Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-06-07


to General Scott by General Butler, asking
instructions in relation to fugitive slaves at
Fortress Monroe. The Secretary Of Wars
instruction in reply we have already publish
ed
"snce wrote my last" says General Butler, "ihe
question in regard 20 Slave property is becoming one OF
very serious magnitude. The Inhabitants OF Virginia
arc using their negroes in the batteries ana are Rtepa
ing to send their women and children South me Is
oapcs from them ere very numerous and sqnau nss
come in this morning tMay ~ and my WcNe's avg
bringing their women and children or course these
cannot be dealt with upon the theory ON when aeslRn
cd treat the able bodied men and women VINO mRht
come within my lines and Of which gave you detailed
account Boo my last despatch.
AIM in the utmost doubt what 90 DO with this species
of property Up 20 this time have bad come within my
limos men and women. with their chldfon-cutIe lam
Uir-rarh family belonging ~ the same owner have,
therefore docrmiucd 10 employ, can do very prof
taly the ahoboded persons boz the party, issuing pro-
per food iof Che support OF a and charging against iher
services the expense Of care and susienance of ne non
Iblfcrs keeping an accurate account as well u the
services as of the expenditure determined by board OF
survey hereafter 90 be detailed know Of mo- other man
connected herewith As matter VI property Go the i'm
supgn's 10 will bc of very great momeut-tne number
thlf now have amounting as ] am informed Co what 20
good tucs u1l'lbc of che value Of ssiy thousand doll
ar.
Twelve OF chose negroes ] am informed, have escaped
from tho erection NJ the batteries ON scwalls Point
whi. fh morning fired upon my expedition o. 10 passed
by ont VI range Asa means ri ocnse, therefore u the
curmfs bands. these negroes when able bodied, are Ut
rroat Importance Without them th batteries could not
have been erected, at least flr many weeks. 1s mill
teIV question. 10 rDd seem 10 Pc DicafUrc Of necessity
ant deDriref their muster fNeir serriaei.
How el1 ihis be- donc3 As political question and "a
sra43 mather and boz tatc Che rliL5nnf or the blue
mtuifaflu aspect have doubt, OF thU political one
hnfe 300 ritm 90 judge therefore submit all 10 your
tet.-i Judgment aud these questions have political
aspect harc ,cuturod--and tlstl am NOT wrong in
~ eint-,n ia eic thr r'fis ~ m' d,.p',.h r.a,ng
DIS subjects aud forwarding them arcrctaty or
Wa. Your 01cdi.Ht servant
Lieutenant o,uctal seatt"
TIE War Department sent the following
letter Of instructions TO Gen. Butlcr-
Sir: Your action In respect to the negroes
who came within your lines from the service
of The rebels is approved. The department
is sensible of cmbarassments which must sur
round officer. conducting military operations
DO a State by the laws of which slavery is sane
toned Tao government cannot recognize
the rejection by any State Of its Federal obli-
CATIONS; nor can IL refuse The performance
OF the Federal obligations resting upon it,
self Among these Federal obligations, how
ever. no one can be more important than that
of expressing and Dispensing armed combin-
ations formed for the purpose Of overthrow
ing It's whole constitutional Authority while,
therefore, you will permit no interference by
Che persons under your command with the
relations of persons held 90 service under the
laws of any State. you WILL on the other hand,
so long as any State within which your mill
try operation are conducted. is under the
control of such organization, refrain from sur
rendering 90 alleged masters any persons who
may come within your lines. You will en-
pI0y such persons in the service TO which they
may be best adapted. keeping an account of
the labor by them performed of the value OF
it. and of the expenses OF their maintenance.
The question of their final disposition will be
reserved for future determination.
$. CANERoN, Secretary Of War.
To Major General Butler
A letter from the Fortress says
1t was discovered that thirty Of the slaves
belonged TO one man ia Richmond. lie OBJ
tanned permission TO visit the fort TO confer
with General Butler on the subject Of getting
his live property back He asked the Cen
cral fine might be allowed 10 convey them
back. The General said they came there of
their own accord and could go back with
him Il they desired TO. Fney were asked
II they desired to return with their master.
They quickly decided that they preferred to
remain with the soldiers in The fort The
claimant then said u the General would allow
him 90 take his slaves 60 Richmond he would
manumit them. General Butler said be could
not mase any such arrangement but the clai-
mant could go to Richmond with or without
the slaves, and they could go or stay, as they
pleased, and If they went the claimant might
do as be pleased about manumiung them
The claimant finding himself in a bad fix,
m4numited the thirty slaves ON the spot, left
them in the fort free men, and leit himself for
Richmond"
The Washington Republican Of Friday says:
cit is reported from Fortress Monroe that
gangs of fugitive slaves in parties Of twenty
or thirty, were constantly arriving there over
one hundred having reached there on Mon
day Some Of them said they were about
bong sent South, and others alleged that they
came in Go get food. They complained that
willis, they were kept at work ia the sandhills
the soldiers ate up all the food. Some OF
them were free negroes, who had been com
PEELED TO work upon the enemy iorudcatiuns
ia and mean Norfolk.