Posts
Many Civil War generals were deeply eccentric, had wild
personal lives, or engaged in bizarre behaviors that would seem unthinkable for
modern military leaders.
Union
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler was one of the most controversial and
detested figures of the war. Nicknamed the "Beast of New Orleans" for
his harsh occupation of the city in 1862, he issued the infamous "Woman
Order": any woman who insulted Union soldiers would be treated as a
"woman of the town" (i.e., a prostitute). This outraged the South,
and Jefferson Davis declared him an outlaw.
He
was also called "Spoons Butler" for allegedly stealing silverware and
other valuables from Southern homes. Southerners made chamber pots with his
face on the bottom. Physically, he was described as ugly with a walleye, and
his military competence was widely questioned but he was a shrewd politician.
No comments:
Post a Comment