During the Petersburg campaign, he commanded black troops in the Battle of Chafen's Farm,

which is also known as Newmarket Heights.

And there's a speech that Butler gave when he was shepherding the Civil Rights Act of

1875 through Congress, which was the last gas buffer to codify a civil, civic equality

in terms of access to public accommodations for black people in the waning days of reconstruction.

And Butler was the house manager of that bill.

And he described the Battle of Newmarket Heights in his speech and then later in his

autobiography.

Then I said, your cry when you charge will be remember Fort Pillow.

And as the sun rose up in the heavens, the order was given forward and they marched

forward steadily as if on a parade went down the hill across the Martian as they got

into the Brook.

They came into range of the enemy's fire, which vigorously opened upon them.

They broke a little as they forded the Brooks and the column wavered.

It was at a moment of intense anxiety, but they formed again as they reached the firm ground,

marching steadily on with closed ranks under the enemy's fire until the head of the

column reached the first line of a bodice, some 150 yards from the enemy's works.

And the axemen ran to the front out way, the heavy obstructions of defense.

Well, 1,000 men of the enemy with their artillery concentrated, poured from the readout, a heavy

fire upon the head of the column, hardly wider than the clerks desk.

The axemen went down under that murderous fire, other strong hands grasped the ax in

their stead, and the bodice is cut away.

...