Thomas Butler Won't Cut His Hair
Thomas Butler fought in the Revolutionary and Northwest Indian Wars, but he is most famous for a disagreement regarding his hair style.
Butler had a long battle with General James Wilkinson regarding whether or not he should chop off his long hair.
Thomas Butler
Thomas Butler was one of five brothers who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Representing Pennsylvania, Butler served for five years and eventually achieved the rank of Captain.
After the Treaty of Paris, Thomas went west and fought in the Northwest Indian War.
Here, he was fortunate to survive St. Clair’s Defeat...a disastrous loss that claimed the life of his brother, Richard.
Through the Ranks
Butler remained with the United States Army through the Presidencies of Washington and Adams.
He was sent to New Orleans and served under General James Wilkinson.
Here, Thomas began to feud with Wilkinson over something peculiar...his haircut.
That Hair Tho
Thomas Butler long wore a queue.
A queue, sometimes called a pigtail, was the name for long hair pulled back into a very tight braid.
Common during the Revolutionary War (Thomas Jefferson was known to wear one), the style had begun to fade from popularity.
Wilkinson, desiring to keep his men following a uniform haircut, outlawed them for soldiers in the Army.
Refusing the Barber
Thomas Butler must’ve looked really good with his queue.
He adamantly refused to lop off his hair.
Butler found himself given a court martial over the issue, which ended with an official reprimand.
Afterward, the issue died down for some time.
Powerful Friends
Three years later, the haircut was brought back up and Butler received a second court martial.
This time, a large group of important figures wrote a protest against Thomas’ treatment. The first name on the list would become an important one in the United States...Andrew Jackson.
The result of this second trial did not go Butler’s way and he was punished by a year long suspension without pay.
The Last Laugh
Unfortunately, Butler never found out about the verdict.
He passed away from yellow fever that year.
But he was happy to get the last word in.
When he was buried, a request he made in his will was completed. Butler asked to have a hole cut in the bottom of his casket, “and let my queue hang through it, that the damned old rascal will see that, even when dead, I refuse to obey his orders.”
If you liked this article, you’ll probably want to read about Thomas’ brothers:
Destroyer of Villages - William Butler and the Raid on Unadilla and Onaquaga
Richard Butler Treats with the Native Americans
Thomas Butler does not have a biography that I am aware of.
‘When Fate Summons’ is a biography of his brother Richard and gives some relevant information on Thomas’ life.
Pick up a copy through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).
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