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October 31st, 1861 AD (search for this): chapter 15
to the right. I hope that I may succeed. I appreciate all the difficulties in my path; the impatience of the people, the venality and bad faith of the politicians, the gross neglect that has occurred in obtaining arms, clothing, etc., and above all I feel in my inmost soul how small is my ability in comparison with the gigantic dimensions of the task, and that even if I had the greatest intellect that was ever given to man, the result remains in the hands of God. McClellan's letter, Oct. 31, 1861. His story, page 172. I do not feel that I am an instrument worthy of this great task, but I do feel that I did not seek it,--it was thrust upon me; I was called to it. My previous life seems to have been unwittingly directed to this great end, and I know that God can accomplish the greatest results with the weakest instruments. Therein lies my hope. It is sickening in the extreme, and makes me feel heavy at heart, when I see the weakness and unfitness of the poor beings who control
November, 1861 AD (search for this): chapter 15
scrupulous and false. If possible, they will throw whatever blame there is on my shoulders, and I do not intend to be sacrificed by such people. I shall trust that the all-wise Creator does not intend our destruction, and that in His own good time He will free the nation from men who curse it, and will restore us to His favor. . . . The people think me all-powerful. Never was there a greater mistake. I am thwarted and deceived by these incapables at every turn. McClellan's letter, November, 1861. His story, page 176. I have one great comfort in all this,--that is, that I did not seek this position, as you well know; and I still trust that God will support me and bear me out. He could not have placed me here for nothing. In a memorandum which he sent to the President in August, 1861, he says:-- For the main army of operations [his own] I urge the following composition: 250Regiments of Infantry, say225,000 men. 100Field Batteries, 600 Guns,15,000 men. 28Regiments of Ca
November 17th, 1861 AD (search for this): chapter 15
alled to it. My previous life seems to have been unwittingly directed to this great end, and I know that God can accomplish the greatest results with the weakest instruments. Therein lies my hope. It is sickening in the extreme, and makes me feel heavy at heart, when I see the weakness and unfitness of the poor beings who control the destinies of the great country. How I wish that God had permitted me to live quietly and unknown with you. But His will be done. McClellan's letter, Nov. 17, 1861. His story, page 175. I have not been home for some three hours, but am concealed at Stanton's to dodge all enemies in the shape of browsing presidents. I have a set of men to deal with unscrupulous and false. If possible, they will throw whatever blame there is on my shoulders, and I do not intend to be sacrificed by such people. I shall trust that the all-wise Creator does not intend our destruction, and that in His own good time He will free the nation from men who curse it, an
December 23rd, 1862 AD (search for this): chapter 15
urrection; and that the colored soldiers serving in the armies of the United States, when captured, should be treated as slaves and turned over to their masters or confiscated to the government as property. This, the United States claimed, was a breach of the cartel by which it was agreed that all the officers and soldiers of either government should be exchanged man for man and officer for officer. It will be remembered that by the declaration and proclamation of Jefferson Davis, of Dec. 23, 1862, all officers commanding colored troops were to be delivered over to the governors of States to be punished under their laws for inciting negro insurrections, which is a paraphrase for punishment by ignominious death, and that the colored soldiers so commanded were not to be treated as prisoners of war, but were to be turned over to their masters to hard labor as slaves, and that this was substantially the recommendation of Mr. Davis' message to the Confederate congress, and that an act
1863 AD (search for this): chapter 15
Chapter 13: occupations in 1863; exchange of prisoners. Reception by people of the North addresses in New York and Boston called to Washington services desired on the Mississippi offer refused McClellan's willingness to become dictator a young man who appreciated himself Lincoln and Butler discuss the enlisting of colored troops Committee on Conduct of War asks for suggestions exchange of prisoners considered at some length Butler appointed commissioner scheme for retaliaton that I have already given here and that I entertain to-day. I believe it was in consequence of those opinions upon that subject so fully expressed to the committee that I was again called in consultation with the President. In the spring of 1863, I had another conversation with President Lincoln upon the subject of the employment of negroes. The question was, whether all the negro troops then enlisted and organized should be collected together and made a part of the Army of the Potomac a
February 11th, 1863 AD (search for this): chapter 15
ssissippi River was again discussed between the President and myself. He wished me to go on to the Mississippi River from St. Louis down, and examine what, if anything, was being done in the way of civil administration of the several departments, and also to advise him upon the military situation. I heard him fully and told him that I would take that proposition into consideration. When I saw him afterwards he produced an authorization and pass, written wholly by his own hand, dated February 11, 1863, a fac-simile of which is herewith published, and presenting it said: Now, Butler, if you go down there, and find anything that wants to be set right, report to me and I will put you in command, in the hope that you will also carry out what I indicated to you about enrolling the slaves. I replied: And there comes the difficulty, Mr. President. This rather adds to my embarrassment, because if I should be put in command under such circumstances the cry would be that I told tales in or
April 2nd, 1863 AD (search for this): chapter 15
, I have too much shared that feeling to add one pang, however slight, to the discomfort which my fellow-soldiers suffer, doing the duties of the camp and field, by my own act, while separated momentarily from them by the exigencies of the public service. I promised, at the committee's request, that as soon as might be after I had visited my family and made some necessary arrangements in my private affairs, I would make an address to the good people of New York. This I did, on the 2d of April, 1863, at the Academy of Music. The occasion was thus described in the New York Tribune:-- The magnificent assemblage of the choicest of the city, which gathered last evening in the Academy of Music to greet the hero of the Gulf, has seldom been paralleled in the history of this continent. The house was completely filled in every part long before the hour of commencement. . . . At 7.30 o'clock precisely, Senator Morgan, accompanied by several gentlemen, conducted General Butler upon t
July 3rd, 1863 AD (search for this): chapter 15
nt, as to persons of color, which I beg leave to discuss last, I can see no reason why an agreement upon all points of difference cannot be arrived at, upon just and equitable terms. In regard to the paroles, the Confederate commissioner claims nothing, so far as I can see, which he is not willing to concede to us, acting under the cartel, and our general orders, with the exception that I believe on both sides it should be yielded that as well before as subsequently to Order No. 207 of July 3, 1863, paroles should not be accepted by either belligerent, of officers or soldiers, who were not so far in the power of the captor as to be taken to a place of safety, and I believe this proposition will be agreed to by the Confederate commissioner, although for paroles given prior to July 3d, I was at a loss to answer the fact claimed, which I suppose to be the fact, that paroles of prisoners taken on raids had been insisted upon on behalf of the United States, as in the case of Kilpatrick's
November 2nd, 1863 AD (search for this): chapter 15
act that these men were soon afterwards re-enlisted was claimed by us to be a breach of the cartel on the part of the Confederates. Meanwhile our prisoners, to the number of some thirteen thousand, were suffering and dying by cold and starvation in Richmond and elsewhere, while we held in our prisons some twenty-six thousand of the rebel officers and men well cared for, properly clothed, and well fed. I had been appointed to the command of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina Nov. 2, 1863, and subsequently commissioner for the exchange of prisoners. Upon assuming command my attention was called to the suffering of the prisoners at Belle Isle and Libby Prison, at Richmond. In consultation with the Secretary of War, I proposed retaliation by placing the rebel officers held by us in a condition identical, as nearly as possible, as to shelter, clothing, fuel, and food, with that of our soldiers at Richmond, with notice to the Confederate authorities that any alleviation of
December, 1863 AD (search for this): chapter 15
hose having them in charge in refusing to permit them to so do. I have no personal knowledge of the condition of the rebel prisoners of war except at Point Lookout, where I had from twelve to fifteen thousand under my immediate charge from December, 1863, when I first inspected them, to April, 1864, when I last inspected them, except through the medium of gentlemen of my staff. In December, 1863, I made two personal inspections at Point Lookout of the condition of the rebel prisoners of waDecember, 1863, I made two personal inspections at Point Lookout of the condition of the rebel prisoners of war. I went into their camp, which covered some acres, and was well laid out. There were tents to accommodate all of them, placed upon a perfectly proper camping ground laid out in streets. At the corners many of the prisoners assembled around me, and I asked them to state to me any complaints they had to make as to the clothing, food, or anything else. They all said they had no complaint to make except that, as the weather was cold, they wanted more firewood than our army regulations allowed.
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