Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

Upon awakening I left my horse and started through the camp, opening the flies of several of the tents and looking in at the occupants. I proceeded in this way through that portion of the camp occupied by the officers without obtaining a sight of General Smith. Passing then to the rear where the tents of the orderlies and servants were pitched, I saw a tent some distance from those occupied by Smith's staff, and close to those the orderlies' quarters. Opening the fly of this tent I came face to face with General Smith who had evidently just arisen. He manifested great surprise at seeing me. I proceeded at once to state to him the efforts I had made to find him, at the same time expressing my surprise at his locating himself so far from that portion of his camp occupied by his staff as to have precluded them from any knowledge of his whereabouts. His reply was that “I was very tired and came here for the purpose of securing rest, and being where I would not be likely to be disturbed.” I then delivered to General Smith your positive command for an immediate assault upon the receipt of the order, stating that your order was equally as good at that hour as it would have been had it been delivered at an earlier one. He responded that “he would look his position over and prepare to attack the enemy.”

These facts I reported to you upon my return to headquarters between 6 and 7 A. M. on June 16.

I desire to call your attention to the fact that the night of the 15th of June was one of the most favorable nights which an army had ever presented for a night assault. The moon was substantially full, and the night as clear and bright as any I ever saw.

One other matter should be noticed. You will find that in one of your telegrams to General Grant on the night of the 15th, you speak of Hancock's troops having been passed by one of your staff about half past nine P. M. some four miles from Petersburg.

The hour they met was half past five P. M. The error was a clerical one due to haste in writing, and while such mistakes were not frequent in the army when the number of hastily written telegrams is considered, they did occur many times. A most notable instance is in one of General Hancock's despatches in which he says his force joined that of General Smith at five P. M. Gen. Francis A. Walker, chief of staff to General Hancock, in his history of Hancock's corps says the hour intended to be stated was eight P. M. This accords with the now well-established facts, as the assault made by General Smith's command was over at 7.20 P. M., and the Second Corps arrived shortly thereafter.

The facts as here stated of your orders, and my delivery of the same, are indelibly impressed upon my memory, and have been frequently told by me to personal friends and brother officers, during the nearly thirty years which have elapsed since their occurrence.

In view of them is it to be wondered at that, during that entire time General Smith has, so far as any public utterances of his are known, never by word or by pen, answered the severe and adverse criticisms upon his