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

Meantime this contest had made some stir, and President Pierce sent the new brigadier-general an appointment as visitor at West Point, authorizing me to examine that institution. Thus I had the good fortune to have two military appointments, one signed by the Know-Nothing Governor Gardner, and the other one signed by the Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis. When at West Point, I was introduced to General Scott, who took me cordially by the hand, and said, “I am very glad that the oldest general in the United States has the pleasure of receiving the youngest general in the United States.”

I encamped with my brigade four years, in 1857, 1858, 1859, and 1860, so that in fact I had commanded a larger body of troops, duly uniformed and equipped, than any general of the United States army then living except General Scott. In 1860 Governor Banks called 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.

Pistol.