The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1861-08-15
= HEADQUARTERS DEr'g or NIRGIyI,,D
fT'SS MONROE, Juiy 30 laCl


HEADQu AkTERs DEr'T OF NIRGlNIA,)
: fT'sS MONROE July 80 IsCl. {
: Hon. SIMON CAMEho>, Secretary of War:
Sir: By an order received on th
morning of the goth July from Maio
General Dix, by Geographic order from
dnc"'oi'ano General f,cnit was com
manded to forward, of the troops of thi.
department. four regiments and a half
including Col. Bakers California Repi
ment, to Washington, via Baltimore. -
This order reached me at two clock a
M, by special boat from Baltimore. Tn
TO and at the time of the order, had
been preparing for an advanced move.
ment by which | hoped to cripple the re.
sources Of the enemy at Yorktown, and
especially by seizing large quantity Of
negroes who were being pressed into
their service in building the intrcnch.
ments there. This ordering away the
troops from this department. while it
weakened the posts at Newport News,
nccessltated the withdrawal Of the trooDs
from Hampton, where | was then throw
ing up lntrenched works to enable me
to hold the town with small force. while
advanced up the York or James river.
In the village of Hampton there were a
large number of negroes, composed in
great measure of women and children Of
the men who had fled thithcr within NV
lines tor protection, who had escaped
from marauding parties of rebels who
had been gathering up able bodied blacks
10 ald them IN constructing their batter
les on the James and York rivers. had
employed the men in Hampton in throw
ing up intrenchmcnts, aud they were
working zealouSly and efficiently at that
duty, saving our soldiers from that labor
under the CLEAN of the mid day sun
lhe women were earning substantially
their own subsistence in washing, mar
ketlng, and taking care of the clothes of
the soldiers, and rations were being sery
ed out to the men who worked for the
support of the children. But by the
evacuation of Hampton, rendered neces
sary by the withdrawal of troops. leaving
me scarcely 5000 men outside the Fort.
including the force at Newport News, all
these black peple were obliged to break
up Their homes at Hampton, fleeing u
cross the creek within my lines for pro-
lection and support. Indeed it was
most distressing sight, to see these poor
creatures, who had trusted to tie protec.
tlon of the arms of the United States,
and who aided the troops Of the United
States in their enterprise, to be thus
obliged to fee from their homes and the
homes Of their masters, who had desert
ed them, and become hot fugtvcs from
fear Of the return Of the Rebel so!dierv,
who had threatened to shoot the men
who had wrought for us, and to carry off
the women who had served us, to a worse
than Egyptian bondage. | have there.
fore now within the Peninsula, this side
Of Hampton Creek, 900 negroes, 300 of
whom are aole. bodied men, 80 Of whom
are men substantially past hard labor,
l15 women, 225 children under the age
of 10 years, and 10 between 10 and is
years, and many more coming in The
questions which this state of facts pre-
sent are very embarrassing.
"FFrst 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 answered by considering the
last. Are these men, women and child
ren slaves? Are they free? !? Is their
that of men, women and child.
rem, or of property, or is it mixed rela-
ton ? What their status was under the
constitution aud laws, we all know
What has been the effect of rebellion and