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107-606: In August 1861, Major General Benjamin F. Butler and Flag Officer Silas H. Stringham captured Forts Hatteras and Clark guarding an entry point into Pamlico Sound . It took several months before the Union high command would capitalize on this success. Butler and Stringham were able to persuade the Secretary of Navy Gideon Welles to maintain a force at Hatteras Inlet to keep the possibility of further operations open. The Lincoln Administration did not agree with invading North Carolina from

214-571: A felon deserving capital punishment , who, if captured, should be "reserved for execution". Although Butler's governance of New Orleans was popular in the North, where it was seen as a successful stand against recalcitrant secessionists, some of his actions, notably those against the foreign consuls, concerned Lincoln, who authorized his recall in December 1862. Butler was replaced by Nathaniel P. Banks . The necessity of taking sometimes radical actions and

321-557: A 38-piece set of silverware from a New Orleans woman who attempted to cross Union lines while using a pass that permitted her to carry nothing more than the clothing on her person. Shortly after the Confiscation Act of 1862 became effective in September, Butler increasingly relied upon it as a means of grabbing cotton. Since the Act permitted confiscation of property owned by anyone "aiding

428-478: A considerable part of it was in the hands of his relatives and supporters." Shortly after arriving in Norfolk, Butler became surrounded by such men. Foremost among them was Brigadier General George Shepley , who had been military governor of Louisiana. Butler invited Shepley to join him and "take care of Norfolk." After his arrival, Shepley was empowered to issue military permits allowing goods to be transported through

535-526: A day train from Goldsboro Union Station to Morehead City. The final Atlantic and East Carolina Railway service would end by 1951. The departures and arrivals at Goldsboro were timed to accommodate a local Southern Railway overnight train (#111/#112, in final years, #11/#112) to parts in central and western North Carolina, comparable to the North Carolina section of the Carolina Special . In 1957,

642-481: A few days before his assassination, to talk about reviving colonization in Panama. Since the mid-twentieth century, historians have debated the validity of Butler's account, as Butler wrote it years after the fact and was prone to exaggerating his prowess as a general. Recently discovered documents prove that Butler and Lincoln did indeed meet on April 11, 1865, though whether and to what extent they talked about colonization

749-456: A follow-up expedition led by Maj. Gen. Alfred H. Terry and Brig. Gen. Adelbert Ames (Butler's future son-in-law) captured the fort on January 15, and news of this victory arrived during the committee hearing; Butler's military career was over. He was formally retained until November 1865 with the idea that he might act as military prosecutor of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. General Butler claimed that Lincoln approached him in 1865,

856-575: A hearing before the Joint Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War in mid-January. At his hearing Butler focused his defense on his actions at Fort Fisher. He produced charts and duplicates of reports by subordinates to prove he had been right to call off his attack of Fort Fisher, despite orders from General Grant to the contrary. Butler claimed the fort was impregnable. To his embarrassment,

963-505: A lawyer enabled him to purchase shares in Lowell's Middlesex Mill Company when they were cheap. Although he generally represented workers in legal actions, he also sometimes represented mill owners. This adoption of both sides of an issue manifested itself when he became more politically active. He first attracted general attention by advocating the passage of a law establishing a ten-hour day for laborers, but he also opposed labor strikes over

1070-531: A local lawyer. He was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1840 and opened a practice in Lowell. After an extended courtship, Butler married Sarah Hildreth , a stage actress and daughter of Dr. Israel Hildreth of Lowell, on May 16, 1844. They had four children: Paul (1845–1850), Blanche (1847–1939), Paul (1852–1918) and Ben-Israel (1855–1881). Butler's business partners included Sarah's brother Fisher, and her brother-in-law, W. P. Webster. In 1844, Butler

1177-471: A lure to draw his opponent into a premature action. Butler took the bait, and suffered an embarrassing defeat at the Battle of Big Bethel on June 10. Butler devised a plan for a night march and operation against the positions but chose not to lead the force in person, for which he was criticized. The plan proved too complex for his inadequately trained subordinates and troops to carry out, especially at night, and

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1284-592: A position in the Mississippi River area in early 1863, and categorically refused to send him back to New Orleans. In November 1863, he finally gave Butler command of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina based in Norfolk, Virginia . In January 1864, Butler played a pivotal role in the creation of six regiments of U.S. Volunteers recruited from among Confederate prisoners of war (" Galvanized Yankees ") for duty on

1391-593: A prominent Radical Republican, Butler was a potential replacement of Lincoln as presidential nominee. Lincoln had even asked Butler to be the 1864 nominee for vice president, as did Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase , who sought to replace Lincoln as president. In reply to Lincoln's offer, Butler said, "Tell him ... I would not quit the field [resign as major general] to be Vice-President, even with himself as President, unless he will give me bond with sureties ... that he will die or resign within three months after his inauguration. Ask him what he thinks I have done to deserve

1498-518: A regiment of Negroes that much of the art of war sooner than he could have taught the same number of students from Harvard or Yale." The regiment would serve Butler effectively during the Siege of Port Hudson . Butler organized three regiments totaling 3,122 soldiers and officers. Butler's popularity with the Radicals meant that Lincoln could not readily deny him a new posting. Lincoln considered sending him to

1605-626: A substantial force under General P. G. T. Beauregard . On 13 May, Butler's advance toward Richmond was repulsed. On May 16, the Confederates drove Butler's force back to Bermuda Hundred, bottling up the Union troops in a loop of the James River. Both sides entrenched; the Union troops were safe but impotent, and Beauregard sent most of his troops as reinforcements to Lee's Army of Northern Virginia . Had Butler been more aggressive in early May, he might have taken Petersburg or even Richmond itself and ended

1712-830: Is no doubt that Butler was aware of Shepley's trading activities. His own chief of staff complained about them and spoke of businessmen who "owned" Shepley. Butler took no action. Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company was incorporated under act of the North Carolina Legislature , ratified December 27, 1852, and was organized on January 20, 1854. Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company constructed 96.1 miles (154.7 km) of 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge railroad line between Morehead City, North Carolina , and Goldsboro, North Carolina , through New Bern, North Carolina . The leasehold had been acquired by Norfolk Southern Railway Company, which in turn had secured it from

1819-556: Is not recorded except in Butler's account. Negative perceptions of Butler were compounded by his questionable financial dealings in several of his commands, as well as the activities of his brother Andrew, who acted as Butler's financial proxy and was given "almost free rein" to engage in exploitative business deals and other "questionable activities" in New Orleans. Upon arriving in the city, Butler immediately began attempts to participate in

1926-469: The 1860 Democratic National Convention at Charleston, South Carolina , Butler initially supported John C. Breckinridge for president but then shifted his support to Jefferson Davis , believing that only a moderate Southerner could keep the Democratic party from dividing. A conversation he had with Davis prior to the convention convinced him that Davis might be such a man, and he gave him his support before

2033-483: The 7th New York Militia , Butler directed his men to restore rail service between Annapolis and Washington via Annapolis Junction , which was accomplished by April 27. He also threatened Maryland legislators with arrest if they voted in favor of secession, and he seized the Great Seal of Maryland , "without which no legislation could become law." Butler's prompt actions in securing Annapolis were received with approval by

2140-673: The Anti-Monopoly Party tickets in 1884 . Benjamin Franklin Butler was born in Deerfield, New Hampshire , the sixth and youngest child of John Butler and Charlotte Ellison Butler. His father served under General Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812 and later became a privateer , dying of yellow fever in the West Indies not long after Benjamin was born. He

2247-665: The Crystal Coast by the Atlantic Ocean , and Goldsboro, North Carolina, began on or about June 1, 1858. The railroad line suffered considerable damage during the American Civil War . A First Sinking Fund Mortgage dated February 29, 1868, in the amount of $ 1.5 million was placed on the property in order to finance the rehabilitation of the line. In addition to the line of railroad, the Atlantic and North Carolina company also owned

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2354-473: The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 because of Virginia's secession. "I am under no constitutional obligations to a foreign country," he said, "which Virginia now claims to be." Furthermore, slaves used as laborers for building fortifications and other military activities could be considered contraband of war. "Lincoln and his Cabinet discussed the issue on May 30 and decided to support Butler's stance". It

2461-626: The Medal of Honor to several men of the 38th USCT. He also ordered a special medal designed and struck, which was awarded to 200 African-American soldiers who had served with distinction in the engagement. This was later called the Butler Medal . In the spring of 1864, the Army of the James was directed to land at Bermuda Hundred on the James River, south of Richmond, and from there attack Petersburg . This would sever

2568-524: The United States , she may be treated similarly to a "woman of the town plying her avocation," i.e., a prostitute . This was in response to various acts of verbal and physical abuse inappropriate of "respectable" women, including mocking the funeral cortège of a fallen soldier, spitting in the faces of U.S. officers, pouring chamber pots full of human excrement on patrolling U.S. soldiers, and, in one notorious case, pouring urine on Admiral David Farragut ,

2675-539: The state legislature in 1852. His support for Franklin Pierce as president, however, cost him the seat the next year. He was elected a delegate to the 1853 state constitutional convention with strong Catholic support, and was elected to the state senate in 1858, a year dominated by Republican victories in the state. Butler was nominated for governor in 1859 and ran on a pro-slavery, pro-tariff platform. He lost to incumbent Republican Nathaniel Prentice Banks . In

2782-407: The 1863 draft riots ," and because of fear of Confederates coming from Canada to burn the city on Election Day. Grant selected Butler for the assignment. "Even though he knew nothing about the plot [to burn the city] and did nothing to prevent it, Butler's mere presence with his 3,500 troops" demoralized the leaders of the conspiracy, who postponed it until November 25, when it failed. The Army of

2889-664: The 8th, which left Philadelphia the next day amid news that railroad connections around Baltimore were being severed. Butler and the 8th traveled by rail and ferry to Maryland's capital, Annapolis , where Governor Thomas H. Hicks attempted to dissuade them from landing. Butler landed his troops (who needed food and water), occupying the Naval Academy . When Hicks informed Butler that no one would sell provisions to his force, Butler pointed out that armed men did not necessarily have to pay for needed provisions, and he would use all measures necessary to ensure order. After being joined by

2996-581: The Army of the James. "Embarrassed and outraged, Butler broke off all relations with Grant and set out to destroy him." In 1867, when it seemed that Grant might run for president, Butler "employed detectives in an effort to prove that Grant was 'a drunkard, after fast horses, women and whores.' Grant, he announced, was 'a man without a head or a heart, indifferent to human suffering and impotent to govern.'" Rather than report to Lowell, Butler went to Washington, where he used his considerable political connections to get

3103-573: The Atlantic Hotel built at Morehead City in 1880 to replace the original Atlantic Hotel which had been built at Beaufort, North Carolina , in 1859 by Josiah Pender and destroyed by a hurricane in 1879. The line of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company was leased to a predecessor of Norfolk & Southern Railroad Company (1906) and its successor in reorganization, Norfolk Southern Railroad Company (incorporated in Virginia, May 2, 1910), until

3210-508: The Atlantic and North Carolina Company, the original lessee, when the latter was absorbed in the consolidation which formed the Norfolk Southern Railway Company. Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company was built by divisions, largely, if not wholly, under contract, at various times prior to the summer of 1858. Operation of the approximately 96.1 miles (154.7 km) railroad line between Morehead City, North Carolina on

3317-461: The Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad. In 1942, the ICC authorized the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company to issue certain promissory notes to purchase 1.43 miles (2.30 km) of spur track from Havelock, North Carolina , to a United States reservation under construction ( Camp Lejeune ) from its lessee, Atlantic and East Carolina Railway Company, because Atlantic and North Carolina considered

Burnside's North Carolina Expedition - Misplaced Pages Continue

3424-560: The Board of Visitors of West Point . These positions did not give him any significant military experience. After Abraham Lincoln was elected president in November 1860, Butler traveled to Washington, D.C. When a secessionist South Carolina delegation arrived there he recommended to lameduck President James Buchanan that they be arrested and charged with treason. Buchanan rejected the idea. Butler also met with Jefferson Davis and learned that he

3531-457: The Confederacy," Butler reversed his earlier policy of encouraging trade by refusing to confiscate cotton brought into New Orleans for sale. First, he conducted a census in which 4,000 respondents failing to pledge loyalty to the Union were banished. Their property was seized and sold at low auction prices in which his brother Andrew was often the prime buyer. Next, the general sent expeditions into

3638-516: The Confederate army in Virginia, Butler confiscated the newspaper and imprisoned Seymour for three months. On June 7, 1862, Butler ordered the execution of William B. Mumford for tearing down a United States flag placed by Admiral Farragut on the United States Mint in New Orleans . In his memoirs, Butler maintained that "[a] party headed by Mumford had torn down the flag, dragged it through

3745-466: The Confederate forces at New Bern. Once Roanoke Island fell, Branch braced himself for the inevitable attack upon his command. Branch had about 4,500 green troops from North Carolina. The Confederates prepared a line of breastworks straddling the Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad south of the town. Fort Thompson anchored the defenses along the Neuse River. Believing the main attack would come from

3852-888: The ICC authorized the acquisition of the stock of Atlantic and East Carolina Railroad Company (the lessee operating company) by Southern Railway Company. Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company was merged into North Carolina Railroad Company on September 29, 1989. The Surface Transportation Board , successor agency to the Interstate Commerce Commission, approved North Carolina Railroad Company's agreement granting to Norfolk Southern Railway Company exclusive local and overhead freight trackage rights to operate over its entire line of railroad between Charlotte, North Carolina , and Morehead City, North Carolina. Norfolk Southern Railway Company agreed to grant to its wholly owned subsidiary, Atlantic and East Carolina Railway Company, local and overhead trackage rights to operate over

3959-409: The ICC. The Atlantic and East Carolina Railway Company had been chartered under the general corporation laws of North Carolina on June 19, 1939, with charter power to lease and operate the line of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company. The issues of stock by the Atlantic and East Carolina were authorized by the ICC. The ICC also approved the new Atlantic and East Carolina Railway's lease of

4066-572: The James were sent to attack Fort Fisher in North Carolina with Butler in command. Butler devised a scheme to breach the defenses with a boat loaded with gunpowder, which failed completely. He then declared that Fort Fisher was impregnable and withdrew his troops without authorization. However, Admiral David Dixon Porter (commander of the naval element of the expedition) informed Grant that it could be taken easily if anyone competent were put in charge. This mismanagement finally led to his recall by Grant in early 1865. As Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton

4173-772: The James River ship canal and the mouth of the Nansemond River . Butler also expanded Camp Hamilton, established in the adjacent town of Hampton, Virginia , just beyond the confines of the fort and within the range of its guns. The Union occupation of Fort Monroe was considered a threat to Richmond by Confederate General Robert E. Lee , and he began organizing the defense of the Virginia Peninsula in response. Confederate General John B. Magruder , seeking to buy time while awaiting men and supplies, established well-defended forward outposts near Big and Little Bethel, only 8 miles (13 km) from Butler's camp at Newport News as

4280-558: The James also included several regiments of United States Colored Troops . These troops saw combat in the Bermuda Hundred campaign (see below). At the Battle of Chaffin's Farm (sometimes also called the Battle of New Market Heights), the USCT troops performed extremely well. The 38th USCT defeated a more powerful force despite intense fire, heavy casualties, and terrain obstacles. Butler awarded

4387-435: The Norfolk district was also tainted by financial scandal and cross-lines business dealings. Historian Ludwell Johnson concluded that during that period: "... there can be no doubt that a very extensive trade with the Confederacy was carried on in [Butler's Norfolk] Department.... This trade was extremely profitable for Northern merchants ... and was a significant help to the Confederacy.... It was conducted with Butler's help and

Burnside's North Carolina Expedition - Misplaced Pages Continue

4494-525: The South, which concocted stories about him that were conflations of biographical details involving not just Butler but also a namesake from New York and others. When two Massachusetts regiments had been sent overland to Maryland, two more were dispatched by sea under Butler's command to secure Fort Monroe at the mouth of the James River . After being dressed down by Scott for overstepping his authority, Butler

4601-525: The US Army's top general, Winfield Scott , and he was given formal orders to maintain the security of the transit links in Maryland. In early May, Scott ordered Butler to lead the operations that occupied Baltimore. On May 13 he entered Baltimore on a train with 1000 men and artillery, with no opposition. That was done in contravention of Butler's orders from Scott, which had been to organize four columns to approach

4708-534: The Union Army. His military career before the Civil War began as a private in the Lowell militia in 1840. Butler eventually rose to become colonel of a regiment of primarily Irish American men. In 1855, the nativist Know Nothing governor Henry J. Gardner disbanded Butler's militia, but Butler was elected brigadier general after the militia was reorganized. In 1857 Secretary of War Jefferson Davis appointed him to

4815-538: The Union Navy commander. "Butler's 'Woman Order' was immediately effective. Insults by word, look or gesture abruptly ceased.... Throughout the South, however, the Woman Order evoked a universal shout of execration". Butler's insistence on prosecuting the woman as any other person "aiding the Confederacy" provoked angry jeers from white residents of New Orleans, who amplified a narrative that he used his power to engage in

4922-617: The administration of that city he showed great firmness and political subtlety. He devised a plan for relief of the poor, demanded oaths of allegiance from anyone who sought any privilege from government, and confiscated weapons. However, Butler's subtlety seemed to fail him as the military governor of New Orleans when it came to dealing with its Jewish population, about which the general, referring to local smugglers, infamously wrote, in October 1862: "They are Jews who betrayed their Savior , & also have betrayed us." In an ordinary year, it

5029-541: The boats as the "mosquito fleet". Wise pleaded with his superior, Benjamin Huger in Virginia to send reinforcements. Huger declined to give aid but eventually Wise's reserves and a battalion of the 2nd North Carolina from Norfolk bolstered the defenses. The Union expedition was having problems of its own. Severe weather hampered progress so much at times it seemed as if the whole mission would have to be scrapped. The expedition, accompanied by 63 navy vessels, finally arrived off

5136-706: The capture of Fort Fisher and the march of William T. Sherman 's armies in 1865. Before April 2, 1862 Coast Division  – BG Ambrose E. Burnside North Atlantic Blockading Squadron  – Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough After April 2, 1862 Coast Division  – BG Ambrose E. Burnside North Atlantic Blockading Squadron  – Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough Department of North Carolina BG Richard C. Gatlin (19 Aug 1861–15 Mar 1862) BG Joseph R. Anderson (15 Mar 1862–24 Mar 1862) MG Theophilus H. Holmes (24 Mar 1862–17 July 1862) Benjamin Butler (politician) Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893)

5243-426: The city by land and sea. General Scott criticized Butler for his strategy (despite its success) as well as his heavy-handed assumption of control of much of the civil government, and he recalled him to Washington. Butler shortly after received one of the early appointments as major general of the volunteer forces. His exploits in Maryland also brought nationwide press attention, including significant negative press in

5350-469: The coast of Roanoke Island. By the time Burnside arrived, Roanoke Island was guarded by 3,000 Confederate troops under the command of Colonel Henry M. Shaw . District commander Henry Wise remained in overall command of the forces but was confined to his sickbed at Nag's Head. Burnside and Goldsborough defeated the Confederate force and took roughly 2,500 prisoners. A few days later, the Federal navy destroyed

5457-472: The convention split over slavery. Butler ended up supporting Breckinridge over Douglas against state party instructions, ruining his standing with the state party apparatus. He was nominated for governor in the 1860 election by a Breckinridge splinter of the state party, but trailed far behind other candidates. Although he sympathized with the South, Butler stated, "I was always a friend of southern rights but an enemy of southern wrongs" and sought to serve in

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5564-650: The countryside with no military purpose other than to confiscate cotton from residents who were assumed to be disloyal. Once brought into New Orleans, the cotton would be similarly sold in rigged auctions. To maintain correct appearances, auction proceeds were dutifully held for the benefit of "just claimants", but the Butler consortium still ended up owning the cotton at bargain prices. Always inventive of new terminology to achieve his ends, Butler sequestered, or made vulnerable to confiscation, such "properties" in all of Louisiana beyond parishes surrounding New Orleans. Butler censored New Orleans newspapers . When William Seymour,

5671-539: The editor of the New-Orleans Commercial Bulletin , asked Butler what would happen if the newspaper ignored his censorship, an angry Butler reportedly stated, "I am the military governor of this state — the supreme power — you cannot disregard my order, Sir. By God, he that sins against me, sins against the Holy Ghost." When Seymour published a favorable obituary of his father, who had been killed serving in

5778-626: The family in such activities. Everyone in New Orleans believed that Andrew accumulated a profit of $ 1–$ 2 million while in Louisiana. Upon inquiry from Treasury Secretary Chase in October 1862, the general responded that his brother actually cleared less than $ 200,000 (~$ 4.76 million in 2023). When Butler was replaced in New Orleans by Major General Nathaniel Banks, Andrew Butler unsuccessfully tried to bribe Banks with $ 100,000 if Banks would permit Andrew's "commercial program" to be carried out "as previous to [Banks's] arrival." Butler's administration of

5885-454: The first African-American regiment in the US Army, the 1st Louisiana Native Guard , and commissioned 30 officers to command it at the company level. This was highly unusual, as most USCT regiments were commanded by white officers only. "Better soldiers never shouldered a musket," Butler wrote, "I observed a very remarkable trait about them. They learned to handle arms and to march more easily than intelligent white men. My drillmaster could teach

5992-459: The first significant Union victory after First Bull Run, was lauded in Washington and won Butler accolades from President Lincoln. Butler was sent back to Massachusetts to raise new forces. That thrust Butler into a power struggle with Governor Andrew, who insisted on maintaining his authority to appoint regimental officers, refusing to commission (among others) Butler's brother Andrew and several of

6099-512: The former Atlantic and North Carolina portion of North Carolina Railroad's line between Goldsboro, North Carolina, and Morehead City, North Carolina. That portion of line extends between mileposts EC-0.0+/- and EC-94.7+/-, a distance of approximately 94.7 miles (152.4 km) in Carteret, Craven, Jones, Lenoir, and Wayne Counties. The exemption was effective on August 19, 1999, and the trackage rights operations began on September 1, 1999. The purpose of

6206-462: The fort's 500 man garrison under Lt. Col. Moses J. White. While Fort Macon was besieged the Union forces in North Carolina received additional infantry reinforcements, enough for Burnside to organize 6 brigades. Now in command of two brigades, Jesse L. Reno was dispatched to destroy the Dismal Swamp Canal locks to prevent Confederate ironclads from moving down from Norfolk. Reno's division

6313-526: The general's close associates. The spat instigated a recruiting war between Butler and the state militia organization. The dispute delayed Butler's return to Virginia, and in November he was assigned to command ground troops in Louisiana . While in command at Fort Monroe, Butler had declined to return to their owners fugitive slaves who had come within his lines. He argued that Virginians considered them to be chattel property , and that they could not appeal to

6420-550: The highest ranking volunteer major generals in the Union army; next to Grant himself, he was the ranking field officer in the Eastern theater, and command of the Army of the Potomac would default to him in Grant's absence. For that reason, Grant remained with the army as much as possible and only made trips away from the front when it was absolutely necessary. In December, troops from the Army of

6527-498: The importance of North Carolina and now Confederate reinforcements were pouring into the region. Burnside was preparing for a drive against Goldsborough, his next major objective, when he received orders to return to Virginia with any reinforcements he could spare to aid in the withdrawal of General McClellan's forces after being defeated attempting to capture the Confederate capital . Burnside departed on July 6, 1862, with 7,000 troops and returned to Virginia. These troops would become

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6634-486: The lease was forfeited in 1934 for non-payment of rent. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) authorized Norfolk Southern Railroad's (of 1910) abandonment of operations of the Atlantic and North Carolina. The ICC found that Atlantic and North Carolina rightfully resumed operation of the line after the default. The Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company was leased to the Atlantic and East Carolina Railroad Company, effective August 1, 1939, under authority granted by

6741-459: The lines. He designated subordinate George Johnston to manage the task. In fall 1864, Johnston was charged with corruption. However, instead of being prosecuted, he was allowed to resign after saying he could show "that General Butler was a partner in all [the controversial] transactions," along with the general's brother-in-law Fisher Hildreth. Shortly thereafter, Johnston managed a thriving between-the-lines trade depot in eastern North Carolina. There

6848-411: The lucrative inter-belligerent trade. He used a Federal warship to send $ 60,000 in sugar to Boston where he expected to sell it for $ 160,000. However, his use of the government ship was reported to the military authorities, and Butler was chastised. Instead of earning a profit, military authorities permitted him to recover only his $ 60,000 plus expenses. Thereafter, his brother Andrew officially represented

6955-459: The matter. He instituted a ten-hour work day at the Middlesex Mills. During the debates over the ten-hour day a Whig -supporting Lowell newspaper published a verse suggesting that Butler's father had been hanged for piracy . Butler sued the paper's editor and publisher for that and other allegations that had been printed about himself. The editor was convicted and fined $ 50, but the publisher

7062-523: The ministry, but eventually rebelled against the idea. In 1836, Butler sought permission to go instead to West Point for a military education, but he did not receive one of the few places available. He continued his studies at Waterville, where he sharpened his rhetorical skills in theological discussions and began to adopt Democratic Party political views. He graduated in August 1838. Butler returned to Lowell, where he clerked and read law as an apprentice with

7169-468: The national stage and on the Massachusetts political scene, serving five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and running several campaigns for governor before his election to that office in 1882 . Butler, a successful trial lawyer, served in the Massachusetts legislature as an antiwar Democrat and as an officer in the state militia . Early in the Civil War he joined the Union Army, where he

7276-617: The nucleus of the IX Corps . Burnside left behind General Foster in command of 8,000 troops. Foster mounted an expedition against the railroad at Goldsborough, which he destroyed at the end of 1862. The fighting in North Carolina would then devolve into a series of raids and skirmishes. In 1864, the Confederates assumed the offensive in North Carolina, trying to recover some of the territory lost to Burnside's expedition. They failed to retake New Bern , but reconquered Plymouth and held it for 6 months. The next major campaigns in North Carolina were

7383-503: The petty looting of New Orleanians. "[F]or years after the Civil War steamships plying the lower Mississippi were furnished with chamber pots bearing the likeness of 'Beast Butler'". He was nicknamed "Butler the Beast" by Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard (despite Beauregard's leaving his wife under Butler's personal care) or alternatively "Spoons Butler", the latter nickname deriving primarily from an incident in which Butler seized

7490-539: The presidential election was over, so the administration no longer had to be concerned about Butler's running for president, and, in General Order Number 1, Lincoln relieved him from command of the Department of North Carolina and Virginia and ordered him to report to Lowell, Massachusetts. Grant informed Butler of his recall on January 8, 1865, and named Major General Edward O. C. Ord to replace him as commander of

7597-637: The prospect of impeaching Johnson . After Johnson was impeached in early 1868 , Butler served as the lead prosecutor among the House-appointed impeachment managers in the Johnson impeachment trial proceedings . Additionally, as Chairman of the House Committee on Reconstruction, Butler authored the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 and coauthored the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1875 . In Massachusetts, Butler

7704-455: The punishment ... of being made to sit as presiding officer over the Senate, to listen for four years to debates more or less stupid, in which I can take no part or say a word...." There was no good place to put Butler; sending him to Missouri or Kentucky would likely end in disaster, so it was considered safer to leave him where he was in Virginia. More worrying was the fact that Butler was one of

7811-401: The rail links supplying Richmond , and force the Confederates to abandon the city. In spite of Grant 's low opinion of Butler's military skills, he was given command of the operation. Butler's force landed on May 5, when Petersburg was almost undefended, but Butler became unnerved by the presence of a handful of Confederate militia and home guards. While he dithered, the Confederates assembled

7918-480: The remnants of the Confederate "Mosquito Fleet" which had escaped from Roanoke Island. Burnside then returned to Hatteras Inlet and was reinforced by more ships from the navy for his next objective, the railroad town of New Bern along the Neuse River . New Bern would also serve the Union Army as a base for any further movement into the interior of North Carolina. Brigadier General Lawrence O'Bryan Branch commanded

8025-493: The rest of his troops to fall back to Kinston to regroup. Burnside's next objective after New Bern was the terminus of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad at Morehead City and Beaufort along the southern end of Pamlico Sound. Fort Macon guarded both cities. Burnside dispatched John G. Parke 's brigade to capture the fort. Using handcars as a communications link between New Bern and Fort Macon, Parke's forces invested

8132-520: The sea, but General-in-Chief George B. McClellan was in favor of such an operation. McClellan was able to persuade President Lincoln to authorize the operation and choose Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside to lead the expedition. Being careful not to ask for reinforcements from McClellan's own Army of the Potomac , Burnside set about recruiting regiments from states along the North Atlantic sea coast intending to make use of their familiarity with

8239-524: The sea. Burnside's army, known as the Coast Division, was divided into three brigades, each commanded by a friend of Burnside's from his days at West Point . The first brigade was commanded by Brig. Gen. John G. Foster , the second by Brig. Gen. Jesse L. Reno and the third by Brig. Gen. John G. Parke . In January, 1862 Burnside set out from Fort Monroe and rendezvoused with Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough at recently captured Hatteras Inlet where

8346-472: The spur to be an essential part of its line. Atlantic and East Carolina had organized the Cherry Point Railroad Company for the purpose of constructing the spur. In this period passenger services changed from running under the name of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad to the name of Atlantic and East Carolina Railway, in accordance with the leasing change. The railroad offered a once

8453-418: The streets and spit on it, and trampled on it until it was torn to pieces. It was then distributed among the rabble, and each one thought it a high honor to get a piece of it and wear it." Butler added that these actions were "against the laws of war and his country." Before Mumford was executed, Butler permitted him to make a speech for as long as he wished, and Mumford defended his actions by claiming that he

8560-536: The support he received in Radical Republican circles drove Butler to change political allegiance, and he joined the Republican Party . He also sought revenge against the more moderate Secretary of State Seward, whom he believed to be responsible for his eventual recall. Butler continues to be a disliked and controversial figure in New Orleans and the rest of the South. On September 27, 1862, Butler formed

8667-418: The trackage rights was to allow Norfolk Southern Railway and Atlantic and East Carolina Railway to continue as the providers of local and overhead freight service on the respective North Carolina Railroad Company lines, as they had previously done under the expired leases. In September 2003, Norfolk Southern Railway Company and Atlantic and East Carolina Railway Company filed a verified notice of exemption under

8774-556: The two assembled their forces. Burnside's first objective was the Confederate fortifications on Roanoke Island guarding Albemarle Sound . Brigadier General Henry A. Wise commanded the District of Roanoke and had a mere 1,400 men and few artillery pieces to defend his district. Besides a lack of infantry and artillery, the Confederates also lacked a significant naval force. A group of 8 work boats were converted into gunboats commanded by William F. Lynch . Wise contemptuously referred to

8881-415: The war a year early, although his two West Pointer corps commanders Maj. Gen "Baldly" Smith and Quincy Gilmore also did not perform well or make up for Butler's limitations as a general. Despite this fiasco, Butler remained in command of the Army of the James. Although Grant had largely been successful in removing incompetent political generals from service, Butler could not be easily gotten rid of. As

8988-599: The war's first large-scale battle. The battle's poor outcome for the Union was used as cover by General Scott to reduce Butler's force to one incapable of substantive offense, and it was implicit in Scott's orders that the troops were needed nearer to Washington. In August, Butler commanded an expeditionary force that, in conjunction with the United States Navy , took Forts Hatteras and Clark in North Carolina . That move,

9095-501: The war. Butler also worked to secure a leadership position should the militia be deployed. He first offered his services to Governor Andrew in March 1861. When the call for militia finally arrived in April, Massachusetts was asked for only three regiments, but Butler managed to have the request expanded to include a brigadier general. He telegraphed Secretary of War Simon Cameron , with whom he

9202-424: The water, Branch's men faced most of Fort Thompson's guns toward the river. Burnside's main attack did not come from water. Instead he marched his three brigades up along the railroad and attacked New Bern from the south. After fighting along his breastworks, Branch's defeated Confederates fled into New Bern. Hundreds of troops continued on to the railroad depot in town and boarded an outbound train. Branch ordered

9309-536: The western frontier. In May, the forces under his command were designated the Army of the James . On November 4, 1864, Butler arrived in New York City with 3,500 troops of the Army of the James. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton had "requested that Grant send troops to New York City to help oversee the election there. Stanton's concern arose from the city's perennial political and racial divisions, which had erupted during

9416-478: The withdrawal of many of his men for use elsewhere, Butler was unable to maintain the camp at Hampton, although his forces retained the camp at Newport News. Butler's commission, which required approval from Congress, was vigorously debated after Big Bethel, with critical comment raised about his lack of military experience. But his commission was narrowly approved on July 21, the day of the First Battle of Bull Run ,

9523-425: Was acquainted, suggesting that Cameron issue a request for a brigadier and general staff from Massachusetts, which soon afterward appeared on Governor Andrew's desk. He then used banking contacts to ensure that loans that would be needed to fund the militia operations would be conditioned on his appointment. Despite Andrew's desire to assign the brigadier position to Ebenezer Peirce , the bank insisted on Butler, and he

9630-632: Was acquitted on a technicality. Butler blamed the Whig judge, Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar , for the acquittal, inaugurating a feud between the two that would last for decades and significantly color Butler's reputation in the state. Butler, as a Democrat, supported the Compromise of 1850 and regularly spoke out against the abolition of slavery . At the state level, he supported the coalition of Democrats and Free Soilers that elected George S. Boutwell governor in 1851. This garnered him enough support to win election to

9737-542: Was acting out of a high sense of patriotism. Most, including Mumford and his family, expected Butler to pardon him. The general refused to do so, but promised to care for his family if necessary. (After the war, Butler fulfilled his promise by paying off a mortgage on Mumford's widow's house and helping her find government employment.) For the execution and General Order No. 28, he was denounced (December 1862) by Confederate President Jefferson Davis in General Order 111 as

9844-554: Was an American major general of the Union Army , politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts . Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts , Butler was a political major general of the Union Army during the American Civil War and had a leadership role in the impeachment of U.S. president Andrew Johnson . He was a colorful and often controversial figure on

9951-517: Was described by a schoolmate as "a reckless, impetuous, headstrong boy", and regularly got into fights. Butler's mother moved the family in 1828 to Lowell, Massachusetts , where she operated a boarding house for workers at the textile mills . He attended the public schools there, from which he was almost expelled for fighting, the principal describing him as a boy who "might be led, but could not be driven." He attended Waterville (now Colby ) College in pursuit of his mother's wish that he prepare for

10058-487: Was dismissed from the Union Army after his failures in the First Battle of Fort Fisher , but he soon won election to the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts. As a Radical Republican he considered President Johnson's Reconstruction agenda to be too weak, advocating harsher punishments of former Confederate leadership and stronger stances on civil rights reform. He was also an early proponent of

10165-539: Was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society . Butler quickly gained a reputation as a dogged criminal defense lawyer who seized on every misstep of his opposition to gain victories for his clients, and also became a specialist in bankruptcy law . His trial work was so successful that it received regular press coverage, and he was able to expand his practice into Boston . George Riley worked at his Boston law office. Butler's success as

10272-426: Was further marred by the failure of staff to communicate passwords and precautions. A friendly fire incident during the night gave away the Union position, further harming the advance, which was attempted without knowledge of the layout or the strength of the Confederate positions. Massachusetts militia general Ebenezer W. Peirce , who commanded in the field, received the most criticism for the failed operation. With

10379-451: Was halted by Colonel Ambrose Wright 's Confederates near Camden at the Battle of South Mills . Although the fighting was inconclusive, Reno abandoned the expedition. It was the first setback at the hands of the Confederates during Burnside's whole campaign. On April 26 Fort Macon surrendered. By June 1862, Burnside had occupied Roanoke Island, New Bern, Morehead City, Beaufort and Washington, North Carolina. Colonel Robert Brown Potter

10486-568: Was later made standard Union Army policy to not return fugitive slaves. This policy was soon extended to the Union Navy. Butler directed the first Union expedition to Ship Island , off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, in December 1861, and in May 1862 commanded the force that conducted the capture of New Orleans after its occupation by the Navy following the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip . In

10593-525: Was named after Founding Father Benjamin Franklin . His elder brother, Andrew Jackson Butler (1815–1864), served as a colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War and joined him in New Orleans. Butler's mother was a devout Baptist who encouraged him to read the Bible and prepare for the ministry. In 1827, at the age of nine, Butler was awarded a scholarship to Phillips Exeter Academy , where he spent one term. He

10700-461: Was next assigned command of Fort Monroe and of the Department of Virginia . On May 27, Butler sent a force 8 miles (13 km) north to occupy the lightly defended adjacent town of Newport News, Virginia at Newport News Point, an excellent anchorage for the Union Navy . The force established and significantly fortified Camp Butler and a battery at Newport News Point that could cover the entrance to

10807-499: Was not in Washington at the time, Grant appealed directly to Lincoln for permission to terminate Butler, noting "there is a lack of confidence felt in [Butler's] military ability". Grant also voiced his suspicions about corruption going on in Butler's department, including smuggling of supplies to Lee's army, and that Butler arbitrarily arrested anyone who noticed what was going on, although, due to Butler's formidable political connections, nothing came of Grant's complaints. By this point,

10914-443: Was not the Union man that Butler had previously thought he was. Butler then returned to Massachusetts, where he warned Governor John A. Andrew that hostilities were likely and that the state militia should be readied. He took advantage of the mobilization to secure a contract with the state for his mill to supply heavy cloth to the militia. Military contracts would constitute a significant source of profits for Butler's mill throughout

11021-446: Was not unusual for as much as 10 percent of the city's population to die of yellow fever . In preparation, Butler imposed strict quarantines and introduced a rigid program of garbage disposal. As a result, in 1862, only two cases were reported. Many of his acts, however, were highly unpopular. Most notorious was Butler's General Order No. 28 of May 15, 1862, that if any woman should insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of

11128-662: Was noted for his lack of military skill and his controversial command of New Orleans , which made him widely disliked in the South and earned him the "Beast" epithet. Although freeing an enemy's slaves had occurred in previous wars, Butler came up with the idea of doing so by designating them as contraband of war , an idea that the Lincoln administration endorsed and that played a role in making emancipation an official war goal. His commands were marred by financial and logistical dealings across enemy lines, some of which may have taken place with his knowledge and to his financial benefit. Butler

11235-476: Was often at odds with more conservative members of the political establishment over matters of both style and substance. Feuds with Republican politicians led to his being denied several nominations for the governorship between 1858 and 1880. Returning to the Democratic fold, he won the governorship in the 1882 election with Democratic and Greenback Party support. He ran for president on the Greenback Party and

11342-509: Was placed in command of the Union garrison at Washington. Potter ordered a reconnaissance from the garrison under Lt. Col. Francis A. Osborne. Osborne's men ran into the 44th North Carolina under Col. George Singletary. After a brief fight, the Confederates retreated and Osborne returned to Washington. It was a small fight with no far reaching consequences but it was to be the last battle of Burnside's expedition. Confederate President Jefferson Davis 's new military adviser, Robert E. Lee , saw

11449-496: Was sent south to ensure the security of transportation routes to Washington. The nation's capital was threatened with isolation from free states because it was unclear whether Maryland , a slave state, would also secede. The two regiments Massachusetts sent to Maryland were the 6th and 8th Volunteer Militia. The 6th departed first and was caught up in a secessionist riot in Baltimore, Maryland on April 19. Butler traveled with

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