Major-General Benjamin F. Butler to Edwin M. Stanton, June 1, 1862

Head Quarters, Department of the Gulf,                   

NEW ORLEANS, June 1, 1862

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

Sec'y of War

SIR: I am so unfortunate as to have my Assistant Adjutant, General, Major Strong, chief of Staff and Ordnance officer, taken sick, so that I must send him home in the next transport. This is imperative to save the life of a valuable officer, of whose untiring industry, devotion to public service, conduct, gallantry, skill, efficiency, I cannot speak too highly. I must request that an assistant adjutant General of ability be detailed to me as a prime necessity. If Maj. Strong's reports are in arrears, his health is a full justification. We have captured a large amount of Ordnance and Ordnance stores, so that an Ordnance officer of the first-class is also an imperative necessity. May I ask a speedy detail, as my signal officers asked for in February reported to me yesterday for the first time. Lt. Turnbull of the topographical engineers has been sick and delirious for many weeks, so that I have been deprived of his valuable services. Owing to the thorough knowledge of the country here, had by Lt. Weitzel of the engineers, the loss of his services has not been irreparable. Capt. Kensel, chief of artillery, has had the ordnance duty ordered to his department, and cannot be much longer overworked.

I have the honor to be,

[Benj. F. Butler.]

SOURCE: Jessie Ames Marshall, Editor, Private and Official Correspondence of Gen. Benjamin F. Butler During the Period of the Civil War, Volume 1, p. 550.

Blog Editor’s Note: Contrary to the annotation on Major-General Benjamin F. Butler to Edwin M. Stanton, April 29, 1862 in the Official Records which states, “See Butler to Stanton, June 1, 1862 in Chapter XXVII,” I could not easily locate any other correspondence between Butler and Stanton on June 1, 1862 in the Official Records and instead I had to resort to Butler’s published correspondence to find this letter. Whether this is the letter which was alluded to in the previously mentioned notation I cannot positively say.