A Deceitful Staff Officer.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4733, 8 March 1884, Page 1

A Deceitful Staff Officer.

The following incident in General Butler's career is related in his own words :— ■') '

" While in New Orleans there were a number of complaints brought to me of private houses being entered by soldiers and plundered of fine plate, pictures, and any other valuable adornments that struck the fancy of the marauders. I referred these complaints to a young officer of my staft"with orders to investigate them strictly. He reported to me that the complaints were greatly exaggerated, and had originated from the impudence and trespasses of private soldiers. Complaints continued to come in, and on investigation were similarly disposed of. -- -----

" One day, when I was in rather bad humor, a prominent citizen 'of New Orleans came to my office and renewed the old cry. His house had been invaded and stripped of all the valuable ornaments, and he came to me to recover 'them. ' . ■-,' ' . ..:-.. ,V. -.. . ■■?.

'"If the United States,' said he, 'hat sent an army of robbers down here, and robbery is their object, very well; I can put up with it; but if robbery is not authorised, then I want my property restored/

" Being out of temper, I answered him him rather gruffly, and told him I did not believe a word of his story; that I had had numerous cases' investigated without any truth in the reports, and that I thought it was a system of lies to annoy the Union forces and attempt to awaken sympathy. In considerable passion I then ordered him away, and said I did not want to hear any more such tales. To my surprise he said he did not care who I was or what I thought; that his valuables had been stolen, and he intended to complain whenever it was necessary. He was so much in earnest that a thought struck me, and I concluded to test him to the utmost.. ■ „ , r

"' Get out of my office/ said I, in a feigned passion, ' and stop these lying complaints, or I'll have yon taken out and shot.' .

" ' Tou may,' responded the indignant Creole ; ' but I shall complain as long as a band of robbers and thieves plunder me.'

"' Orderly!' I cried, and an officer appeared. ' Take a file of men and shoot this rebel immediately.'

" The officer went out and soon returned with a file of men. In the meantime the Creole was expressing his opinion of the Government, its troops, and myself, in language so earnest and sincere that I could not doubt the truth of bis com* plaint. He continued it even after the orderly bad roughly seized him and was pushing him along to execution. At that moment I called him back, dismissed the file, and, explaining the nature of the preceding investigations,, asked him for minute details as to the robbery of his house, and told him I would investigate it myself. - "He identified the hackman who had brought the robbers to his residence and removed the booty, and acting on this clue I soon found the hackman, and com-* pelled him to tell the whole truth. He admitted that he had driven an officer and soldiers to a number of houses on similar errands, and finally took me to a honsa where the plunder was stored. It was overflowing with fine pictures, plate, silver spoons, valuable ornaments, and bric-a*brac. He then told me who the plundering officer was, and to my surprise it was the young staff officer to whom I had intrusted the investigation, and in whom, up to that moment, I had reposed every confidence. He was the son of a man I knew well. -

"I had the plunder removed to my warehouse until it could be claimed and restored. Then the, staff officer was arrested, tried, sentenced * and shot. I never sent any word home as to the manner of his death, and his family thought he had died or was killed in the service."