, 1862-12-31
Gen. Butler and aII his Officers to be
Executed.
FEDERAL oFRacERs FeFND WITH SLAVES
10 KE HENG
SOLDIERS TO BE pAR0IED.
NEGROES N ARMS TO BE HUNG
WHEN TAKEN.


VI LIE k9t1EICk14lt VI "8l u llt< NIuAtQHfHtt |
States of America, to Gen. q. ". Halleck,
Commander in Chief Of the United States |
army, informing the latter that report had |
reached this government that Vim. B. Mum
ford, citizen OF the Confederate States, had
been executed By the United States Authori-
ties at New Orleans for having pulled down
the United States Aag before It's occupation
BY the United St1tes forces, and calling for
statement Of the fscts, with a view OF retalia-
ton if such an outrage had really been COM
mitted under the sanction Of the authorities
Of the United atateS@
And whereas, tno letter having been re-
ceiyed to said letter, another letter was, on
the ID OF August last, t1sS2, addressed by |
Gen. Lee, under my instructions, to Gen.
Halleck, renewing the inquiries in relation to
formation that in the event OF not receiving 4 |
reply within fifteen days, it would be assumed |
that the fact was true, aud Was sanctioned By ]
the government Of the United States.
And whereas, an ANSWER, dated On the sth |
Of August last, (1s62, Was addressed to Gen. |
Lee by Gen. &. ". Halleck the eaid General |
in-Chief Of the armies of the United States, |
alleging sufficient canse for failure to make |
early reply to said letter, Of the 9Th July, as
serting that ''no autheutie information had !
been received in relation to the execution Of t
Mumford, but measures #ill be Immediately |
taken to ascertain the facts Of the alleged ex-
ecution.' - and promising that Gen Lee should |
be duly informed thereof;
ana WHeISaE, Oh LHE -9LQ u tNOFEulQtF11
(1se2,} another letter was addressed, under
my instruction, by Bobert Ould, Confederate
agent for the exchange Of prisoners, under the
cartel between the two governments, to Lieut.
Col. ". H. Ludlow, agent Of the United States
under said cartel, informing him that the ex-
PLANTATION promised in the said letter Of Gen.
Haneek, Of the 7th Of August last, had not
yet been received, and that if no answer was
sent to the government within fifteen days
from the delivery Of this last communication,
it would be considered that an answer is de-
clined;
And whereas, letter dated on the Sd day
of the present month Of December, the said
Lient. Col. Ludlow apprised the said Robert
Ou1d that the aboye-recIted communication Of
the 10th Of November had been received and
| forwarded to the Secretary Of War Of the Uni
ted States, and whereas this last delay Of if
| teen days allowed for answer has elapsed and
| no answer has been received;
| Aud whereas In addition to the tacit admis~
| sion resulting from the above refusal to an
I swcr, I have received evidence full establish
| ing the truth Of the fact that the said VIM.
| B. Mumford, a citizen Of the ConfedeEacy,
was actually and publicly executed in cold
| blood BY hanging, after the occupation Of the
city Of New Orleans by the forces under Gen.
4 Benjamin T. Butler, when said Mu1nford was
! an unresisting and non.combatant captive,
| and for 10 offense even alleged to have been
! committed by him subsequent to the date Of
| the capture Of the said city;
And whereas. The silence OF the govern
ment Of the United States, and its u1aintain-
| ing of said Butler in high office under its au-
thority for many months after his commis-
| sion Of an act that can be viewed in no other
light than az deliberate murder, as well as
Of numerous other outrages and atrocities
hereafter to be mentioned, afford eyidepce too
conclusive that tue said government sanctions
the conduct Of tha said Butler, and ia deter
mined that he shall remain unpunished for
| these crimes;
Now, therefore, I, Jefferson Davis, Presi-
dent Of the Confederate States Of America
the said Benjamin F. Butler to be q felon, de-
serving Of capital punishment. do order
that he shall no longer be considered or treat-
! ed simpl; rs a public enemy Of the Confedcr-
| ate States Of America, but as an outlaw and
common enemy Of mankind, and that, in the
| event OF his capture, the officer in command
Of the capturing force do cause him to be i'm
mediately executed BIZ hanging.
And do further order that no commission
ed officer Of the q. B., taken captive, shall be
released On parole, before exchange. until the
said Butler shall haze met With due punish.
: | ment for his crimes,
And Whereas. The hostilities wagcd against
this Gontederacy by the forces Of q. s., 1ndel
: the command Of said Benjamin F. Butler
have borne no resemblance to such warfare Al
is alone permissible BY the rules Of interna
: | tional law, or the usage of civilization. bu
hnvc been characterized by repeated atrocitie
} and outrages, among the large number o
+ which, the following may be cited as e2
e amples;
e Peaceful and aged citizens, unressting cap
. tiTes and non-combatan.s, have been coninet
: at lard labor, with hard chains attached t.
their linbs, and are still: 90 held in dungeon
and fortreeses.
!. Others have been submitted to like degrad
ing punishment for selling medicines to th
sick soldiers Of the Confederacy.
= The soldiers Of the United States have bee
4 invited and encouraged in general orders t
insult and outrage the wives, the mothers IN
, | the sisters Of our citizens.
IS Helpless women have been torn from thei
u homes, and subjected to solitary confnmen1
3 some in fortresses aud prisons, and one espes
= = ialfy on an island Of barren sand, under.
a. tropical sun, have been fed with loathsom
= rations that had been condemned IS unfit f
" soldiers, and has been exposed to the vile:
u insult.
g. Prisoners Of war, who surrendered to th
y " naval forces Of. the United States, Q
u agreement that they should be released o
:, confinement.
CT Repeated pretexts have been sought OF i,
vented for plundering the Inhabitants Of tt
captured city, b fines levied and collecte
s', hard labor with ball and chain. The entil
10 to elect between starvation by the confsc
OF tion Of au their property, and taking an oat
#. against conscience to bear allegiance to tt
e. invader Of their country.
to Egress from the city has been refused
= those whose fortitude withstood the test Al
tn and even to lone and aged .wome
OF and to helpless children, and aft
rd being elected from their homes and 70
~ bed Of their property, they have been left
a. starye in the streets or subsist on charity.
ae Slaves have been driven from plantations
IN the neighborhood Of New Orleans, 1ntil the
to owners would consent to share their Gro
le- with the Commanding General, his bFothe
81 Andrew J. Butler, and other officers, ii
n when such consent had been eStorted, ElaT
1r- hare been restored to the plantations and the
as compelled to work, under bayonets Of t
r | guard Of United States soldiers. Where th
u, Partnership Was refused, armed expeditio
no have been sent to plantations to r
lie them Of every thing that was susceptible
! removal
St And even slaves, too aged or infrm
'ct work, have, in spite Of their eutreaties, be
Of forced from the homes provided byfheir ON
Is ers, and driven to wander helpless onthe hig
nd way, By recent general order No. g., the E
ne ne tire property iu that part Of Louisiana west
mt the Mississippi River, has been sequestrat
H. for eontlscation, and oficers have been !
zee signed to duty with orders TO gather up a
re re collect the personal property and turn Of
M IN to the proper officers, upon thelr recelp
n :ae such Of said property as may be required
nla together al the other personal property q
an bring the same to New Orleans, and cause
20 to be sold, at public auction, to the high
m aat hidders--an order, which If executed, &
tie, dems to punishment by starvation
req least quarter Of a million OF hun
OF beings, OF all ages, sexes, and con
ate | tons, and Of which the execution,
&C. though forbidden to military officers by
oV- ordeH Of President Lincoln Is an aecordar
ner t with the eonnscation Law Of our ene1ni
ate which he has effected to be enforced throu
the' the agency Of civil officials
~ ~ ON THE LIBERATION OF s1Ayzs.
Ilth And, finally, the African slaves have
the only b.? melted to insurrection BY ey
license and encouragement, but numbers
MT | them hsTe actually been armed for ser
tad | war--a war In its nature far exceeding
our horrors and most mercfless atrocities OF s
no ages;
en- And whereas, The officers under comm,
oy- of the said Butler have been, in many inst
ent ces, active and Jealous agents in the CONN
an sion of these crimes, and no instance Is kno
,Bn Of the refusal Of any one Of them to part
sd pate in the outrsges above narrated;
rest | And whereas, The President Of the Uni
tted States has, By public aud official declaratit
and signifed not only his approval ofthe efort
ard excite servile war within the COnfederaey.
the his intention to give aid and eneouragem
thereto, If these independent States shan {
I,a7- | tinhe to refuse submission to 4 foreign po
the after the first day Of January next, aud
are thus made known that al appeal to the 1aE
the | nations, the dictates OF reason, and the
aof. stincts Of humanity, would be addressed