Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-08-18

Between Gen. Butler and
Secretary CaUzsrons

| secretary Cap&Srons
LETTER FROM GEN. BUTLER TO SECRETARY CAMERON.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
FORTRESS Monroe, July 80, 1861
| Honorable Simon Cameron, Secretary of War:
/ GIR By an order received on the morning of th,
| 26th July from MsjOr-General Dix, By teegraphiC
/ order from Lieutenant General Scott, | was com
manded to forward, Of the troops Of this Depart
ment, four regiments and half, including GOlOne
| Bakers California Regiment, to Washington Uia
/ Baltimore. This order reached me at 2 O'Clock A
NJ, by special boat from Baltimore. Believing that
it emalated because of some pressing exigency for
the defence of Washington, issued my orders be
] fere daybresk for the embarkGtiou of tl9 troops
sending those who were among the very best had.
In course Of the following day they were all en-
barked for Baltimore, with the exception of some
400 for whom had not transportation, although !
had all the transport force in the hands of the Quar-
termaster here to aid the bay line Of steamers which
by the same order from the Lieutenant General was
directed to furnish transportation. Up to and at the
time Of the order had been preparing for an sd-
vance movement by which l had hoped to cripple
the resources of the enemy at Yorktown, and espe-
claly By Selling large QudEiy Of negroes who were
being pressed into their service in building the
trenchments there. had five days previously been
enabled to mount for the first time the first company
of light artillery which had been empowered TO
raise, and they had but single rifed cannon, an
iron sixpounder. Of course, everything must and
did yield to the supposed eXigency and the orders.
This ordering away the troops from this depart>
ment, while it weakened the posts at Newport News,
necessitatel the withdrawal of the troops from
Hampton, where was then throwing up entrenched
works to enable me to hold the town with q small
force while advanced up the York or James river.
In the village of Hampton there were large number
of negroes, composed IN great measure of women
and children of the men who had fed thither with
in my line for protection, who had escaped from
maraudiDg parties of rebels who had been gathering
up able bodied blacks to aid them in constructing
their batteries on the James and York rivers. had
employed the men In Hampton IN throwing up en-
trenchments, and they were working zealOusly and
efficiently at that duty saving soldiers from that
labor under the gleam of the midday sun. The
women were earning substantially their own sub
sistence in washing. marketing and taking cave of
the clothes of the soldiers, and ratlOns were being
served out to the men, who worked for the support
of the children. But by the evacuation Of Hamp
ton, rendered necessary by the withdrawal of
troops, leaving me scarcely 5000 men outside the
fort including the force at Newport News all these
black people were obliged to break up their homes
at Hampton, fleeing across the creek within my
lines for protection and support
Indeed, 1t was most distressing sight to see these
poor creatures who had trusted to the protection Of
dis arms of the United States, and who aided the
troops of the United States in their enterprise to be
thus Obliged to flee from their homes and the homes
of their masters who had deserted them and become
not fugtves from fear of the return of the rebel sol
diery, who had threatened TO shoot the who had
wrought for US, and TO carry of the women who
had served US to worse than Egyptian bondage. /
have therefore. within the Peninsula, this side
of Hampton Creek gee negroes, 300 Of whom were
ablebOdied men, 80 of whom men substantially
past hard labor, l75 women 225 children under the
age of ten years and 10 between ten and eighteen
years, and many more coming in. The question
which this state of facts present are very embar
RAISING:
FTrSt-What shall be done with them, and second,
what is their state and condition?
Upon these questions, desire the instructions Of
the Department.
The first question, however, may perhaps, be an
sWered by considering the lust. Are these men
women and children slaves? Are they free? is
their codtion that of men, woman and children of
property, or is it mixed relation? What their
StGtaS was under the Constitution and laws, we all
know. What has been the effect of rebellion and a
state of war upon that status When adopted the
theory Of treating the abe-bOdied negro fit TO work
in the trenches as property liable to be used in aid
of rebellion, and so eOntraband of war that condi
tionOf things was insO far met as then and still be
ieve, on a legal and constitutional basis But now
a new series of questions arise. Passing by wo-
men, the children. certainly cannot be treated on
that basis if property, they must be considered
the incumbrance, rather than the auxiliary of
army, and, of course, in possible legal relation
could be treated as contraband Are they proper
ty? If they were so, they have been lett by their
masters and owners, deserted, thrown away, aband-
Oned, like the wrecked vessel upon the ocean.
Their fSgner possessors and owners, have cause
lesgy traitOrously, rebeliously, and TO carry out
the figure practically, abandoned them to be swal
lowed up by the Winter storm Of starvation. If
property do they not become the property of the
eaivoursg but we their salVours, do not need and
will not hold such property and viii assume nosuch
ownership; has not therefore all proprietary rela
tions ceasedg Have they not become thereupon
men, women and children? No longer under own
ership of any kind, the fearful relics of fugitive
masters have they not by their masters acts, and
the state of war, assumed the condition, which we
hold to be the normal one, Of those made in Gods
image. Is not every constitutional legal, and NOR
al requirement, ss well 20 the runaway master as
their relinquished slaVes, thus answered? con-
fass that nv own mind is compelled by this reason
in0 to look upon them az men and women. If not
freborn vet free, manumitted, sent forth from the
hand that held them never to be reclaimed.
of course if this reasoning thus imperfeetly set
forth il correct my duty as a humane man is very
nlain. should take the same care of these men,
women and children, houseless, home and IN
prOyided for, as | would Of the same number OF
men. women and children, who for their attach
Naent TO the Union has been driven or allowed to
Dee from the Confederate States. | should have no
doubt on this question had not seen it stated, that
an order had been issued by General Mcdowell IN
hs department substantially forbiddipg all fugitive
slaves from coming within his lines, sr being har
hored there. Is that order to be enforced in all
Military Depaptments2 If 80, who are to be con-
.ideTed slaves Il q slave to be considered fugi-
I've. whose master runs away and leaves him? Is
Il forbidden to the troops to aid or harbor within
their lines the negro children who are found there
m or is the soldier, when his march has destroyed
their means of subsistence, to allow them to starye
because he has driven of the rebel masters! NOW
f,all the commander of regiment or battalion SIT IN
iudpnent upon the question whether any given
blafk man has fed from his master, or his master
fled from him? Indeed, how are the free born 10
ha 5stuOuishedi Is one any more or less fugitive
slave because he has lsbOred upon the rebel en-
T,enohuents? If he has so labOred. if understand
h he q TO be harbored. By the reception OF which
are the rebels most to be distressed by taking those
Tvho lave wrought all their rebel masters desired,
masked their battery or those who have refused to
Iabor and left the battery unmasked.
! have very decided opinions upon the subject OF
tb;a order il does not become me to criticise it,
and write in no spirit Of criticism, but simply to
exnlsn the full dEicuties that surround the lfor-
cling it. If the enforcement OF that order becomes
the nelicy Of the Government, as soldier, shall
he bound 70 enforce il steadfasty, if not eheerfuy
Rat if left to I1y own discretion, as you may have