Talk:Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)/Comments
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I would suggest to the writer a more careful review of the Official Records concerning Butler's operations and orders at Bermuda Hundred. I would like to make 5 points concerning Butler's operations:
1. Butler's two Corps commanders (Gillmore & Smith) were veteran West Pointers who failed to follow Butler's orders (again consult the OR)at Drewry's Bluff, Swift Creek and two attempts (one by Gilmore & the other by Smith) to capture Petersburg. Their failures came very close to insubordination; 2. Grant's original orders were for Butler to march on Richmond, never Petersburg, and link up south and west of Richmond. This with an army of 30k while maintaining a strong supply base at the Hundred; 3. Butler not Grant, nor Gilmore/Smith saw opportunity at Petersburg and made two attemps to seize the city. Smith actually had large sections of the trenches and failed to sweep into the city! 4. Grant did not suffer fools well (ex: Banks)and would have relieve Butler had there been cause. In fact, both Gillmore and Smith were dismissed due to poor performance & insubordination. (Smith claimed Grant maintained Butler due to Butler seeing Grant drunk - I do not believe Grant drank while on active campaign); 5. Historians (Catton amoung the leaders)have a biased view of Butler because Butler was not martial in appearance or behavior. These prejudices can be traced from the last days of the war; 6. Give the confederates some credit- Beauregard, Evander Law, and other veteran combat commanders led veteran combat units from the Army of N. VA that certainly played a roll in disrupting the operations both north and south of the James River.
I would recommend Robertson's book "Back Door to Richmond" and Edward Longacre's study on the Army of the James for more information on the complex issues surounding the Bermuda Hundred operations.
