OTD 165 YEARS AGO: The Confederacy wins the first land battle on Virginia’s Peninsula and stops a Federal drive toward Yorktown and Richmond.
Tag: Benjamin F. Butler
Contraband of War
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Benjamin F. Butler causes another controversy, this time by refusing to return fugitive slaves to their masters. This military policy of designating escapees as “contraband of war” is endorsed by the Lincoln administration, which sets a wartime precedent.
Federals Capture Baltimore
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Benjamin Butler oversteps his authority and sends his Federal troops to seize the troublesome city of Baltimore.
The Streets Became a Battleground
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: The first blood of the war is drawn when Federal troops traveling through Baltimore fire on a jeering mob, sparking mass unrest.
Butler’s Usefulness Finally Runs Out
The controversial military career of Federal Major-General Benjamin F. Butler finally comes to an end.
The Dutch Gap Canal Flop
Benjamin F. Butler’s project on the James River intended to allow Federal naval vessels to get to Richmond ends in failure.