★ ★  MOH Butterfield, Daniel A.

Daniel Adams Butterfield

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Born: October 31, 1831

Birthplace: Utica, New York

Father: John Butterfield 1801 – 1869
President of Butterfield, Wasson, and Company​
also President of the Overland Stage Company​
forerunners of the American Express Company​
(Buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica, New York)​

Mother: Malinda Harriet Baker 1799 – 1883
(Buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica, New York)​

1st Wife: Julia Elizabeth Brown 1837 – 1877
(Buried: Green – Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York)​

Married: 1857

2nd Wife: Julia Lorrilard Safford James 1823-1913

Married: September 21, 1886

Education:

1849: Graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York at the age of 18​

Antebellum History:

1849: Involved with an arson fire in Utica, New York in which caused the death of a citizen​

1851: Indicted for the crime of Arson based on a statement by a co-conspirator who was hanged​
1853: Charges of Arson are dropped​
Private in Utica, New York Citizen Corps​
As an employee of his father, managed the time tables and schedule for the Overland Stage line running between Memphis, St. Louis, and San Francisco​

Moved to New York, and became eastern superintendent of the American Express Company​

Civil War Career:

1861: Captain in 71st​ New York Militia​
1861: Member of the Clay Guards as Sgt. In Washington, D.C.​
1861: Colonel of 12th​ New York Volunteers Infantry Regiment​
1861: Served in the First Battle of Bull Run, Virginia​
1861 – 1862: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers​
1862: Author of Camp and Outpost Duty for Infantry
1862: Served in the Virginia Peninsula Campaign​
1862: Composer of Butterfield’s Lullaby, a Bugle Call revised from another call known as Tattoo, it's first known use is near Harrison’s Landing, Virginia, the call later went on to be known by a more common name: Taps​
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1862: Wounded during the Battle of Gaines Mill, Virginia. Despite the serious injury, Butterfield seized the colors of the Eighty-third Pennsylvania and rallied the regiment to hold their ground during a critical time in the battle. This action allowed the Army of the Potomac to withdraw safely to nearby Harrison’s Landing.
1862: Served in the Second Battle of Bull Run, Virginia​
1862: Served in the Battle of Antietam, Maryland​
Major General for Union Army Volunteers​
1862: Union Army Commander of Fifth Army Corps​
1863: Chief of Staff to Major General Joseph Hooker​
1863: After several incidents of mistaken identity among similarly uniformed Federal Units, Butterfield devised a system of unit recognition using different colored shapes for Corps badges under General Hooker's direction.​
1863: Chief of Staff to Major General George G. Meade
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1863: Appointed Colonel of United States Army, 5th​ Infantry​
1863: Wounded on the 3rd​ Day of the Battle of Gettysburg​
1863: Removed as Chief of Staff on July 14th​
Chief of Staff to Major General Joseph Hooker​
1864: Division Commander during the Atlanta Campaign​
Light duty service in Vicksburg, Mississippi and in New York​

Occupation after War:

1869: United States Assistant Treasurer​
Executive with American Express Company​
Active in the Grand Army of the Republic​
1892: On September 26, Issued Medal of Honor for his role at Gaines Mill​

Died:
July 17, 1901

Place of Death: Cold Spring, New York

Cause of Death: Softening of brain and apoplexy

Age at time of Death: 69 years old

Burial Place: U.S. Military Academy Post Cemetery, West Point, New York

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Medal of Honor Citation​
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Brigadier General Daniel Adams Butterfield, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on June 27, 1862, while serving with U.S. Volunteers, in action at Gaines Mill, Virginia. Brigadier General Butterfield seized the colors of the 83d Pennsylvania Volunteers at a critical moment and, under a galling fire of the enemy, encouraged the depleted ranks to renewed exertion.​
 
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When Hooker took over command of the Army of the Potomac Butterfield was his chief if staff. It was said Hookers headquarters was "a combination bar-room and brothel" It wasn't only Hooker but Sickles and Butterfield who contributed to the bawdy atmosphere. He was not well-liked, in fact he was hated, by some of his fellow officers.
 
I would describe his July 3 Gettysburg injury as a "wound". By all accounts it was a slight scratch but he used it as an excuse to go to the rear in order to get away from HQ (he and Meade hated one another and the only reason why he stayed as CoS was because Meade's preferences [A.A. Humphreys and G.K. Warren] didn't want the job with a battle imminent).

Ryan
 
His second wife Julia Lorillard Lorrilard) Safford James was born around 1823-1825, it is generally believed to be 1823 today. Her first husband died in 1884. She married Butterfield in 1886, and she died on August 6, 1913, she was worth $3 Million ($75 Million today). I have to ask why was Butterfield buried at West Point, a school he never attended. Julia paid for his memorial at West Point, a statue of him in Sakura Park in Manhattan, had left money to construct a building on the campus of alma mater Union College named for Butterfield, left his Civil War papers to the Julia L. Butterfield Library, and edited a book of his life, entitled A Biographical Memorial of General Daniel Butterfield.
 
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I would describe his July 3 Gettysburg injury as a "wound". By all accounts it was a slight scratch but he used it as an excuse to go to the rear in order to get away from HQ (he and Meade hated one another and the only reason why he stayed as CoS was because Meade's preferences [A.A. Humphreys and G.K. Warren] didn't want the job with a battle imminent).

Ryan
He was struck by a shell fragment during the July 3 cannonade preceding the Confederate charge against Cemetery Ridge and reportedly occupied a bed at the Lydia Leister place (Meade's headquarters) for a time - which suggests to me that he was slightly dazed.
 
I now live in Georgia, but I used to live in Malvern, Arkansas. There was a small community about 10 miles away. The name of the community was Butterfield. I had heard at one time that it was a stage stop. Malvern didn't come into existence until 1876 when the railroad came through.
 
Trying to locate more information about Butterfield's association with the Clay Guards. What little exists indicates its ranks may have been filled by elected officials, military personnel, and other prominent citizens. The one reference in Butterfield's biography written by his wife Julia, appears to show Butterfield concurrently held a 1st Sgt position in the Clay Guards while also serving in the 12th NY?
 
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