The Wolle / Butts Correspondence

Little by little I have been highlighting the research for A Resting Place, and today the spotlight is on the Wolle/Butts correspondence.

The whole letters are what is linked above, and quotes from the letters, as well as photos of the real documents follow below.  These letters were so important to our research because it gave us a human perspective from the confederate point of view.  The letters tell a tale of a father who wants the best for his daughter and his family above all else.  I hope our readers enjoy these letters as much as Touchstone has.

Chris Morris, teacher at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts, plays Butts in A RESTING PLACE. Photography © h scott heist 12

Reverend Wolle was the headmaster at the Moravian Seminary for Girls.  He corresponded with all the parents of his pupils and was very well respected for be a kind and reasonable man.  The following six letters were written to him by Jason Butts, a man from Georgia who sent his daughter Kittie to be educated at Moravian Seminary right before the war began.

In the last Butts letter he is a prisoner on board of the Fisher-King ship, which is a Northern battleship.  The final letter is from Edward Pierrepont.  He writes to Wolle saying that Butts will be released as soon as Butts declares allegiance to the North, which he does not.  We have no further documents to know what happened next.

12/21/1860 — This is the first letter in a string of 6, from Butts to Wolle.  Butts is from Georgia, and is writing to the headmaster of Moravian Seminary for girls, where his daughter Kitty Butts is attending school.  The bulk of this letter is simply a father arranging for her daughter to travel to New York City for a school trip and to see some family there. Butts only alludes to the war in his post script, where he writes that South Carolina has seceded from the Union.

“The wires have this evening conveyed the news here that South Carolina has seceded, and while I write the bells are

A look at a letter written to Rev. Wolle from Jason Butts over 150 years ago

ringing cannon firing and drums beating.  Considering the dire necessity for this course and this seems a mournful dirge to me than of rejoicing.  Other states will soon follow.”

12/31/1860 — In this letter, Butts reaffirms his faith in Wolle and the Seminary. He assures Wolle that he will continue to send his daughter there, despite Wolle’s seminary being a Northern institution. However, in the rest of the letter, Butts argues for the war from a Southern perspective.

“I regret extremely the determination of my friends to withdraw their children’s friends from school.  Mr. Hines and Mr. Strozier both applied to me to know what I was going to do about my Daughter and I told them that I had places my Daughter at school to be educated and not to learn politics, and urged them both to let the young ladies remain here, and I thought they were satisfied and I felt astonished when I saw that they had sent on for them.”

“Why right here in this interior town of ours, there have been not less than eighteen or twenty of our slaves enticed away.  All lost to the owners except two who after tasting the cup of freedom in the Northern States and in Canada have returned home to their owners of their own free will.”

“The northern mind has educated itself into the belief that slavery is wrong and consequently they hate the slaveholder – this has brought about a corresponding feeling of hatred, intensified, in the minds of the Southern people – Such being the case is it bit better for all parties that the Government should divvy and let each party pursue its own course unmolested by the other.”

4/19/1861 — For a second time Butts considers bringing his daughter home and for a second time decides to keep her in school.

 

Kallie Linder, student at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts, plays Kittie in A RESTING PLACE. Photography © h scott heist 12

“Yesterday upon the receipt of the news that Virginia had withdrawn from the Union and joined the southern Confederacy I at once made up my mind to let my daughter remain with you and I at once called upon Mr. Munroe and told him my determination, when he replied well I will let me son remain also for he says ‘I can stand it as long as you can.’”

“Her mother is preparing some little things to send to her which I hope will arrive before our mails and facilities are stopped for we learn that our mails and all inter between the North and South will soon be put to an end to.”

“P.S. I have studiously avoided letting Kittie know of my anxiety or a thought of bringing her home knowing that it would interfere with her studies.”

The Butts family heading back into rehearsal. Photography © h scott heist 12

2/27/1862 ——- Kittie was supposed to go home for the winter holiday but Butts has not heard from her since the 10^th of December.  In this letter he explains the arrangements he has made to get his daughter home and requests communication from Wolle as soon as possible.

“The arrangement was for Genreal Mather to obtain a safe conductor for her and send to Fortress Munroe to the care of Revd Mr. Pheevers, the Chaplain of the Fortress, who would send her to Norfolk by the first Flag of truce Boat to Mr. E Pendleton an old merchant of Norfolk who would hand her over to her uncle near Norfolk.”

“I regret to have to advise that her mother is in bad health and I have had to send her to Columbia South Carolina for restoration.”

“I beg you will write me.  I am afraid that Genl Mathers letters have not been allowed to pass the flag of truce on account of his writing so difficult to read.”

5/6/1862——–In an effort to retrieve his daughter, Butts travels North only to be taken prisoner on board the King-Fisher ship.  It was a Northern battleship and would not release him until he pledged allegiance to the North.  This is the last of correspondence we have from him.  It is believed that he made it home, but no records or what happened to him or his daughter Kittie have been found at this point.

 “I pray you my Dear Sir comfort and console her.  As for myself, I endeavor to preserve a cheerful mien – but when I think of my four little children at home deprived of the protecting care of both their parents – of my daughter abroad and

See for yourself that this letter was written when Butts was taken hostage aboard the King Fisher ship.

cannot get home – of my poor wife- myself a prisoner, when all these press themselves upon me, my very brain racks and reels with anguish.”

“I would like to have her return home for her presence is much needed there.  But the varied changes of war may make this arrangement impracticable.  Therefore, I must place the whole matter with you Dear Sir.  I pray you do by her as if she were your own child ‘My Daughter Oh my Daughter’”

8/6/1862 – Short letter confirming the capture of Jason Butts and that he will not be released be released until Butts pledges his allegiance to the Union.

Whole letter quoted:

“Dear Sir,

Yours is recd – I sent an order to Col. Burke to release Mr. Butts on his taking the oath of allegiance – which he refused.  It is not likely we will be released while loyal men are slain by thousands in defense of the Government unless he gives allegiance.

Very respectfully yours,

Edward Pierrepont”