William O. Butler
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William Butler | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 13th district | |
In office March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843 | |
Preceded by | William Southgate |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | William Orlando Butler April 19, 1791 Jessamine County, Kentucky, U.S. |
Died | August 6, 1880 Carrollton, Kentucky, U.S. | (aged 89)
Political party | Democratic |
Education | Transylvania University (BA) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1812–1815; 1846–1848 |
Rank | Major General |
Commands |
|
Battles/wars | War of 1812
|
William Orlando Butler (April 19, 1791 – August 6, 1880) was a
Born in Jessamine County, Kentucky, Butler studied law after graduating from Transylvania University. He served in the War of 1812, taking part in the Battle of the Thames and the Battle of New Orleans. After the war, he practiced law in Carrollton, Kentucky, and briefly served in the Kentucky House of Representatives. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1839 to 1843 before running for Governor of Kentucky in 1844. He lost the 1844 gubernatorial election to Whig nominee William Owsley.
During the Mexican–American War, Butler served as a major general of volunteers. He was General Zachary Taylor's second-in-command during the Battle of Monterrey and later succeeded Winfield Scott as the commander of American forces occupying Mexico City. The 1848 Democratic National Convention nominated a ticket of Cass and Butler, but the Whig ticket of Taylor and Millard Fillmore won the 1848 presidential election. He attended the Peace Conference of 1861, which sought to defuse the secession crisis that arose following the 1860 presidential election. During the Civil War, Butler was a War Democrat who favored the Union.
Early life
Butler, the son of Mildred Hawkins and Gen. Percival Butler, was born in Jessamine County, Kentucky (then Fayette County), and graduated from Transylvania University in 1812. He began the study of law with Robert Wickliffe, but his education was interrupted by the War of 1812.
War of 1812
Battle of the River Raisin
When the
Battle of the Thames
After the British captured Butler and sent him to Fort Niagara where he remained until the British freed him on parole. He returned to Kentucky only to join the American forces that met the British and Indians at the Battle of the Thames in 1813.
Battle of New Orleans
Butler and his men were sent to New Orleans to assist
Political career
After the end of the War of 1812, Butler returned to Kentucky, resumed his legal studies, and attained admission to the bar. From 1817 to 1844, he practiced law in Carrollton. Butler served in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1817 and 1818. From 1839 to 1843, he served as a congressman. In 1844, he received a unanimous nomination of the Democratic Party for governor. Described as the most formidable candidate that the Democrats had ever nominated for governor, Butler's race against Whig candidate William Owsley was close. Owsley won with 59,680 votes to Butler's 55,056.[3]
Mexican–American War
When the Mexican War broke out, Butler again joined the army. On June 29, 1846, he was appointed major general of volunteers and commanded the 1st Volunteer Division in the Army of Occupation. He served as second-in-command to Zachary Taylor during the Battle of Monterrey, in which he was wounded. On February 18, 1848, he superseded General Winfield Scott as the commanding general of the American army in Mexico City. He left the service on August 18, 1848, after he had been selected as the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
Election of 1848
In
Later years
Butler turned down the
Politically, Butler was a moderate. Although a slaveholder, he was opposed to the extension of slavery and favored gradual legal emancipation.[6] He stood firmly for the preservation of the Union and was a Union Democrat during the Civil War.[7]
He was present at the
Butler also authored a volume of poetry entitled The Boatman's Horn, and Other Poems.[9]
Death and burial
Butler died in Carrollton, Kentucky, on August 6, 1880, at age 89. He was interred in the Butler family cemetery in Carrollton.
Legacy
The Gen. William O. Butler House, his home in Carrollton, Kentucky, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Places named for General Butler:
- Butler County, Iowa
- Butler County, Missouri[10]: 264
- Butler County, Nebraska
- Butler, Missouri (in Bates County)[10]
- General Butler State Resort Park near Carrollton, Kentucky.
- Butler Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
- Butler, Georgia[11]
References
- ^ Floral City Images (2010). "Battle of Frenchtown, also known as the Battle of the River Raisin". Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ^ "1812: War with America" by Jon Latimer page.118.
- ^ William Orlando Butler at Kentucky State Parks
- ^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume VI. New York, NY: James T. White and Company. 1896. p. 183.
- ^ James C. Olson (1966). History of Nebraska (New Edition) (2nd ed.). University of Nebraska Press. p. 81.
- ISBN 978-1-62190-118-1.
- ISBN 978-0-8131-1772-0.
- ^ Report of the Kentucky Commissioners to the Late Peace Conference. Frankfort, KY: Jno. B. Major, State Printer. 1861. p. 25.
william o butler 1861 peace conference.
- ^ Gilman, Daniel Coit (1907). The New International Encyclopædia, Volume 3. New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company. p. 729.
- ^ a b Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 208.
- ISBN 978-0-915430-00-0.
External links
- United States Congress. "William O. Butler (id: B001197)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- William O. Butler at Find a Grave
- William Orlando Butler Archived 2009-07-24 at the Wayback Machine at Kentucky State Parks