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

I immediately began to look the matter up. I telegraphed to Fortress Monroe, and was told that no such order had come there. Adjutant-General Thomas told me that such an order certainly had been issued and forwarded by General Dix to General Wool, at Fortress Monroe. I applied to General Dix, and he said that he had sent such an order forward. Looking farther, I found that one of General Dix's staff officers had put it in his coat pocket and forgotten it,--a most inconceivable thing.

I determined to bring the matter to a focus at once. I went to General McClellan and told him about the order and asked him to revoke it.

“Why are you so anxious about this expedition?” he said to me.

“Because I think I can do a great deal of good for the country. Besides, I want to get away from Washington; I am sick of the intrigues and cross purposes that I find here. Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Stanton seem to me to be about the only persons who are in dead earnest for a vigorous prosecution of the war.”

“Ah,” said he, “and what evidence have you of that?”

“What both say and how they say it,--although I do not put too much confidence in what any man says. The President asked me how many troops I believed there were on the other side of the river, and I gave him the number as I gave it to you.”

“What did he say to that?”

“He asked me how certain I felt, and I told him I felt very certain. He asked me whether I felt so certain that I would be willing to lead an army of one hundred thousand troops from Washington to make an attack on the rebels in Virginia.”

“What did you say to that?”

“I said I did not desire to have anything to do with the Army of the Potomac; that I wanted to get away from here, and I then renewed my application to him to give me my order to go to New Orleans.”

“He did not give you the order?”

“No; he told me he did not know yet whether he would or not. I said to him in substance that I hoped he didn't detain me because it was a necessity to have around Washington the few troops that I ”