hide Sorting

You can sort these results in two ways:

By entity
Chronological order for dates, alphabetical order for places and people.
By position (current method)
As the entities appear in the document.

You are currently sorting in ascending order. Sort in descending order.

hide Most Frequent Entities

The entities that appear most frequently in this document are shown below.

Entity Max. Freq Min. Freq
Benjamin F. Butler 1,260 10 Browse Search
U. S. Grant 1,168 12 Browse Search
United States (United States) 1,092 0 Browse Search
Washington (United States) 694 24 Browse Search
David D. Porter 362 4 Browse Search
Fortress Monroe (Virginia, United States) 358 8 Browse Search
H. W. Halleck 335 5 Browse Search
Fitzhugh Lee 333 1 Browse Search
Massachusetts (Massachusetts, United States) 308 0 Browse Search
Baltimore, Md. (Maryland, United States) 282 2 Browse Search
View all entities in this document...

Browsing named entities in a specific section of Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler. Search the whole document.

Found 802 total hits in 148 results.

... 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
June 15th (search for this): chapter 18
ped to do two things which had not been done before — to surprise the enemy and at least gain and hold the outer line of their fortifications, and perhaps, if I had good luck, take Chaffin's farm and get into Richmond. I further told him that I had another thing in view. The affair of the mine at Petersburg, which had been discussed between us, had convinced me that in the Army of the Potomac negro troops were thought of no value, and with the exception of an attack under Smith on the 15th of June, where they were prevented from entering Petersburg by the sloth, inaction, or I believe worse, of Smith, the negro troops had had no chance to show their valor or staying qualities in action. I told him that I meant to take a large part of my negro force, and under my personal command make an attack upon Newmarket Heights, the redoubt to the extreme left of the enemy's line. If I could take that and turn it, then I was certain that I could gain the first line of the enemy's intrenchmen
November 1st (search for this): chapter 18
of, said he. I want to go down to Fortress Monroe, said I, and consult some books, and I am on my way there with your permission. Why, General, said he, that is in your department, and you have a right to go anywhere in your department with or without my permission. But not without your knowledge, General. I went down the river, and within three hours was at the fort. I spent some days there, in the routine business of the department, and in other duties. Late in the day of November 1st the telegraph operator came in and handed me a cipher despatch which he had just received, saying This message was directed to your headquarters in the field, but knowing that you were here I brought it to you without forwarding it to City Point. To reach my headquarters in the field such despatches were retransmitted at General Grant's headquarters. I read these words:-- Report at once in person to the Secretary of War. Edwin M. Stanton. I ordered my vessel to be coaled as
28th (search for this): chapter 18
e right of the enemy's line in sufficient numbers so as to enable the Army of the Potomac to move upon the enemy's communication near Petersburg. The forces appropriated to this purpose are so much of the Army of the James as can be spared from the lines at Bermuda Hundred and the garrisoned posts on the river — the strength of which forces you know. the manner in which the movement is to be made. The acting chief of engineers will have caused by twelve (12) o'clock midnight of the 28th inst., a sufficient pontoon bridge, well covered to prevent noise, to be laid from the road on the south side of the James to a point near Varina or Aikens' Landing. The Eighteenth Army Corps, with the exception of the colored division at Deep Bottom, will move across that bridge and make an attack upon the enemy's line in the manner hereinafter to be detailed. At the same time the Tenth Corps will cross the pontoon bridge at Deep Bottom and make in like manner, and at the same time, demo
November 4th (search for this): chapter 18
of people who may be brought there or visit me would drive you from your home. Besides, I must have very much more extensive accommodations. I had telegraphed to Assistant Quartermaster-General Van Vliet to meet me there, and he told me that he had looked about for headquarters for me. He said that the Hoffman House, in the rear part of which General Scott had rooms, had not yet been opened, and that he had taken the whole of the building for my use. Early in the morning of the 4th of November I occupied my headquarters. As the first incident I learned that one Judge Henry Clay Dean, in utter ignorance that I was at that time in New York, had made a speech the night before in which, according to a newspaper report, he stated that if I should attempt to march up Broadway I would be hanged to a lamp-post, or words to that effect. Although I had no troops in New York then except my orderlies and aids, I sent my compliments to Judge Dean with the information that I would like t
September 20th (search for this): chapter 18
service men to make a most thorough investigation. As I have stated, I had an exceedingly accurate map, drawn by the rebels themselves, of all their fortifications, and I instructed my secret service men to find out exactly how many men were holding each fortification, including the works at Chaffin's farm and Fort Harrison, and the connecting lines of forts between them I got such reports that upon reinvestigation I was satisfied they were correct. This took some time, but about the 20th of September I went to General Grant and explained to him my preparation, and asked his leave to make an attack in that quarter with such men as I could spare from the Army of the James. I felt satisfied that I could leave comparatively few men in my intrenchments, for while I was attacking Richmond on one side of the James I was quite sure the enemy would not find itself sufficiently at leisure to make an attack upon my lines on the other side of the river. I drew out my plan carefully in the
November 8th (search for this): chapter 18
s, were very active in discussing this topic, and I myself received many letters about it. To none of these did I return a reply, but threw them all aside, save one. My friend, Col. Edward W. Serrell, of New York, wrote me very intelligently upon the matter, expressing the strongest belief that, notwithstanding the opposition of the regular army, I should receive the appointment if it was known in Washington that I would accept it. See Appendix No 94. Early in the morning of the 8th of November, election day, I despatched trusty officers to each point where dispositions had been made, to keep the peace and to meet violence, if necessary. I remained at my office to receive reports of the occurrences. The remainder of the day, until the polls closed, was monotonously quiet. The sixty lines of wire brought into the room adjoining my office such messages as these, repeated every hour without variation: All quiet in no. 10; All quiet in no. 25, and so on, as the case might be.
October 28th, 1864 AD (search for this): chapter 18
hannel of commerce between Richmond and the outer world. The waters of James River being diverted by the canal no longer flow around at any depth through Trent's Reach, and that which was the former channel of the river will soon, if it has not already, become marsh land. Dutch Gap Canal is the only military construction of all that were done by the army which remains of use to the country in time of peace, a monument to its projector and constructor, one of Butler's failures. In October 28, 1864, all was quiet on the James, and as I desired to examine some statute law and some books on international law in order to deal with the argument of Mr. Ould, the Confederate Commissioner of Exchange, that international law governed the right of the capturing party to return prisoners of war into slavery, I started for Fortress Monroe on my headquarters boat, with a couple of my staff officers, and boat's crew, and orderlies. I stopped at City Point and called on General Grant. He welc
November 10th (search for this): chapter 18
hour was hilariously spent in listening to the good news of the election returns, and I went to bed with the reflection that loyalty to law and order had prevailed. General Grant, expecting a movement at the front, telegraphed the War Department, urging the early return of the troops sent to New York, See Appendix No. 95. and they were returned as fast as possible; but in view of the gold conspiracy Stanton desired me personally to remain some days longer. See Appendix No. 96. November 10, General Grant telegraphed a very high compliment to Stanton, at the quiet way in which the elections in New York passed off, as follows:-- The elections have passed off quietly; no bloodshed or riot throughout the land; is a victory worth more to the country than a battle won. Rebeldom and Europe will construe it so. See Appendix No. 95. On Monday, the 14th, under the direction of a committee of the most distinguished citizens of New York, a reception was given me at the Fifth Av
1868 AD (search for this): chapter 18
e boundaries of the United States. Let them go to Mexico, to the islands of the sea, or some place that I do not care to name,--because I know no land bad enough to be cursed with their presence — but never to live here again. At the close of my speech the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was called upon to address the assemblage, which he did in his peculiar way, expressing high consideration for myself, and in the course of his remarks he named me as a possible candidate. for the presidency in 1868. The proceedings were interlarded with toasts, and among others there was one by Gen. Prosper M. Wetmore of my possible candidature. While all this was sufficiently laudatory, yet to me it was one of the most unhappy and unfortunate occurrences of my life, and it was my own fault that it was so. I only looked upon it as the effervescence of the champagne of the hour, and paid no attention to it as a sober announcement of such possible candidature. Otherwise I cannot account for my not
December 25th (search for this): chapter 18
plode our mine. General Grant telegraphed me, that he had made some arrangements View of Dutch Gap Canal, on James River, below Richmond. Blowing out bulkhead. From a drawing. to utilize the canal by a movement toward Richmond in co-operation with the navy, and that I had better blow out the head of the canal. Meanwhile I had procured a dredger, and in twenty-four hours, or two nights' work, when the enemy could not annoy us with their shells, the canal could be made navigable. On Christmas day the mine was discharged. A tall mass of hard dirt was elevated into the air and came down in fragments into the canal, low enough to allow the waters of the James River to flow over it about three feet deep before it was dredged. But in the meantime a very untoward occurrence had happened. Commodore Smith was wanted elsewhere by the Navy Department; and without giving any notice whatever to us or inquiring into his value where he was,--for he was both an intrepid and an enterprising
... 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15