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Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler, Chapter 2: early political action and military training. (search)
together at Concord the whole volunteer militia of Massachusetts, amounting to nearly six thousand men. I encamped five days with them, so that I had seen together, for discipline, instruction, and military movement, a larger body of troops than even General Scott had seen together, for he never had so many in one body in Mexico. I have a reason for being thus particular in giving my experience in military matters. After I had won my spurs at Annapolis and Baltimore, I was, on the 16th of May, 1861, appointed to the actual command of troops in the field. The appointment was criticised by a lieutenant of topographical engineers, who afterwards became a general in the army, but who, at that time, had never commanded a corporal's guard but only took pictures of the country. He said I had no military experience, never having been to West Point. He forgot that putting an animal into a stable does not make him a horse; that point being better determined by the length of his ears.