The General Daniel Butterfield
Civil War Roundtable
General Daniel Butterfield
2008 Schedule of programs
"Grierson's
Raid and the Taking of Vicksburg"
A program
by Will Platt
Monday, August
4 @ 7:00PM
Dunham
Public Library
76 Main
Street, Whitesboro
This program
is free and open to the public
|
All programs are held on
the first Monday of the month at 7:00pm at the Dunham Public
Library, 76 Main Street, Whitesboro.
General Daniel Adams Butterfield
(31 October 1831 - 17 July
1901)
"You talkin' to me?
Are you talkin' to me?"
Born in Utica, NY, General Daniel
A. Butterfield was a 30 year old, college educated lawyer and
businessman in New York City when the Civil War began. Quickly,
he moved up the ranks of the Union Army's 12th New York Regiment.
Butterfield was commissioned
a lieutenant colonel in May 1861 during the Peninsular Campaign.
At the Battle of Gaines' Mill, despite an injury, he seized the
colors of the 3rd Pennsylvania and rallied the regiment at a critical
time in the battle. Years later, he was awarded the Medal of Honor
for that act of heroism.
Quartered at Harrison's Landing,
or Berkely Plantation, Butterfield, who was made a brigadier general
in September 1861, composed TAPS, the familiar military bugle
call that is sounded at night as an order for lights out. The
soft, slow bugle call is also ssounded at military funerals and
memorial services.
Following the Peninsular Campaign,
Butterfield served at 2nd Bull Run, Antietam and at Marye's Heights
in the Battle of Fredricksburg. he became a major general and
served as chief of staff of the Union's Army of the Potomac. He
was wounded at Gettysburg and then reassigned to the Western Theater.
By war's end, he was breveted a brigadier general and stayed in
the army after the Civil War, serving as superintendent of the
army's recruiting service in New York City.
In 1870, after resigning from
the military, Butterfield went to work with the American Express
Company. He was in charge of a number of special public ceremonies,
including General William Tecumseh Sherman's funeral in 1889.
He married in 1886 at the age of 55. General Butterfield died
in Cold Spring, NY in 1901. His tomb is the most ornate in the
cemetary at West Point, even though he never attended the military
academy.
**Interested in the Civil War?
**Why not think about joining the
Butterfield Roundtable?
The General Daniel Butterfield Civil War
Roundtable was founded in June 1997, to provide the Utica and
Central New York area with a forum in which to discuss topics
and events related to the Civil War.
Dues: Ten dollars per year
The Roundtable meets on the FIRST MONDAY of the month at 7:00pm
at the Dunham Public Library, 76 Main Street, Whitesboro.
*We offer free adult programming each month. A small sampling
of our programs include:
The 117th New York Brigade
Joshua L. Chamberlain: American Hero
Path of Blood: The story of the 33rd New York Volunteers
Bloodiest Day: The Battle of Antietam
The public is always welcome to attend all our meetings and
programs. If you decide to join, you will also receive our monthly
newsletter, The Bugle Call, so named because General Butterfield,
a Utica native, was noted for writing bugle calls, most notably
Taps, which is heard at all military funerals to this day.
The Roundtable now has a roster of 20+ members, but we need
to add to this to make our organization a vital and lasting forum
for Civil War discussion.
*Don't let the memory of the brave men from this area who fought
in the war be lost.
*Join The Butterfield Roundtable and help us preserve their
deeds and memories.
2008 Officers:
President: Richard Somer
Vice-President: Donald Wisnoski
Treasurer: Dennis Kininger 
Secretary: Arlene Somer
Director (2007): Dan Evans
Director (2008): Allan Foote
Newsletter Editor: R.F. Somer
Web Meister: Dennis Kininger 
Past projects:
In 1999, the Round Table is pleased to report that it has officially
"adopted" the 97th New York Infantry (Conkling Rifles)
monument at Gettysburg. This consisted of soldiers from the Booneville,
New York area.
History Club President, Cheryl Pula and History Club
Secretary, Diane Layton, visit the 97th NY Infantry monument
on a recent trek to Gettysburg.
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Win Pula, Cheryl Pula and Diane Layton at the 97th
monument.
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More projects!
In 2000, the History Club was successful
in its efforts to adopt a monument at the Gettyburg National Military
Park in Gettysburg, PA. The Club has adopted the 146th New York
Infantry monument, which is located on the front side of Little
Round Top.
The 146th was raised in the Utica/Rome/Whitesboro
area. Included in our area of "adoption" is also the
famous statue of General G.K. Warren on the hill, overlooking
Devil's Den.
When a monument is adopted by an
organization, members of the Club visit the site at least twice
a year and make sure the area around the monument is in good shape:
Grass is mowed, leaves raked, weeds pulled, etc...
In the Club's case, they have to
make sure that the stone walls near the Warren statue are intact,
that the cannon and their carriages are in good condition (possibly
have to paint). The Club is responsible for a large area.
This is strictly a volunteer undertaking.
Steps are underway to visit Gettysburg in the spring to do a "housecleaning"
of the monument.
Diane Layton and Cheryl Pula at the 146th NY Infantry
monument.
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G. K. Warren gets the "brush-off" by Cheryl
Pula
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Abraham
Lincoln visits the Butterfield Round Table!
On November 5, 2001, the
General Daniel Butterfield Civil War Round Table hosted a program
by John Bayliss, a local Abraham Lincoln re-enactor.
John Wilkes Booth visits
the History Club!
On Monday, April 21, the
History Club enjoyed a well-received program by Mr Stephen Booth
who presented a first person program on John Wilkes Booth.
Mr Booth is no relation
to the infamous presidential assassin and the following two pictures
are from this program:
Thanks to all who made this
program a success...
Wait! That's not all...read on:
As part of the Round Table's ongoing
efforts to assist in the costly restoration of Civil War battle
flags currently housed at the Oneida County Historical Society,
we are now offering regimental maps for sale.
This large and finely detailed map
displays all the regiments raised in New York State, by county,
during the Civil War. They are $5.00 for all Round Table members
and $7.50 for non-members.
Your assistance in this worthy fundraising
effort would be greatly appreciated...Thanks!
Want
to learn more about the Civil War? Here's a selection of websites
that may be of interest. Any further suggestions or recommendations
would be appreciated...
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