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

Colonel Foster of the Tenth Corps got there with his troops in time, and the movement was successful. Late that morning I saw General Martindale's brigade pass my headquarters, having to march a large seven miles before he could reach with his command the point at which he was to take part in the movement. If Smith, his immediate commander, had sent Martindale his orders as they were given to him, then here was a very gross dereliction of duty in not moving when ordered. Whereupon I sat down and wrote a letter to General Smith stating the fact,¹ asking him to have the matter brought to the attention of General Martindale in a proper manner. The letter is published to be open to criticism.

Smith telegraphed me back a reply in which he insisted that I had threatened him with relief from command.² I had not intended to do any such thing, and the letter does not bear that construction. He was seeking a quarrel, and proceeded to write me that he had moved troops longer than I had, and that he was my superior in that.

As Smith had reported to me at Fortress Monroe in 1861 as a lieutenant of topographical engineers who had never commanded a man in his life except his servant, when I was a major-general in command of several thousand men, and had been moving large bodies of troops from Boston to Annapolis, from Annapolis to Washington, from the capital to the Relay House, and from the Relay House to Baltimore; and had afterwards moved troops from Boston to Ship Island, and from Ship Island to New Orleans, and from New Orleans all over the State of Louisiana, it seemed to me that I had had much more experience in moving troops than he had; and as a topographical engineer is not the highest grade at West Point, I did not think I should be insulted by a second grade West Pointer. I overlooked all that, however, and wrote him an unofficial letter explaining my first letter, asking him if he did not regret sending me such a reply.³

By the regulations of the service all communications in regard to military matters are to be forwarded to the superior officer through the officer in the next highest grade, and if this is not done it may be inquired into by a court-martial. Yet Smith sent my letter and