"Spoons" Butler |
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| This
presidential candidate and US Army general was known as
"Spoons" Butler in New Orleans where he
commanded the occupying U. S. A. forces from May until
December of 1862. The pejorative nickname derived from
local gossip that he had stolen the spoons in the house
that he was occupying. He was a hated man, also known as
"Beast" Butler, because of his actions as the
military governor of New Orleans. He summarily hanged resident William Mumford for tearing down an American flag, for example, and he issued the infamous Order #28 because of perceived mistreatment of USA occupying troops by local citizens. The order said that, "When any female shall by word or gesture or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the U. S., she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation." One can easily imagine the effect that this proclamation might have had on the behavior of Union solders in New Orleans. After the war, Butler's bid for the presidency was unsuccessful but he did serve in the U. S. House of Representatives (R-MA) and as Governor of Massachusetts in 1882. The spoon was made by Fessenden in sterling and is just a tad bigger than 6 inches. |
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