62

GEN. BUTLER AND THE SEVENTH.

report of Col. Cahill, based, as it was, upon the reports of the several commanding officers of regiments engaged in the action, contained no allusions which, in the slightest degree, reflected upon the Seventh, or which tended to support such charges, but, on the contrary, that he referred to all the troops in a like complimentary manner, while Col. Dudley, commander of the right wing, under whose immediate observation the regiment served through the heat of the battle, in his official report, spoke of its operations in a highly flattering way; also that Gen. Weitzel, his own chief of staff, in his report mentioned all participants most favorably, and that he, by his own Order No. 57, had honorably noticed the entire command at Baton Rouge without discrimination. And I contended that to attack our regiment in the face of these official statements, confirmed as they were by his own. order, would not only be an act of self-stultification on his part, but that to condemn the regiment upon oral complaints and ex parte assertions (proceeding principally from prejudiced persons), without giving its officers and men an opportunity to be heard, would be a gross act of injustice, and I urged him to first investigate the matter and hear our proofs before committing himself to a course which was wholly unwarranted by the facts. All my efforts, however, were ineffectual.

Chagrined and disgusted at the determination which Gen. Butler evinced to utterly disregard anything I might say, I was obliged to return to my quarters feeling that I had accomplished nothing in the way of averting the dastardly assault which he contemplated making. I nevertheless called at

GENERAL BUTLER AND THE SEVENTH.

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General Butler's quarters the next day, and again pressed him to give us a full and fair hearing, and endeavored to dissuade him from condemning the regiment unheard. I reiterated many of my statements of the previous day, and informed him. that in the meantime I had conferred with Col. Dudley, and officers of his staff, as well as others not belonging to the Seventh, and also with the officers and men of the Seventh, present with it during the engagement, all of whom united in saying, that there was no unusual confusion in its ranks, at any time; that it was one of the last regiments to leave the field, and when doing so, retired with the main line, in perfect order, and that no command or request was received to support the Indianians, nor did the Seventh refuse or fail to aid them. I also gave him the facts in respect to the charge that the Seventh had fired into the Indiana regiment, and stated that the fire complained of was opened by the express. personal directions of Gen. Williams, against the advice and wishes of Col. Roberts, and that if it was true that any of the Indianians were injured, the fault lay with Gen. Williams, and not with the officers and men of the Seventh, who had simply obeyed imperative instructions. I also informed him that the colors of the Seventh were not left in its camp or on the field, but were borne, throughout the fight, by ColorSergeant Parkhurst, with great gallantry, and in the most conspicious manner, and at no time left his hands or the custody of the regiment.

I also reminded him that the reputation of the State was involved and that to cast a stigma upon one of its regiments for unmilitary behavior in battle was too serious a matter for

64 GENERAL BUTLER AND THE SEVENTH-ORDER NO. 62.

hasty or immature action, and that it seemed to me that he owed a duty to the people of Vermont which made it incumbent that he should first investigate the facts in order to see whether the conduct of the Seventh had been such as to be deserving of censure, and I besought him to convene a court. of inquiry to the end that all parties might be heard, and the truth ascertained. This request-so proper and reasonable under the circumstances-was refused, and I found that I could do nothing to avert the dastardly attack. On the 30th of August, Gen. Butler promulgated his infamous order which bore date as of a time anterior to my first interview with him, from which I take the following extracts.

"HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF.

NEW ORLEANS, AUGUST 25TH, 1862.

66 General Order No. 62.

"The Commanding General has carefully revised the offi"cial reports of the action of August 5th at Baton Rouge to "collect the evidence of the gallant deeds and meritorious "services of those engaged in that brilliant victory. * * * "Col. Roberts * * fell mortally wounded, while rallying his men.' (That he fell while rallying his men was a lie, as was subsequently proven.) "He was worthy of "a better disciplined regiment and a better fate.

"Glorious as it is to die for one's country, yet his regi"ment gave him the inexpressible pain of seeing it break in "confusion when not pressed by the enemy, and refuse to "march to the aid of the outnumbered and almost over"whelmed Indianians." (This was another lie as was also subsequently proven.)

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GEN. BUTLER AND THE SEVENTH-ORDER NO. 62. 65

"The Seventh Vermont Regiment, by a fatal mistake, had already fired into the same regiment they had refused "to support, killing and wounding several. (This was false. The Seventh fired by Gen. Williams' orders.)

"The Commanding General therefore excepts the Seventh "Vermont from General Order No. 57, and will not permit "their colors to be inscribed with a name which could bring "to its officers and men no proud thought.

"It is further ordered, that the colors of that regiment be "not borne by them until such time as they shall have "earned the right to them, and the earliest opportunity will "be given this regiment to show whether they are worthy "descendants of those who fought beside Allen, and with "Stark at Bennington."

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Among others whom the Commanding General noticed specially in the foregoing order, was John Donaghue, of whom he spoke as follows: "John Donaghue, Fourth Massachusetts Battery, who brought off from the camp of the Seventh "Vermont Regiment their colors at the time of their retreat. (This was false; "their colors" were brought from the field by the Color Sergeant at the close of the action, and the Seventh did not retreat). Not an officer or man of the Seventhalthough many of them performed signal acts of heroismwas mentioned in this order, save Col. Roberts, who, had his lips not been sealed in death, would have been foremost to resent the foul aspersions cast upon his brave regiment.

On the day the above order was published, Gen. Butler reviewed the troops at Camp Williams, and took occasion to supplement his atrocious attack by inflicting upon the regi

66

APPLICATION FOR COURT OF INQUIRY.

ment an abusive harangue, which perforce, was received with suppressed indignation and silent contempt. Being thoroughly persuaded that it would be impossible to obtain fair treatment at the hands of a man so blind and insensible to justice as Gen. Butler had shown himself to be, I, the next day, addressed the following letter to the AdjutantGeneral of the Army.

"GEN. LORENZO THOMAS,

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"CAMP WILLIAMS, La.,

"August 31st, 1862.

"SIR:-In justice to the regiment which I have the honor "to command-the Seventh Regiment of Vermont Volun"teers-I find myself under the necessity of calling for an ex"amination into the statements made by the Major-General "commanding this department, in Order No. 62, dated August 25th, 1862, which is calculated, in my opinion, to "bring unmerited disgrace upon the regiment and the State "from which it comes.

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"I accordingly respectfully request that a Court of Inquiry may be assembled as soon as convenient to investigate and report upon the Battle of Baton Rouge, and the part taken in that engagement by my regiment, with the "view that justice may be done to it and the service.

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Regretting exceedingly to find myself impelled to ask "for the scrutiny of a victory which should fill all generous "hearts with gratitude and pride, I have the honor to be, Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

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"WM. C. HOLBROOK,

Major Com'd'g 7th Reg't Vermont Vols."