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

[228] was up at Frederick, some forty miles away, where the legislature was then in session, and was going to make a secession speech on Monday night, and I believed if we captured him and carried him to Annapolis, organizing a military commission and proving upon him his treasonable acts, especially if he were taken while encouraging armed rebellion in his speech, he would be a very proper specimen traitor to be hanged.

I had no doubt a military commission composed of the officers of the Sixth Regiment, whose comrades were shot down in Baltimore by a mob, some of whom carried the Winans pikes, would be very likely to find such facts as would enable it to advise the commanding general of the department, according to the rules of war, to hang Mr. Winans. I also thought that if such a man, worth $15,000,000, were hanged for treason, it would convince the people of Maryland, at least, that the expedition we were upon was no picnic excursion, and would show those disposed to join the rebel army, and especially the officers of the regular army who were throwing up their commissions, that we were engaged in suppressing a treasonable rebellion. And as my act in giving such an example could not be repudiated by the government unless it hanged me, I considered that the object in view was such as to justify the hazard of the experiment on my part.

Thereupon on Monday, I organized a train of cars, got my artillery ready to be loaded on platform cars, and put three covered cars at the head of the train. I headed it towards Harper's Ferry, so as to make it appear that an attack was to be made on that place. As the grade towards Harper's Ferry was very heavy I took care to have a second heavy engine at the rear of the train.

My attention had been called to two rather bright-looking young men, with fast trotting horses hitched to light wagons, who had come from the direction of the city of Baltimore to spend the day with us. I kept my own counsel carefully, and put a confidential staff officer at the telegraph office. At six o'clock I started my train of cars in the direction of Harper's Ferry with both engines working. As we started, one of my staff, whom I had sent to watch, observed these two young men start with their horses at a very fast gait for Baltimore.

This was called to my attention, and the officer said: “Why not arrest them?”