Dexter Butterfield was born on March 15, 1842, in Dunstable, Massachusetts, to Leonard and Lucy Butterfield. His father was a farmer who owned $6,000 of real estate by 1850. Butterfield grew up and attended school in Dunstable, and his father probably died in the 1850s.

 

He enlisted in the Union army on October 14, 1861, and he mustered in as a private in the 2^nd Massachusetts Infantry. According to his service records, he was 5 feet, 7 ¾ inches tall, with black hair and black eyes. The regiment took part in the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Atlanta campaign. He was promoted to corporal in October 1863 and to sergeant in July 1864. His commanding officer testified to his “uniform good conduct,” calling him a “faithful reliable, intelligent & conscientious non commissioned officer.” He mustered out on October 14, 1864.

 

He returned to Dunstable after leaving the army, and he married Georgianna Kenney on December 7, 1865. They had at least two children: Arthur, born around 1871; and Alice, born around 1871. They lived in Dunstable, and Butterfield worked as a farmer. By 1870, he owned $5,000 of real estate and $1,200 of personal property. He attended multiple regimental reunions. He supported the Republican Party, and he served two terms in the state legislature. He applied for a federal pension in August 1890 and eventually received one. He died in Dunstable on February 23, 1912.

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