BUTLER, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (ante). b. N. H., 1818; a graduate of Waterville (Me.) college; admitted to the bar in Massachusetts, and acquired a large practice in Lowell and other cities. He was early in politics as a member of the Demo cratic party, and by them was chosen to the legislature in 1853. In the same year he was a member of the constitutional convention, and in 1859 was elected to the state senate. On the first call for troops in the secession conflict (April 15, 1861), B., who was a hrig.gen. of militia, called out his brigade. On the next day, the 6th regiment left Boston; and on the 18th, B. at the head of the 8th regiment started for Washington by way of Baltimore. Two regiments of his brigade had in the mean time sailed for fortress Monroe, of which they took possession. The burning of railroad bridges pre vented 13. from reaching Washington directly, and lie took possession of Annapolis and repaired the railroad from that city to Washington so speedily, that the 7th New York and the 8th Massachusetts regiments reached the capital in season to prevent any attempt at seizure. In May, he took possession of Baltimore without opposition, and the same month was appointed inalgen. and given command of fortress Monroe. Here he made the declaration, when requested to return runaway negroes, that the slaves were "contraband of war"—a doctrine that greatly discouraged the secessionists and corre spondingly elated the union side, for up to that period there had been no hesitation on the part of the civil or military authorities in doing their utmost to arrest and return fugitive slaves. In the spring of 1862, he commanded the land force of 18,000 men designed to co-operate with Farragut in command of the fleet to operate in the lower Mississippi, and on the 1st of May he took possession of New Orleans, where he remained until relieved by gen. Banks in December. His administration in New
Orleans was violently denounced: but he kept order; forced the people to keep reason ably clean streets and so avoided the yellow-fever for one season; compelled the rich secessionists to contribute to the support of those whom their rebellion had reduced to want; and enforced due respect for the flag of the nation. Near the close of 1863, he was put in command of the department of Virginia and North Carolina, and in May, 1864, occupied City Point and Bermuda Hundred in support of Grant's movement upon Petersburg. In October he was sent to New York to assure peace during the election, there being danger of serious trouble. In 1864, he was sent against fort Fisher, but the enterprise failed, in consequence of a storm, and he returned, contrary to orders, for which he was relieved from command. In 1866, he was chosen member of congress from the Boston district, and in 1868, was one of the managers in the impeachment of president Johnson. From the breaking out of the rebellion until 1876-77, Butler acted with the Republican party; but when the greenback and labor movement began to take shape he favored it, and in 1878 was the candidate of those parties, and of a large por tion of the Democratic party, for governor of Massachusetts, receiving 109,435 votes to 134,725 for the successful Republican candidate. He was again a candidate of "green hackers," labor men, and Democrats, in 1879, but was again unsuccessful.