Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

[312] special constables to keep the peace against the Connecticut regiment. I told the mayor and aldermen to keep their constables out of the way or they might get hurt, and that I would take care that the peace was kept.

There was around our camp a board fence, some nine feet high. I put the usual number of sentries on the inside, but I doubled the number outside the fence. I directed the officer of the guard to instruct his sentries on the inside not to have any quarrel or trouble with the men unless they were attacked. But the picket guard on the outside were to be instructed, whenever they saw a man swinging his body over the fence, to poke him back with their bayonets, using the bayonet on that part of him where they would have the most room, and to do it effectually.

The next morning, as usual, I went up to the camp. It was reported to me that the men behaved well enough until about midnight, when they woke up pretty hungry and very dry. The night was not very dark, there being a small moon. They looked around and saw the fence. After a while a body of them got together, and raising the cry “Connicticut over the fince,” they rushed against the fence and climbed up. But the first man that swung over was put back on the point of a bayonet, and so on until it was found not to be a pleasant entertainment. In fact, they had to stay where they were, and to put up with coffee the next morning.

I caused them to be paraded in a hollow square, and walked into the square and told them that I would have no more such conduct as that of the previous night; my orders would be enforced to the letter, and they had been treated more leniently than they ever would be again. I then called the officer of the guard to bring to me the man who first put one of the jumpers back over the fence with his bayonet. He came up blushing and looking as if he did not quite know what would be cone with him. I said to him:--

“My man, can you read and write?”

“Yes, General.”

“You have done your duty well. Mr. Officer of the Guard, report this soldier to the colonel and tell him to appoint him sergeant.”

Then, addressing the men, I said:--

“Now, my men, I am going to put the guard to-night around the outside of this fence with their muskets loaded with ball cartridges, ”