GDG- Butterfield

[cameron2 at optonline.net]

<< This is damning evidence that Hooker had politicized his efforts to deal
with Lee's army, and had closed his mind to BMI evidence regarding the
actual strength of the ANV.  It is not entirely clear what Butterfield
thought about this behavior on Hooker's part, but it appears he went along
to get along so to speak.

When Meade took over from Hooker, for whatever reason, he adopted a similar
approach to estimating the size of Lee's army, and evidently chose to
ignore, or at least not to rely on, the figures coming from the BMI.  Meade
repeatedly said he believed that Lee had as many troops if not more than the
AoP.

Butterfield undoubtedly knew better, but, from what can be determined, he
raised no red flag at any point during the campaign or following it for that
matter.  He must bear the blame for this lack of forthrightness in failing
to raise this issue with Hooker and later with Meade.  >>
I wonder if Butterfield, having in effect been somewhat complicit in Hooker's disregard of BMI numbers he either did or should really have known to be reliable, found himself in something of an ethical bind once Meade took command.  It would have been very difficult for him, as an officer, to admit to deliberately "cooking the books" to abet Hooker's political machinations with the Administration.  He may have felt compelled to hold to the same line with Meade, in downplaying the BMI's counts.
Of course, overestimation of ANV strenght was such an ingrained habit in the AOP, Patrick's reservations notwithstanding, that Meade himself may have been so predisposed to accept inflated strength estimates for the ANV, that it didn't take all that much extra convincing on Butterfield's part.