Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-08-09
THE cONTRABAND QUESTION.

The following is the letter fr m Gen But
Ter to Secretary Cameron in regard to what
shall be done with the negroes who seek the
protection of the Government
hEADarAHrues pEf,Hr@ESr or VIsciNfA,l
fuHrluss Monroe. July 80, 1861
lion. Simon Gamer %. Seefeiayy " Mar
SIN BY an nrdcrrcceve ed On ne morning q the 26ih
Jul, from Msilr-Gcnerli Dix by a iel,graphic order
from Lieutenant Gcucra Scott, was commanded 90 for
ward, OF the oop-o f this dopartneut folr regiments
aud half Including Col Bakers California regiment 90
o'clock VI. by special boat run Baltimore. Bcir,-
ins thar cmAu,cd becau's ~ soue pressing eSFcney
Ger ne dcfu.c Of Washuginn, o. ued my orders before
daynrcak 1t the emuarkaou OF h foops, es ding those
who were amuTg TIE very best regiments had. IN the
cour,e u tle following day tey we're AL embarked or
h'lum1re "i'h the exception 50 .uR nu1 Aundrcd, lr
whom hal not transportation. fhn7ual had al. The
transport force 10 The hands Of he Qlimlstsr here 20
ali the Bay hue u steamers whchi hy The order
from The Lieutenant General, was directed furnish
transportation.
Up and at the time af tho order had BEEN prcuaf.
pie the Of the enemy Yorktown and sspe-
eay by sczing large quantity OF negroes who we're be-
ing pressed into their service building utFuchmcns
there. bad i've days previously been enabled
for The first time the company u Light Artillery, ahch
had been empowered u raise, and they had bgta single
uuel cannon an ron six FOUNDER OF course everything
must and did Yield 20 the supposed exgency snd the
N'i'. it' UNef'l6 away ihe Np'ls rom 'Nis u"paft-
nent' while % ~eakcned the posts al Newport News
cessI;aed the Withdrawal Of the troops from Hampton.
where vas then throwing up enTenched works 10 eua.
tle to o. hold the town with small force while ad-
I vanced up the York or James river.
In the vilhge Of Hampton there were large nutabcr
ofnegroes, composed ia a great measure Of women and
children Of the mrn had fed thther within my hnta
ut protection Whp had escaped from nnuraudug parties
ofrebuls who bad been gathering up abla-hadied bac Ia
aid them 90 cling their batteries the James
7 Na-L -isss.. nsd employed thv men IN Hampton fn
throwing un Entertainments and they we're working se
ously aud efficiently that duty saving sudiyfs om
that labor under tie CLEAN OF the midday The
men were earning substantially their own sub.s far b.
washing marketing. and taking oi the clothes oftle
soldiers, ratiuna beng served out 10 ihe
who worked for the support of the children. but by he
evacuation n Hampton rendered necessary 10y ne Nt
drawa of troops leaving me scarcely 500 men oHisidc
the fort including the urce a Newport News. Oh these
black people obliged TO break up their aumcs 80
Hampton fleeing across the creek within my INES ior
protection and support. Indeed, IL was most distrq
ing sight 20 see these poor creatures wbo bad trusted 90
the protection of ho arms OF the United Siae ahQ Who
aided the troops The United States in thf cote rnfse
TO be thus obliged 90 dee FROM their homes, al r BONES
Of their masters who had deserted them aud heai not
fugiycs from fear NJ the return 90 the rebel sdcr who
had threatened 20 shoot the men who had wrought M
and 70 carry oft she women who had served US 30 worse
than Egyptian bondage. l have therefore wiuliu
the Peninsula this side of Hampton Greek, 300 uegroc
800 Of whom are able bodied men, 30 Of whom men
substantially past hard labor l75 women, 22i children
under the age o 10 years, ant 10 between 10 and IS
years, and many moro coming n. The questions which
ID this state of facts present ave very embarrassing
! fIRsr-Nhat shall oe done with Them and SEcoNp
What is their state and condition
lyon these que-tions desire the Instructions Of the
The first question: however may perhaps be answered
by considering me last. Are these men, and
children slsvts Are they fee Il tte condition that
OF men, women aud children OF properly OF is II a
mixed relations What Their stata7 under the Con-
sutuiiuu and laws we all know What has been The f.
feet of rebellion and a n Wax upon that status
When adopted the theory uf treating the ble-bodied
ncsoht 70 work IN tss trenches, asPfgPery liable To- be
used 10 aid Of rebellion, and cOntraband of war. that
condition Of things IN far met, hen and still
believe, Oh a legal constitutional basis But now new
series Of questions arise. Passing by women the children
certainly De- treated that basis II property,
they be considered the incumbrauce rather than
The auxiliary OF an army, and of COURSE IN possible
legal relation colld be be treated as contrah and Are
They properly II they were they have been left by
then masters aud owners deserted thrown away, ahan
dontd IKE the wrecked vessel upon the ocean Their
former posstssors and owners have cAuseessy, traitor
ou,y, rehfiiousy, and 20 carry the figure, Vracu
cab abandoned them 10 be swallowed hy the winter
storm OF starvation. properly, do they not become the
property II the salyors we, their saiv1rs do not
need aud w1l not hold such properly and will assume
such ownership; has not therefore all proprietary ela
ton ceased have they not become thercupon men,
women and children No longer under ownership Of
any kind the fearful relics Of fugitive masters, have they
NOT by their masters ant tc state Of assumed
the condition, which we hold TO be henoTmal Of
those made IN Gods image Is not every constitution
al legal aud moral requirement. AS well to the runaway
master as their rehnquished slaves, thus answered -
confess that my own nd is compelled by this
ing 10 look upnh men as men ana women II not free
BON, yet free, mauuutcd sent forth rom The hand that
held them never to be reclaimed
OF course Il tins reasoning, thus mperecily forth,
is CORRECT, my duty hunuue man, is very plain.
should taNc he same care VI these and chill
dfcn huusclrss homeless and npr0,ided for as would
ol the number Of men. women and children, who
for their attachment 10 the Union had been driven al
lowed to hee from the Confederate States. | should
lhit an order had been issued by General Mcdowell in
his Depar ment, substantially uTbidding all fugitive
slaves iCom coming within his lines, being harbored
there. Is that order TO be enforced In all Military De.
partmentsf II So who are 70 be considered fugitive
slaves Is a slave be considered fugitive whose mas-
Ter runs away from him L. il forbidden the troops
AID OF harDor within their lines the negro children who
are found therein OF IL the soldier when his march has
destroyed their Of subsistence. TO allow them 10
saTye because he has driven oil the rebel master iNow
shall he commander Of regiment battalion sit In
judgment upon the question, whether any given black
"a ala m fT4fl
Indeed how are the freebOTn 10 be distinguished Is
one any more less fugitive slave because he has la
bored under the rebel entrenchmcns II he has la
bored, as understand 10, he Is 10 be harbored y the
reception OF which, the rebels most 10 be distressed
by taking those Who have wrought all their rebel
desired masked their battery, those who have refused
TO labor, aud let the battery unmaskedl
have very decidcd opinions the subject Of this
der IL does not become criliese IL. and write in
no spirit Of criticism, but simply 10 explain the full d
cutes that surround the enforcing IT, II the enforce
uent 0f that order becomes the policy OF the government
asoider, shah be bound 10 enforce IL sieadfasy,
not eheeTiuly But II left TO my discretion, you
may have gathered from my reasoning should take
widely different course from that which il indicates.
In loyal state would put down seryile inAurreo
tor, In state VI rebellion ! would eonhseate that
which used to oppose my arms, aud take all that
property which constituted the wealth Of that state and
furnished the BY which the il prosecuted, be-
sides being the Of the aud IT, in doing,
should be objected that human beings brough, to
the fee enioyme Of life liberty and the pursuit Of hap
piness such objection would not require much consider
alton.
Pardon me for addressing the Secretary Of War d..
roctly upon this question, as Il involves some political
-asderationsas veil propIieiy OF military action.
| am, sir your ohedsnt servant.
BENJAMIN BUTLER