George Harris Butler

George Harris Butler (1840 – May 11, 1886) the nephew of a prominent Massachusetts Congressman, was appointed Consul General in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1870. He dismissed all consular agents, auctioned off their commissions, and purchased dancing girls. Shortly before his recall in 1872, he was involved in a brawl with three former Confederate officers.

Butler was born in Massachusetts but spent his formative years in California. During the Civil War he was a lieutenant in the 10th US infantry and later a quartermaster and ordinance officer, resigning in 1863. He was a theatre critic and talented writer, contributing to various publications including Wilkes’ Spirit of the Times. His drinking bouts often got him into trouble despite the best efforts of his friends and family. In 1870 his uncle, Congressman General Benjamin Franklin Butler, who had some influence with President Ulysses S. Grant, was instrumental in getting him a job as US Consul General in Alexandria, Egypt, as a non-career appointee.

Butler presented his credentials on the 2 June 1870 and took up residence in Alexandria with his wife, actress Rose Eytinge. He employed an assistant by the name of Strologo, dismissed all of the US consular agents in the area and auctioning off their positions to the highest bidders. A missionary working in Alexandria, Reverend David Strang, attempted to intercede on behalf of the dismissed agents and eventually wrote to Ulysses S. Grant about the “corrupt management of consular affairs”. Strang also wrote that Butler and his companions demanded entertainment from dancing women performing "in puris naturalibus".

Butler came into conflict with several of the American officers serving in the Egyptian army. These were predominantly ex-Confederate soldiers/sailors, recruited by Thaddeus P. Mott and Charles Pomeroy Stone, who were helping the ruling Khedive to modernise his army. The Khedive also considered appointing the former Confederate General, P. G. T. Beauregard, as his commander, but Butler counselled against this and the Khedive withdrew the offer. Some years later Butler explained that “there wasn't room in Egypt for Beauregard and myself at the same time”. A fight between Butler and three of the American officers occurred in July 1872; shots were fired and one of the soldiers was wounded. In fear of his life, Butler fled Egypt.

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