom of His acts.

Third. You only claim to be excused when Jehovah's
government is substituted, which period has not yet arrived.

I have the honor to be

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
B. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding

(Official Records, War of Rebellion, Series 3, Vol. IV, page 29)

Also: http://www.archive.org/stream/privateoffice03butlrich/privateoffice03butlrich_djvu.txt

[bsbaker]

I'll leave the King of Spades out of it.

ummm..........wow.

[plankmaker]

Ben Butler's take on religion was cynical in nature from a young age. He was sent to a school which required him to attend church services that he did not enjoy. One week there was a sermon hat was quite puritanical in nature given that stated only 1 in 100 who attended church would be allowed into heaven. This gave Young Ben an idea and he presented his position to the school leaders as follows:

1. There are 900 members who regularly attended services at the church.

2. There were 12 headmasters who were also ministers employed at the institution.

3. Since there were already 3 of the ministers who would not be admitted to heaven, he didn't see the need to attend services.

4. They let him skip the services from then on.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[sbl]

Ben Butler's take on religion was cynical in nature from a young age. He was sent to a school which required him to attend church services that he did not enjoy. One week there was a sermon hat was quite puritanical in nature given that stated only 1 in 100 who attended church would be allowed into heaven. This gave Young Ben an idea and he presented his position to the school leaders as follows:

1. There are 900 members who regularly attended services at the church.

2. There were 12 headmasters who were also ministers employed at the institution.

3. Since there were already 3 of the ministers who would not be admitted to heaven, he didn't see the need to attend services.

4. They let him skip the services from then on.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

"THEY" hate when you point out things like that.

[sbl]

My comment on the Butler story was actually pretty good. I ask too many questions of my wife's church so they stopped expecting me to be there.

I don't see the religious folks as actually being threatened. For Christianity it's 2009 years vs. my 57. Since my wife is getting a service award from the Cardinal O'Maley of the Archdiosis of Boston this weekend and my daughter sings in the St. Ann church choir you'll see that I am surrounded and of little harm to the faithful.

As far as period correct, I subscribe to the German "Free Thinker" philosophy embodied by the song "Die Gedanken Sind Frei."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M53mpCOAfS4

Michael you are one of the good guys here and I appreciate your comments.

[MDRebCAv]

I've enjoyed reading some of Butler's correspondence, especially on exchange issues. But I thought this one was pretty good, too:


From General Butler
Headquarters Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, FORT MONROE,

January 13th, 1864

J. L. DOZIER, E. H. BEAZELEY, and others, the representatives
of a sect calling themselves "Christians," in Norfolk and
Portsmouth, who petition to be excused from taking the oath
of allegiance and doing military duty

GENTLEMEN : I have read your petition to General Barnes,
setting forth your objections to swearing allegiance to any
earthly government, in which you therein establish, to your
own satisfaction, three points.

First. That government, although an evil, is a necessary
one.

Second. That for a time it is permitted to exist by the
wisdom of Jehovah.

Third. That the time of its existence at which a period is
to be put to its existence is not yet come.

Therefore (you) ought to swear allegiance to the Govern
ment of the United States.

First. Because, although an evil, you admit it to be
necessary.

Second. Although an evil, you admit that it is permitted
by the wisdom of Jehovah, and it is not for His creatures to
question the wisdom of His acts.

Third. You only claim to be excused when Jehovah's
government is substituted, which period has not yet arrived.

I have the honor to be

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
B. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding

(Official Records, War of Rebellion, Series 3, Vol. IV, page 29)

Also: http://www.archive.org/stream/privateoffice03butlrich/privateoffice03butlrich_djvu.txt

WOW...I never thought I would agree with something that Ben Butler said! Besides, I think that Government as an institution was also authorized by the "Render unto Caesar" speech, and thereby not doing one's duty to his/her country would not only render them as traitors but also errant in following the Word...in my humble opinion. But then I am a veteran as well as a believer.

[plankmaker]

Geeze, you see what he gets for cleaning up and flushing yellow fever out of New Orleans. Ingrates.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[House, No. 24]
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.--January 13, 1863. Read first and second times, laid on the table, and ordered to be printed.

[By Mr. VEST.]

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Page 1

RESOLUTIONS
Endorsing the recent proclamation and order of the President on the
subject of retaliation.
1 WHEREAS, The President of the Confederate States did, upon
2 December 23d, 1862, issue his proclamation, declaring Benjamin
3 F. Butler to be a felon, deserving of capital punishment, and
4 ordering that he be no longer considered or treated simply as an
5 enemy of the Confederate States, but as an outlaw and common
6 enemy of mankind; that in the event of his capture, the officers
7 in command of the capturing force do cause him to be immediately
8 executed by hanging, and that no commissioned officer of
9 the United States taken captive, shall be released on parole before
10 exchange, until the said Butler shall have met with due punishment
11 for his crimes, and further ordering that all commissioned


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Page 2
12 officers in the command of said Benjamin F. Butler be declared
13 not entitled to be considered as soldiers engaged in honorable
14 warfare, but as robbers and criminals deserving death, and that
15 they and each of them be, whenever captured, reserved for execution;
16 that all negro slaves captured in arms, be at once delivered
17 over to the Executive authorities of the respective States to which
18 they belong, to be dealt with according to the laws of said States,
19 and that the like orders be executed in all cases with respect to
20 all commissioned officers of the United States when found serving
21 in company with armed slaves in insurrection against the authorities
22 of the different States of this Confederacy.

23 And whereas, the President did on the day of December,
24 1862, issue an order to Lieutenant General T. H. Holmes, directing
25 him to demand by flag of truce from the authorities of the
26 United States, the body of one John McNeil, a Brigadier General
27 in the service of the enemy, who had ordered the murder of
28 ten unarmed citizens of the State of Missouri, prisoners in his
29 possession, and that, in the event of said demand not being
30 complied with, within twenty days after the same being made, the
31 said Lieutenant General should cause the first ten commissioned
32 officers belonging to the Federal forces, who might fall into his


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Page 3
33 hands, to be immediately executed without regard to rank;
34 Therefore,

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the
2 foregoing proclamation and order of the President have our full
3 approbation, and that Congress will at all times co-operate with
4 the Executive, when requested, in any retaliatory measures which
5 may be deemed necessary to prevent the atrocities of the enemy,
6 and force them to conduct hostilities in accordance with the rules
7 and usages of civilized warfare.