The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1861-08-16
Isen. Rutlor ON the Contraban,
Question.

Zen. Butler has been received ut the
War Department;
Headquarters Department OF virginia.)
FoRrRfss MoNRoE, July 80, 1861.
Hon. SrNoN CANEroS, SrcHHrARy OF
WAR-Sm. "
BY an ordorreceivcd on the morning of
the goth July from Major General Dix,
by q tclcgraphc order FROM Lieutenant
Genera Scott, was Commanded 20 for
ward, Of the troops Of this department,
four regiments and a halt, including, Col.
Bakers California regiment, 70 Wash
ington via Baltimore. This order reach
ed me at two o'clock A. NJ, by special
boat from Bo,imosc, Believing that Il
omnnated because of some pressing ext
gency for the defenso of Washington,
issued my orders before doybrcok for the
embarkation Of the troops, sending those
who were among the very best regiments
| had. In the course Of the following
day they were all embarked for Bait
more with the exception ofsome 400, lof
whom | had no transportation, although
l had all the transport force in the hands
of the Quartermaster here, TO aid the Boy
line Of steamers, which by the same or.
der from the Lieutenant General, was di-
rectcd TO furnish transportation. Up to
and at tho time of the order | had been
preparing an advance movement by which
hoped to cripple the resources of the
enemy at Yorktown, and especially by
seizing a large quantity Of negroes who
were being pressed iato their service In
building the entrenchments there, had
five days previously hcen enoblcd TO
mount for the first time, the FIRST compa-
ny Of Light ARTILLERY, which had been
empowered to raise, aud they had but q
single rided cannou--an iron six.poGnd-
or, Ofcourse everything must and did
yield to the supposed CXigeucy and the
orders. This ordering awuy the troops
from this department, while II wcukcn-
ed the posts at Newport News, necessita.
ted the withdrawal of the troops from
Hampton, where | was then throwing up
entrenchcd works {, enlblc'hc G ohtdtl 3
town with small force, while I advano.
cd up the York OF james river. In the
village Of Hampton there were large
number Of negroes, composed in a great
measure Of women and children OF the
men who had fled thithcr within my liuts
for protection, who had escaped rom mt
raudng parties OF rebels who had bech
gathering up able-bodied blacks 70 aid
them IN constructing their batteries %
the james and York rivers. | had cui-
ployed the men in throwing up intrench-
ments, and they were working zealousN
and efficiently at that duty, saving 90,
soldiers from that labor under the clean
of the midday sun. The women werc
earning substantially their own subsiJ.
ence in washing, marketing and takitlp
care of the clothes Of the soldiers, ami
rations were being served ont TO the mon
who worked for the support Of thcir cliff
dren. But by the evacuation OF rHampton
rendered necessary by TIN withdruWaI ~
troops, leaving me scarcely 5000 men
outside the Fort, including the force al
Newport News, all these black people
were obliged to break up their homes at
Hampton. fleeing atr >ss the creek with
in my lines for protection aud support
Indeed Il was a most distressing sight TO
see these creatures who hal trusted 10
theprotection orthe arms Of United States
and who aided the troops of the United
states in their enterprise, to be thus OBJ
liged to flee from their homes, and the
homes Of their masters, who had desert
ed them, and become not fngitiyes from
fear of the return of the rebel soldierv,
who had threatened 70 shoot the men
who had wrought for US, and to carry of
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 able-bodicd men, 80 of whom
are men substantially past hard labor
III women, .225 children under the age
oflO years, and ITO between 10 and rs
years, and many more coming in. The
question which this state of facts pre-
sents are very embarrassing. .t ...
"Fhst-What shall be done with thcml
and second, what is their state and con
ditionl "a. ......'.,.
Upon these questions / desire the in
strnctlons of the Department. .,...l.g b.
The first question, however, may pCr.
haPs be answered by considering The
last. Are these men, women and chill,
dren, slaves! Are they ireei Is their con.
dition that Of men, women and children
on Of property, or Is tia mixed reIhtionl
What their status was under the Gusti-
tuition and laws,w all know. What has
been the effects ofrcbcllion aud state
OF war upon that statusl When adopt
ed the theory Of treating the able bodied
negro fit 20 work in the trenches, as
properly liable to be used inyaid of the re-
bellion, and 50 contFabGnd of war, that
condition of things was in so far met s
Lthen and still believe, OF a legal and
constitutional basis. But now newee.
ries of questions arise. Passing by
men, the children certainly can not be
treated as eontraband.I Are they proper
tyl Ifthey were 80, they have been left
by their masters and OWNERS, deserted,
thrownaway abandoned like tho wreck
ed Veaselupon the ocean. i1 lH
iEhpir former possessoTs and owners,
have causelessly, traitorously, reb elliouss
~ and 10 carry out the figure, abandoned
them TO be swallowed up by the winter
storm Of starvation. ifproperty do they
not become the property Of the salyeTsl
but we, their salvors, do not need andwill
not hold such property, and wiil assume
no such ownership has not, thefelore
all proprietary relation eeasodl Have
they not become thereupon men, women
and childrenl No longer under owner
ship Of any kind, the fearful reiicts OF fi-
gitive masters, ,havethey not by their mus
tors actsnand The stute Of wal, assumed
the condition, Yhieh hold 70 be the
normal one, Of those made ia Gods i'm
age. Is not every CONSTITUTIONAL, legal
and moral requirement, as well TO the
runaway master as their felinquished
slaves, thus answered. | confess that
my own MUD is eomPelledby this rea-
soning TO look upon them as men and wo-
men. II not free born, yet free, manu-
mitted, sent forth from the han th1t