VP Beast Butler?

[Jim Garrett]

(12-15-2014 10:38 AM)Don1946 Wrote:  

(12-12-2014 08:06 AM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  A couple of quick thoughts.....Norfolk was an occupied city, same as New Orleans. While the occupying forces were stringent, they were nothing like Butler. One thing the US Government did to antagonize the citizens of Norfolk was the use of US Colored Troops as part of their occupying forces. This caused an altercation between a leading citizen, Dr. David Minton Wright and the occupying forces. The result was the death of a Union officer and Dr. Wright being hanged.

The James Gang chose to rob one particular bank, partly because Butler and his son-in-law had large deposits there.

Ben Butler had a home in Rockport Massachusetts that is still in the family. The descendants are not well liked by many in the Rockport community.

The account I read on this, by UNC historian William Powell, indicates that Dr. Wright was shouting insults to black Union soldiers patrolling the streets in 1863, and then shot and killed a white Union officer who demanded that he desist. http://ncpedia.org/biography/wright-david-minton Martial law had been imposed, and Wright seemed to resent black soldiers enforcing it. Sounds like he earned his punishment.

Back to Butler, shall Jesse James be our moral standard bearer here?
Regarding Rockport, do today's residents not like the descendants of Ben Butler because of something they are currently doing to annoy their neighbors, or because of some kind of bigotry against their ancestry?
I'm reminded that Ben Butler was elected time and again from his Massachusetts district, was elected governor of Mass (1883-84), was nominated by the Greenback Party for president, and by all accounts was admired as an advocate of progressive policies affecting blacks, women, and civil liberty for all. Isn't that why he is/was unpopular among white Southerners or those sympathetic with their cause?

No doubt, Dr. Wright was guilty of killing the white officer intervening in defense of his colored troops. The point is that the colored troops were posted in Norfolk as a measure to antagonize, bait, humiliate and berate the white citizens of Norfolk. Dr. Wright, by all accounts, a worthy and upstanding citizen of Norfolk had an exemplary record of public service including being on of the few doctors to stay and attend to yellow fever victims in 1855. He was well imbibed from celebrating his birthday and instead of defusing the situation, the issue became more heated. Unfortunate all the way around.

As to the Butler descendants in Rockport, not many up there even know the negative reputation of "the beast".