General Benjamin Butler Civil War letter and document related archive. 1st item - Over 30 late 19th century copies of orders given by General Butler during the Civil War. 2nd item - Two Head Quarters Department of Virginia and North Carolina: Army of the James field letters written by General Butler, dated 1864, 3rd item - A former Confederate POW (prisoner of war) letter from James W. Row written to General Butler sometime in the 1890's. Row was a prisoner of war at Point Lookout, Virginia and recalls when the prison was given over the General Butler from the "awful Patterson". He states in part "and feeling very kindly towards you for kindness rec. at your hands while a prisoner at Point Lookout...... I sent you by M. Lawrence a cane cut from the battlefield of Chancellorsville and whitled into shape by an old Rebel soldier......We had been taught to look upon you as the embodiment of all that was bad and mean. And well do I remember the first time you rode into the prison with your staff. And how we were relieved when you assured us that you intended to inaugurate a milder policy towards us and that our rations would be changed for the better. And that under your administration how much better our condition was in every way....". 4th item - Treasury Department letter, dated December 28, 1863 from the Treasury Secretary Solomon Chase giving General Butler $20000 for Confederate Prisoners being held in Richmond. 5th item - Head Quarters Department of Virginia and North Carolina: Office of the Financial Agent field letter. 6th item - Newspaper article titled "Gen. Butler Tells a Secret". Describes how Butler was almost chosen as Vice-President in 1864 for Abraham Lincoln. 7th item - Copy of a speech given by General Butler, published by the Loyal Publication Society, New York, titled "Character and Results of the War. How to Prosecute and how to End it. A thrilling and Eloquent speech.". 8th item - Two miscellaneous notes written by General Butler. Provenance: Descended through the family of Thomas E. Major. Colonel Major was the personal secretary to Benjamin F. Butler while he served as Governor of the State of Massachusetts.

Archive overall good condition. Some items with toning and spotting. Some documents with folds, losses to margins.