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

[670] capture that place, which was held only by two regiments of negroes under General Wilde. Accordingly, before he began, he sent a summons to surrender, informing the commanding officer that if he surrendered, the officers and negro troops should be treated as prisoners of war, but if they did not, and he captured the place, he would not be answerable for their treatment. That treatment was stated in Davis's proclamation to be that the negroes should be returned to their masters, and the officers sent to the governors of the States, to be there tried for inciting negro insurrection.

The noble answer of General Wilde to those propositions was: “We will try that.” Thereupon Fitzhugh Lee did his best. The negroes held firmly, and Lee retired beaten in disgrace, leaving his dead on the field.

It will be observed from the instructions which I gave General Hinks,¹ who commanded the troops holding Fort Powhatan, that I was exceedingly anxious for the safety of that point, because that was the weak point of my whole position. For, although it was some twelve miles below City Point on the James, yet if it were once in possession of the enemy, it would be impossible to get any troops or supplies up the river, as the channel ran close under it. My experience with Vicksburg, which was on a bluff high above the possible range of the guns of the fleet, which were not mortars, told me that if Fort Powhatan were once captured by the rebels, it could be easily held against the naval vessels. I was anxious lest it should be taken by surprise, and therefore, from day to day almost, I persisted in cautioning Major-General Hinks, who was in command. He was a very excellent and able officer, with but a single drawback, and that was very infirm health, arising from wounds received in the army of McClellan before Richmond.

It may be asked why, if it was of so much importance, I entrusted its defences to a garrison of negro troops. I knew that they would fight more desperately than any white troops, in order to prevent capture, because they knew — for at that time no measures had been taken to protect them — that if captured they would be returned into slavery, under Davis's proclamation, and the officers commanding them might be murdered. So there was no danger of a surrender. Wilde's answer to Fitzhugh Lee, and the gallant fight of