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William O. Butler | |
|---|---|
 Butler, 1870s | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKentucky's13th district | |
| In office March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843 | |
| Preceded by | William Southgate |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Orlando Butler (1791-04-19)April 19, 1791 |
| Died | August 6, 1880(1880-08-06) (aged 89) Carrollton, Kentucky, U.S. |
| 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 an American politician andU.S. Armymajor general fromKentucky. He served as aDemocratic representative from Kentucky from 1839 to 1843, and was the Democraticvice-presidential nominee underLewis Cass in1848.
Born inJessamine County, Kentucky, Butler studied law after graduating fromTransylvania University. He served in theWar of 1812, taking part in theBattle of the Thames and theBattle of New Orleans. After the war, he practiced law inCarrollton, Kentucky, and briefly served in theKentucky House of Representatives. He served in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1839 to 1843 before running forGovernor of Kentucky in 1844. He lost the 1844 gubernatorial election toWhig nomineeWilliam Owsley.
During theMexican–American War, Butler served as a major general of volunteers. He was GeneralZachary Taylor's second-in-command during theBattle of Monterrey and later succeededWinfield Scott as the commander of American forces occupyingMexico City. The1848 Democratic National Convention nominated a ticket of Cass and Butler, but the Whig ticket of Taylor andMillard Fillmore won the 1848 presidential election. He attended thePeace Conference of 1861, which sought to defuse the secession crisis that arose following the1860 presidential election. During theCivil War, Butler was aWar Democrat who favored theUnion.
Butler, the son of Mildred Hawkins and Gen.Percival Butler, was born inJessamine County, Kentucky (thenFayette County), and graduated fromTransylvania University in 1812. He began thestudy of law with Robert Wickliffe, but his education was interrupted by theWar of 1812.
When theWar of 1812 began, Butler volunteered as a private, and took part in theBattle of the River Raisin. During the battle, Butler and fellow soldiers defended themselves behind afencerow, and Butler volunteered to conduct a hit-and-run operation to destroy the barn to deprive the British of cover in the barn. Braving heavy gunfire, Butler raced to the barn and set it ablaze before safely returned to the American lines. Later, the whole American force were defeated and captured, including Butler.[1][2]
After the British captured Butler and sent him toFort 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 theBattle of the Thames in 1813. Butler and his men were sent to New Orleans to assistAndrew Jackson in the city's defense. He distinguished himself during theBattle of New Orleans. Among the men under his command was future Florida governorRichard Keith Call, who would remain lifelong friends with Butler.
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 theKentucky 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 candidateWilliam Owsley was close. Owsley won with 59,680 votes to Butler's 55,056.[3]
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 theArmy of Occupation. He served as second-in-command toZachary Taylor during theBattle of Monterrey, in which he was wounded. On February 18, 1848, he superseded GeneralWinfield 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.
In1848, Butler was the Democratic candidate for Vice President of the United States. At the1848 Democratic National Convention, delegateFrancis P. Blair was a leader of the movement to put Butler on the ticket withLewis Cass, and Butler won the nomination on the first ballot overJohn A. Quitman andWilliam R. King. In the general election, the ticket of Cass and Butler was defeated by Whig candidatesZachary Taylor andMillard Fillmore. Butler was the first non-incumbentDemocratic vice presidential candidate to lose election.
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As Cass's running mate, Butler was regarded by many Democrats as a possible nominee in 1852. While there was a boom for his candidacy, his chances were undermined byGeorge N. Sanders, the editor of theDemocratic Review, who, as a supporter of rival candidateStephen A. Douglas and someone with a personal vendetta against Butler, attacked him in the pages of his publication. Sanders's attacks cost Butler the support of a united state party organization that he needed in order to appear atthe convention as a viable candidate.[4] Butler turned down thegovernorship of theNebraska Territory when it was offered to him by PresidentFranklin Pierce in 1854.[5][6]
Politically, Butler was a moderate. Although a slaveholder, he was opposed to the extension of slavery and favored gradual legal emancipation.[7] He stood firmly for the preservation of the Union and was aUnion Democrat during theCivil War.[8]
He was present at thepeace conference of 1861, a gathering of political leaders that met inWashington, D.C., in an attempt to avert the impendingAmerican Civil War.[9]
Butler also authored a volume of poetry entitledThe Boatman's Horn, and Other Poems.[10]
Butler died inCarrollton, Kentucky, on August 6, 1880, at age 89. He was interred in the Butler family cemetery in Carrollton.
TheGen. William O. Butler House, his home inCarrollton, Kentucky, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Places named for General Butler:
william o butler 1861 peace conference.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKentucky's 13th congressional district 1839–1843 | Constituency abolished |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Kentucky 1844 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democraticnominee forVice President of the United States 1848 | Succeeded by |
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