Descriptive Summary
Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893
Butler, Benjamin Franklin, Collection
1861, 1863
Materials are written in English.
2011-206
1/4 in.
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin
Composed of correspondence, the Benjamin Franklin Butler Collection, 1861, 1863, chronicles his experiences as major general in the Union Army during the Civil War.
Biographical Note
Born in Deerfield, New Hampshire, Benjamin Franklin Butler (1818-1893) established a law practice in Lowell, Massachusetts, after being admitted to the bar in 1840. A Democrat politically, Butler served as a delegate to the Democratic national conventions in 1848 and 1860, while also being elected to the House of Representatives in 1853 and to the Senate in 1859. During the Civil War, he was appointed brigadier general of the Massachusetts militia and soon promoted to major general in the Union Army. Assuming command of Fort Monroe, he led engagements in North Carolina and New Orleans, and was known for his harsh treatment of southerners. Butler’s refusal to return fugitive slaves to their masters led to the coining of the term contrabands. Following the war, he returned to his political career, serving as a Republican representative in Congress from 1867 through 1879. Although winning the Democratic nomination for governor of Massachusetts in 1882, Butler was defeated a year later as well as during his bid in the presidential elections of 1884 on the Greenback ticket.
Sources:
Benjamin Franklin Butler. NNDB. Accessed August 19, 2011. http://www.nndb.com/people/171/000102862/.
Butler, Benjamin Franklin, (1818-1893). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 19, 2011. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b001174.
Scope and Contents
Composed of correspondence, the Benjamin Franklin Butler Collection, 1861, 1863, chronicles his experiences as major general in the Union Army during the Civil War. Addressed to the mother of Major Theodore Winthrop, the letters concern his death and the return of his belongings, including his watch and correspondence.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research use.
Index Terms
Subjects (Persons)
Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893 -- Archives.
Winthrop, Theodore.
Subjects (Organizations)
United States. Army.
Subjects
Death -- Social aspects -- United States -- History -- 19th century -- Sources.
Generals -- United States.
Places
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Social aspects.
Preferred Citation
Benjamin Franklin Butler Collection, 1861, 1863, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin.
Related Material
See also Confederate States of America Records.
See also New Orleans Collection.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Bethany Anderson, August 2011.
Detailed Description of the Papers
Inventory
3C145
Letters,
1861, 1863