GDG- RE: Daniel Butterfield

[Schmidt, James]

"Anyone else have an opinion about Dan the Man that adds something to
the story?" - Tom

Tom,

Thanks for the message and your thoughts.

I suppose I come at Dan Butterfield from a different angle, i.e., - how
did he get into the Union army in the first place?  In fact, he left a
successful position as an executive in his "father's business" -
American Express.  To be sure, other successful men left "cushy"
positions and joined as well, but they were often looking for a
commission straight away.  If I'm not mistaken, although Butterfield was
active in his local militia, he entered the army "through the ranks" as
a sergeant.  He obtained a commission soon thereafter, but I get the
sense that his primary motives were patriotic.  Who knows if he would
have been satisfied to serve in the ranks...perhaps he was promoted
beyond his capabilities...it's worth additional study.

To that end, I agree heartily with your comment that Dan Butterfield is
due a modern, fair, and comprehensive biography.

Best Regards,

Jim Schmidt
http://civilwarmed.blogspot.com



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