Early years
Benjamin Franklin Butler was born inLaw and early business dealings
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 inPre-Civil War political career
During the debates over the ten-hour day a Whig-supporting Lowell newspaper published a verse suggesting that Butler's father had been hanged forCivil War
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 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 elected1860
AfterPetitioning for military leadership appointment
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 telegraphed1861: Baltimore and Virginia operations
The two regiments Massachusetts sent to Maryland were the 6th andFort Monroe, Virginia
When two Massachusetts regiments had been sent overland to Maryland, two more were dispatched by sea under Butler's command to secureNew Orleans
Butler directed the first Union expedition toPublic health management
In an ordinary year, it was not unusual for as much as 10 percent of the city's population to die ofCivil administration difficulties
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 theCotton seizures
Shortly after theCensorship of newspapers
Butler censored New OrleansExecution of William Mumford
On June 7, 1862, Butler ordered the execution of William B. Mumford for tearing down aActions against foreign consuls
Butler also took aim at foreign consuls in New Orleans. He ordered the seizure of $800,000 that had been deposited in the office of theHandling of escaped slaves
With the Union occupation, runaway slaves and slaves from abandoned plantations arrived in large numbers in New Orleans. The unattached people had to be fed and housed. A Union officer complained of "a big problem" with the new arrivals. John D. Winters wrote, "Soldiers resented the fact that the pampered Negro was given better tents, equal rations, and was allowed to tear down more fences for sleeping boards than were the soldiers. GeneralRecall
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 byLouisiana Native Guard
On September 27, 1862, Butler formed 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 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 theArmy of the James
Butler's popularity with the Radicals meant that Lincoln could not readily deny him a new posting. Lincoln considered sending him to a position in theBermuda Hundred campaign
In the spring of 1864, theFort Fisher and final recall
Although Grant had largely been successful in removing incompetent political generals from service, Butler could not be easily gotten rid of. As a prominent Radical Republican, Butler was a potential replacement of Lincoln as presidential nominee. Lincoln had even asked Butler to be the nominee for vice president. In December 1864, troops from the Army of 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. 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 General Grant in early 1865. As Secretary of WarColonization
General Butler claimed that Lincoln approached him in 1865, 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 is not recorded except in Butler's account.Financial dealings
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 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 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. 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 anks'sarrival." Butler's administration of 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 utler's NorfolkDepartment.... This trade was extremely profitable for Northern merchants ... and was a significant help to the Confederacy.... It was conducted with Butler's help and 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 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 he controversialtransactions," 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 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. Much of the Butler-managed Norfolk trade was via the Dismal Swamp Canal to six northeastern counties in North Carolina separated from the rest of the state byPostbellum business and charitable dealings
Butler greatly expanded his business interests during and after the Civil War, and was extremely wealthy when he died, with an estimated net worth of $7 million ($ million today). Historian Chester Hearn believed "The source of his fortune has remained a mystery, but much of it came from New Orleans...." However, Butler's mills in Lowell, which produced woolen goods and were not hampered by cotton shortages, were economically successful during the war, supplying clothing and blankets to the Union Army, and regularly paying high dividends.West (1965), p. 309 Successful postwar investments included a granite company onEarly postbellum political activities
At the urging of his wife, Butler actively sought another political position in the Lincoln administration, but this effort came to an end with Lincoln's assassination in April 1865. Soon after he became president, however, Andrew Johnson sought Butler's legal advice as to whether he could prosecute Robert E. Lee for treason, even though General Grant had granted LeeUnited States House of Representatives (1867–1875 and 1877–1879)
Popular from his reputation as a general, Butler turned his eyes to Congress and was elected in 1866 and 1867 United States House of Representatives elections, 1866 on a platform of civil rights and opposition to President Andrew Johnson's weakImpeachment of Andrew Johnson
Butler was an early and fierce supporter of impeaching President Johnson. As a congressional candidate, by October 1866 Butler was traveling to multiple cities across the United States delivering speeches in which he promoted the prospect of impeaching Johnson. He detailed six specific charges that Johnson should be impeached for. These were: *Seeking to overthrow the government of the United States, doing so by attempting to bring Congress "to disgrace" by refusing to execute or carry out the laws that it had passed which he disagreed with, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Freedmen's Bureau bills *Corruptly using his powers to appoint and remove officers *Conclusion of the American Civil War, Declaring peace in theCivil Rights Act of 1871
Butler wrote the initial version of the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act). After his bill was defeated, Representative Samuel Shellabarger (congressman), Samuel Shellabarger of Ohio drafted another bill, only slightly less sweeping than Butler's, that successfully passed both houses and became law upon Grant's signature on April 20. Along with Republican Senator Charles Sumner, Butler proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1875, a seminal and far-reaching law banning racial discrimination in public accommodations.Rucker and Alexander, pp. 669-700 The Supreme Court of the United States declared the law unconstitutional in the 1883 Civil Rights Cases.Relationship with President Ulysses S. Grant
Butler managed to rehabilitate his relationship with Ulysses Grant after the latter became president, to the point where he was seen as generally speaking for the president in the House. He annoyed Massachusetts old-guard Republicans by convincing Grant to nominate one of his protégés to be collector of the Port of Boston, an important patronage position, and secured an exception for an ally, John B. Sanborn, in legislation regulating the use of contractors by the Internal Revenue Service for the collection of tax debts. In 1874, Sanborn would be involved in the Sanborn incident, Sanborn Contract scandal, in which he was paid over $200,000 for collecting debts that would likely have been paid without his intervention.Other actions
In 1871, Butler sponsored an appearance by suffragette Victoria Woodhull before a congressional committee. In her testimony, Woodhull argued that the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, 14th and Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, 15th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States implicitly grant women the right to vote. During his tenure in Congress, Butler served for some time as the chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary. During the 41st United States Congress, 41st Congress, Butler served as the chairman of the House Select Committee on Reconstruction.Unsuccessful 1871, 1874, 1878, and 1879 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaigns
Butler made four unsuccessful attempts at being elected governor of Massachusetts between the years 1871 and 1879. In 1871 and 1874, he attempted to receive the Republican nomination, but the more conservative party organization closed ranks against him to deny him the nomination. Butler again ran unsuccessfully for governor of Massachusetts in 1878, this time as an independent withMassachusetts governorship (1883–1884)
In 1882, Butler again for governor of Massachusetts, this time being elected by a 14,000 margin after winning nomination by both Greenbacks and an undivided Democratic party. As governor, Butler was active in promoting reform and competence in administration, in spite of a hostile Republican legislature and Massachusetts Governor's Council, Governor's Council. He appointed the state's first Irish-American and African-American George Lewis Ruffin judges, and appointed the first woman to executive office, Clara Barton, to head the Massachusetts Reformatory for Women. He also graphically exposed the mismanagement of the state's Tewksbury Hospital, Tewksbury Almshouse under a succession of Republican governors. Butler was somewhat notoriously snubbed by Harvard University, which traditionally granted honorary degrees to the state's governors. Butler's honorarium was denied because the Board of Overseers, headed by Ebenezer Hoar, voted against it. Butler's bid for reelection in 1883 was one of the most contentious campaigns of his career. His presidential ambitions were well known, and the state's Republican establishment, led by Ebenezer and George Frisbie Hoar, poured money into the campaign against him. Running against Congressman George D. Robinson (whose campaign manager was a young Henry Cabot Lodge), Butler was defeated by 10,000 votes, out of more than 300,000 cast.Richardson, p. 597 Butler is credited with beginning the tradition of the "lone walk", the ceremonial exit from the office of Governor of Massachusetts, after finishing his term in 1884.''Juliard v. Greenman'' U.S. Supreme Court decision
In 1882, Butler successfully litigated ''Juilliard v. Greenman'' before the Supreme Court. In what was seen as a victory for Greenback (1860s money), Greenback supporters, the case confirmed that the government had the right to issue paper currency for public and private debts.1884 presidential campaign
Butler parlayed his victory in the ''Juilliard v. Greenman'' decision into a run for president in 1884. Butler was nominated by the Greenback and Anti-Monopoly Party, Anti-Monopoly parties, but was unsuccessful in getting the Democratic nomination, which went to Grover Cleveland. Cleveland refused to adopt parts of Butler's platform in exchange for his political support, prompting Butler to run in the general election rather than withdrawing in deference to Cleveland. He sought to gain electoral votes by engaging in fusion efforts with Democrats in some states and Republicans in others, in which he took what were perceived in the contemporary press as bribes $25,000 from the campaign of Republican James G. Blaine. The effort was in vain: Butler polled 175,000 out of 10 million votes cast in the election, which Cleveland won.Later years and death
In his later years Butler reduced his activity level, working on his memoir, ''Butler's Book'', which was published in 1892. ''Butler's Book'' has 1,037 pages plus a 94-page appendix consisting of letters. In it, "Butler focused by far the majority of his attention on the war years, vigorously defending his often-maligned record." He arranged "with his longtime friend and ally James Parton [author of ''General Butler in New Orleans''] that Parton would finish the book if Butler died before it was done. (As it happens, Parton died first, in October 1891)." Butler died on January 11, 1893, of complications from a bronchial infection, two days after arguing a case before the Supreme Court. He is buried in his wife's family cemetery, behind the main Hildreth Cemetery in Lowell. The inscription on Butler's monument reads, "the true touchstone of civil liberty is not that all men are equal but that every man has the right to be the equal of every other man—if he can." His daughter Blanche marriedLegacy
According to biographer Hans L. Trefousse: :Butler was one of the most controversial 19th-century American politicians. Demagogue, speculator, military bungler, and sharp legal practitioner--he was all of these; and he also was a fearless advocate of justice for the downtrodden, a resourceful military administrator, and an astonishing innovator. He was passionately hated and equally strongly admired, and if the South called him "Beast," his constituents in Massachusetts were fascinated by him.... As a leading advocate of radical Reconstruction, Butler played an important role in the conflict between president and Congress. His effectiveness was marred by the frequency with which engaged in personal altercations, and his conduct as one of the principal managers of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson was dubious. Nevertheless he deserves recognition as a persistent critic of southern terrorism and is one of the chief authors of the Civil Rights Act of 1875. Black newspapers eulogized him "consistently as a 'friend of the colored race,' 'a staunch and enthusiastic advocate' of Black progress, and 'one of the few American statesmen who have stood as a wall of defense in favor of equal rights for all American citizens.' ... The ''New England Torchlight'' put it simply: 'The white South hated him. The black South loved him.'"Ideology ("Butlerism")
Butlerism was a political term in theElectoral history
Gubernatorial
See also
* List of American Civil War generals (Union) * List of Massachusetts generals in the American Civil War * Massachusetts in the American Civil War * General Butler (ship), ''General Butler'' (ship) * List of New Hampshire historical markers (126–150)#145, New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 145: Deerfield Parade * Butler House (Pueblo, Colorado)References
Bibliography
* * * * * * * * * * Jordan, Brian Matthew. "Benjamin F. Butler, ''Ex Parte Milligan'', and the Unending Civil War", in Winger, Stewart L., and White, Jonathan W., editors (2020), ''Ex Parte Milligan Reconsidered: Race and Civil Liberties From the Lincoln Administration to the War on Terror''. * Longacre, Edward G. ''Army of Amateurs: General Benjamin F. Butler and the Army of the James, 1863-1865'' (1997Primary sources
* -Further reading
* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Hearn, Chester G. ''When the Devil Came Down to Dixie: Ben Butler in New Orleans''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1997. * Holzman, Robert S. ''Stormy Ben Butler''. Macmillan, 1954. * Horowitz, Murray M. "Ben Butler and the Negro: 'Miracles Are Occurring'", ''Louisiana History'', Vol. 17, No. 2 (Spring, 1976), pp. 159–186. * Elizabeth D. Leonard, Leonard, Elizabeth D. ''Benjamin Franklin Butler: A Noisy, Fearless Life''. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2022. .External links