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

[189] our men. I found Captain Briggs, who was in command of the Pittsfield company, in what appeared to be an altercation with one of his men. Captain Briggs had possession of the man's rifle, and the man was crying between rage and indignation. The soldier was not of age.

“What is the matter, my man?” I asked.

“The captain has taken away my rifle,” he replied, “and tells me I shall stay in the car with the baggage. Now, I don't want to stay with the baggage; I came here to fight, and the captain ought not to prevent it.”

I turned to Captain Briggs and said: “What is your explanation of this?”

“Well,” said he, “I want one man to stay with the baggage of my company, and I have chosen this young man because he is the least experienced man I have got, and I am going to take his rifle because I can do something with it. With this,” pointing to his sword, “I can do nothing.”

I told the man that he must obey the orders of the captain; that he was doing right, and that settled the matter.

We had about an hour and a half more before the train would stop some three quarters of a mile from the boat, and everything being done that I could do I sat down, not having had my clothes off since I left Boston, and, according to my habit, went to sleep, after cautioning the conductor to put the train to the highest speed she could make. I seemed hardly to have closed my eyes when the cry of “a man overboard” awakened me. The train stopped. I looked out of the window of the car, and saw that one of my men, who proved to be a sergeant, had stripped himself of everything but his trousers and shoes, and was going across the fields. He had jumped from the train when it was running at full speed, incurring more danger of death thereby than he would have done probably during the war,--certainly more than during his three months service. Some of the men were off the car chasing him. Not willing to lose time, I ordered the bugle to sound recall for the men, and told three or four track-men that he had deserted, and that there was a reward of thirty dollars offered for him; that I was going to Annapolis, and if they would bring him to me there they should have the reward. That was the first information the men had as to where they were going.