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=tXZ...njamin+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=tXZ...njamin+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/privat...lrich_djvu.txt