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

[821] Grant, General Weitzel, and Admiral Porter were fully examined by the committee. There were upon the committee members of both political parties, and the result of the investigation was a unanimous report through their chairman, Hon. Ben F. Wade, which closed with the following words:--

In conclusion, your committee would say, from all the testimony before them, that the determination of General Butler not to assault the fort seems to have been fully justified by all the facts and circumstances then known or afterwards ascertained.

Respectfully submitted,

B. F. Wade, Chairman.

I had hoped that this report would justify my action in saving the lives of my men without any detriment to the public service, but, unfortunately, so far as I know, it was never published in any of the newspapers which tried me before the country; and whenever any malicious scoundrel wants to make a fling at me and my military conduct, he always says: “How about Fort Fisher?” I will here answer him:--

I believe my withdrawal from Fort Fisher to face the calumny which has rolled its waves over me, and which I calmly looked in the face when I made my decision to withdraw my troops, was the best and bravest act of my life. I feared it would destroy my friend Weitzel, and so I took pains to put before the committee the acts which were done as if they had been done by my command. There was but one subject in regard to which General Weitzel and I disagreed. As a junior officer in the regular army he has said, and I have no doubt he would have done so although against his own judgment, that he would have held on to his position. Indeed, I believe his words were those of a junior officer. “As a junior officer I should not obey the command of my superior, leaving him to bear the blame and responsibility of the event.” I believe that if General Grant had been there he would have been of opinion with me, that the troops should have been withdrawn, under the circumstances, and that his order, although in the letter directing differently, would have been reversed by him. Whether it would or not, at any rate I thought it my duty not to be so controlled, nor to throw away the lives and liberties of my brave officers and soldiers by a useless