42 Court St., BosTON, 30th of April, 1861
Gen. B. F. BUTLER
MY DEAR GEN: God bless you for what you have done; let what
has been done only be kept up. I want to say to you everybody here are
overflowing in their praises of you & your troops. We think old
Massachusetts is yet the head of the column, and your name had the enviable
fortune of leading that column. You should understand the feeling here — you
can get it if you have time from the papers. The blood is up as it never was
before, and you tell those people who rule at Washington that the people are up
to the occasion. We only hope they will be. We are here trying to organize a
scheme by which our troops now forming may be sent into camp for sixty days
& made soldiers of. I wish you would help it along if you can find time in
the intervals of building railroads & repairing engines. The country is
bristling all over with military companies, but they ought to have the
discipline of the camp. Lowell has four more companies organized, full. That
son of mine, who I was in hopes would be with you, has recruited one. I have
another boy in Fort Independence with the N. E. Guards, & another in the
company of the eldest. The people at Lowell are taking every means to take care
of the families of those with you, and also provide for the wants of your
soldiers while away. I want you to understand we will take care of your
interests while you are absent. Your family are well. Mrs. Abbott & Mrs.
Butler meet quite frequently in the committee rooms for supplies, so that I
hear from the latter lady almost every day.
If you can find a place for that boy of mine about your
staff I would like it. He is spoiling to be where there is action, & I’ll
go bail you wouldn’t be ashamed of him where hard work & dare-devil
qualities were required. Excuse my writing this. I thought even as you are you
might like to hear a little gossip from home.
Most truly &
sincerely,
J. G. ABBOTT
SOURCE: Jessie Ames Marshall, Editor, Private and
Official Correspondence of Gen. Benjamin F. Butler During the Period of the
Civil War, Volume 1: April 1860 – June 1862, p. 58-9
