Butler believed that his new assignment was a reproof for his actions in Maryland. He met with President Lincoln, stating he was unsure he should accept this promotion. The bold Butler went to Washington to pick up his commission in person. The next day, Butler received orders to report to Fort Monroe, Virginia, to assume command of the post. President Lincoln quickly named him major general. His determined actions helped maintain that slave state under Union control. Eventually, he occupied Annapolis, Maryland’s capital, and Baltimore. When Lincoln called for volunteers after the capture of Fort Sumter, Butler made some backroom deals hoping he would be named commander of the first Massachusetts troops taking the train south to protect Washington, DC.īutler would thwart the Maryland secessionist movement following the April 19 Baltimore Riot. Due to his political connections, he was named a brigadier general of the Massachusetts militia in 1857. Butler had always dreamed of being a soldier and had joined the Massachusetts militia as a private in 1838. Ben Butler knew that the North would fight for the preservation of the Union, which he saw as his opportunity for even greater power. He gave his support to the nominations of Jefferson Davis and John Cabel Breckenridge.Ībraham Lincoln’s election put in motion the secessionist movement. During the 1860 election crisis, he believed the Southern states had the constitutional right to practice slavery. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1852 and the state senate in 1858, making him a true power in his party. Yearning for political power, Butler joined the Democratic party. He gained great success and wealth he purchased Middlesex Mill in Ludlow, Massachusetts, and was named to several bank boards. Almost from the start, Butler acquired the reputation of being a bold, astute, and none too scrupulous lawyer. Instead, he attended Colby College and passed the bar in 1840. Ben Butler dreamed of a military career but, he was frail and had a cast in one eye. His father had fought during the War of 1812, and his grandfathers fought during the French and Indian, and Revolutionary wars. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.īutler was born in Deerfield, New Hampshire, on November 5, 1818. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BUTLER Major General Benjamin Butler, ca. Instead of detailing a veteran officer to this critical post, he chose the sharpster lawyer and slick politician turned militia officer, Major General Benjamin Franklin Butler.

Scott’s selection was somewhat of a surprise. He wanted an aggressive leader who would actively contest Confederate positions threatening the Hampton Roads anchorage and secure the Peninsula as an avenue of approach against Richmond.

Scott needed a high-ranking officer to command the growing number of troops on Old Point Comfort. He believed that the enforcements he had already sent and the additional troops he intended to transfer to the Peninsula necessitated a change in command. Winfield Scott recognized Fort Monroe as key to his policy of bringing his native state of Virginia back into the Union. FORT MONROE: THE KEY TO THE SOUTH Fort Monroe, Old Point Comfort, Virginia, ca. Butler refused to return the runaways and called them ‘Contraband of War.’ Their decision helped transform the Civil War into a conflict between the states and a struggle for freedom. Frank Baker, James Townsend, and Shepard Mallory seeking their freedom, made their way onto Fort Monroe. In the ensuing confusion, three men enslaved by Colonel Charles King Mallory escaped. The Union troops marched into the town and then returned to the fort. When Union general Benjamin Franklin Butler arrived at Fort Monroe, Virginia, he immediately sought to show the Virginians that his troops could go anywhere they wished on the Peninsula.

Naval action contraband