Virtual Lecture: General Daniel Butterfield

Registration: www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-lecture-general-daniel-butterfield-tickets-267878290177 

Wednesday, March 16th, 7 pm
Members Free | Non-Members $10

Please join the Putnam History Museum and the Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library on Wednesday, March 16th, for a Zoom presentation by Dr. James Pula about General Daniel Butterfield, husband of well-known Cold Spring philanthropist Julia L. Butterfield.

Talk Description: Writing in a special issue of the centennial publication New York State and the Civil War, the editor asserted that Daniel Butterfield “was beyond argument the ‘fightingest’ general this state had given to the Civil War,” yet marveled that “the name of Butterfield is not conspicuous in the Civil War literature.” More than a half century later, this dearth of attention remains despite his prominence in that conflict. This presentation will begin with a brief overview of his ancestry and pre-war life, followed by a review of his wartime activities and their importance to American history. It will conclude with a brief overview of his postwar life and its further significance. The presentation will use PowerPoint technology to present photos, drawing, and other illustrations to trace the story.

Bio: James S. Pula is a retired Professor Emeritus from Purdue University. His research has centered on two fields of study, the American Civil War and Immigration Studies. His most recent books are The Civil War from Its Origins to Reconstruction (Jefferson, NC: McFarland Publications, 2019) and Under the Crescent Moon with the Eleventh Corps in the Civil War (El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie Publishing, 2017-2018), the latter of which received the U. S. Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award in 2019. He is currently completing a biography of Maj. Gen. Daniel Butterfield.