William Butler

William Butler was a Colonel in the 1st (Regular) South Carolina Infantry.

Antebellum

• Enlisted from an Unknown City, Unknown County, South Carolina

Service Record

• ? - Enlisted in the 1st (Regular) South Carolina Infantry at ?
• ? - Mustered in for a ? year term of service
• ? - Captain
• ? - Lieutenant Colonel
• ? - Colonel

December 26, 1860 - April 14, 1861: Operations in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina

Dispatches

At the outbreak of the war, William Butler was a Captain in the Provisional South Carolina Army These dispatches were compiled with primary source materials from The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Chapter 1)

CONTENTS This feature is not yet available. Check back soon for updates! (CS AG) Samuel Cooper At the outbreak of the war, Samuel Cooper was a Colonel and the Adjutant General of the United States Army On March 7, 1861, Cooper resigned from the U.S. Army and traveled to Montgomery, Alabama to join the C.S. Army Cooper was commissioned as a Brigadier General on March 16, 1861 He served as both Adjutant General and Inspector General of the C.S. Army To Butler: From Butler: April 16, 1861 - Captain William Butler to Brigadier General Samuel Cooper Click for full-sized scanned image Click for full-sized scanned image Report of Captain William Butler, commanding mortar battery No. 2, Sullivan's Island MORTAR BATTERY, No. 2, SULLIVAN'S ISLAND, April 16, 1861. SIR: I have the honor to submit my report upon the service of the mortars under my charge during the bombardment of Fort Sumter on the 12th and 13th instant. On the night of the 11th the gunners were detailed and at their posts, the mortar pointed, and the battery prepared for immediate action. The following morning the signal for hostilities to commence being announced both from Forts Johnson and Moultrie, we opened fire from this battery upon Fort Sumter. The prescribed intervals for firing were observed, until varied by verbal orders from the lieutenant-colonel commanding, directing me to shorten them, when an increased rate of firing was commenced and continued until dark. During the night the rate of firing was reduced to one shell in two to three hours, but was again renewed the next morning at the increased rate of the day before, and continued until about noon, when the signal for surrender was observed and the firing ceased. The channel battery, though not called into use, was kept manned and ready for action. The fire of the enemy, which was not at any time concentrated in this direction, was apparently pointed for the channel, battery, and did no damage except to some of the adjacent houses, the shot generally passing over us. The officers under my command, Lieutenants Huguenin, Mowry, Blocker, Billings, and Rice, rendered efficient assistance, performing the duties assigned them with zeal and coolness. The men manned the batteries both night and an with alacrity and cheerfulness. I inclose a summary of the firing. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. BUTLER, Captain, South Carolina Infantry. ADJUTANT, Fort Moultrie. (To view this page in its Source Category, click HERE for Part 1 and HERE for Part 2)

Post-War Career

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Family

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Sources

• United States War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Serial #1 (Volume 1). (Washington, 1880).
• Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies. South Carolina and Georgia. New York: Facts on File, 1992. Print. (Page 53)