The Beast of New Orleans

In 1862, as Union troops occupied the Confederate stronghold of New Orleans, a new kind of warfare began, not one of bullets and bayonets, but of politics, psychology, and raw power. At the center stood Major General Benjamin Butler, a man whose mere name inspired terror and loathing across the South and even drew embarrassment among Northern allies.

Branded the “Beast,” the “Butcher of New Orleans,” and “Spoons Butler,” his brief but incendiary tenure in New Orleans became one of the most controversial chapters of the Civil War. From his infamous General Order No. 28, which enraged women and diplomats alike, to his military trials, press censorship, executions, and alleged looting of the city’s wealth, Butler ruled with a combination of iron-fisted control and political theater.

But was he a tyrant or a tactician? Did he save New Orleans from chaos, or humiliate it into submission?

In this episode, we unpack the many faces of Benjamin Butler: reformer and opportunist, conqueror and governor, villain and visionary. His story is a study in how war is fought not just with weapons, but with symbols, policies, and power plays.

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