The American Cyclops, the Hero of New Orleans, and Spoiler of Silver Spoons — Edition Insights

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In Category - Adventure Picaresque Fiction

Authors: McLaughlin, J. Fairfax (James Fairfax), 1839-1903 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2007 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893 -- Poetry; New Orleans (La.) -- History -- Capture, 1862 -- Poetry; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Poetry -- Confederate Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 5,168

Reading time 23 min

Text sections 1

For The American Cyclops, the Hero of New Orleans, and Spoiler of Silver Spoons — Edition Insights, the stored edition analysis reports 5,168 words, 23 min estimated reading time, and 1 detected text section.

The text analysis averages about 22.2 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893 -- Poetry,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #21274

A satirical Civil War poem casting Benjamin Butler as a Cyclops and Ulysses S. Grant as his antagonist, blending classical allusion with contemporary political caricature and mock-heroic verse.

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This satirical poem, published in 1868 under the pseudonym Pasquino, frames Union General Benjamin Butler as a modern Polyphemus and Ulysses S. Grant as his wily adversary. The author explicitly compares the classical story of Odysseus blinding the Cyclops to Grant's military containment of Butler, whom the poem dubs the 'Spoiler of Silver Spoons'—a reference to Butler's alleged looting of silverware during the occupation of New Orleans. The work is a Confederate-leaning attack on Butler, blending mock-heroic verse with crude illustrations and footnotes that lampoon his physical appearance and political ambitions.

Classical Caricature as Political Weapon

The poem's title and preface announce its central conceit: Butler is the 'American Cyclops,' a one-eyed (or squinting) monster, while Grant is the 'modern Ulysses' who outwits him. The author draws a direct parallel between Polyphemus being blinded by a burning stake and Butler being 'bottled-up' by Confederate General Beauregard. This classical framework allows the poet to mock Butler's military record—the sword that 'leapt from its scabbard in front of Fort Fisher' is said to have 'fallen from the grasp'—while also questioning his courage, comparing him to Falstaff. The preface insists that 'impartial history compels us to add' these judgments, a rhetorical stance that belies the poem's clear partisan bias.

The 'Spoiler of Silver Spoons' and Material Satire

The epithet 'Spoiler of Silver Spoons' recurs as a central accusation, tying Butler to theft and corruption. The poem claims that Butler's true weapon is not a sword but 'an axe on the public grindstone,' and that he is a 'Knight of Spoons' whose 'itching palm' seeks gain. This material satire extends to the illustrations: one depicts a 'pot-house soldier' who 'parades by day, / And drunk by night, he sighs the foe to slay.' The poem's language is deliberately crude and physical, focusing on Butler's body (his 'glaring eye,' his 'squinting degree') and his greed, rather than on political ideology. The author's pseudonym, Pasquino, references a famous Roman satirical statue, aligning the work with a tradition of public mockery.

Structure and Voice: Mock-Heroic and Moralizing

The poem alternates between narrative verse and direct address, with a moralizing tone that condemns the 'iron age' of 'usurping Mammon.' Lines such as 'Progressive age! for contemplation's eye, / Thy checker'd scenes a glorious field supply' introduce a reflective, almost philosophical voice, but the poem quickly returns to personal attack. The author uses couplets and irregular meter, and includes footnotes that provide historical context or additional jabs. The preface claims the work is 'offered to the public, in the hope that it may not prove altogether uninteresting, or entirely inappropriate to the times,' a modest disclaimer that contrasts with the poem's aggressive satire. The illustrations, described in captions, reinforce the mock-heroic tone by depicting Butler as a Falstaffian figure.

Readers should approach this poem as a period artifact of Civil War-era political satire, not as historical fact. The author's reliance on classical allegory and personal invective reveals more about Confederate propaganda strategies than about Butler's actual conduct. The work's brevity and illustrated format suggest it was intended for popular consumption, and its survival offers a glimpse into the visceral, often crude humor of wartime partisanship.

I remember how that Cyclops poem chuckled at Butler’s one-eyed mischief, yet Grant’s quiet strength won the day. Such playful battles call to mind older verses where characters stumble toward grace. There’s a gentleness in Poems — Background and Themes that reminds me of that same unhurried patience, waiting between the lines for a reader who notices.