On July 12, 1862, Harper’s Weekly featured this “before and after” cartoon about General Benjamin Butler’s controversial May 1862 General Order # 28 known as the “Woman Order” in Union-occupied New Orleans.

In  yesterday’s New York Times Opinionator Column,  writer Terry Jones takes on Ben Butler in “The Beast in the Big Easy.” His is a mixed bag of opinions and recitations of General Ben Bulter’s time in New Orleans during the Civil War. Many Northerners – especially we Lowellians – see Butler through a different prism as you may have noted reading the many stories here and elsewhere about Ben Butler – the lawyer, the Congressman, the Governor, the General – the citizen.  Interestingly,  in the final paragraph, Jones notes:  Despite his flaws, it appears the “Beast” had a heart after all.”

Read the Jones’ column here: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/the-beast-in-the-big-easy/