The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-08-08
I.EADQ RS, isT DISTRICT,
Dept Fast Louisiana and Mississippi,

forces, New Orleans, la:
General--I have received petitions .lm officers of
the lst regiment Louisiana lar!izan RaS gers touch
ing the case of Henry Castle. a private nf Company
L. OF that regiment, aud also app iiciton
spectng Thomas t. Pennington, priv: ste OF Capt.
Wilson Tates company of the same re, giInent, and
deem it oxpedent 70 request Jour early Con,idera
ton of the subject appears that private Castle
captured by detachment az Federal troops III the
vicinity Of Baton Rouge, on or about The 7tt ei he
present month, and private Pennington about
the s13 il day of June that they were taken 10 New
Orleans, aud al held either there at of
tho Crls IN the vicinity in close conGnamesst with
the threat That they 10 te tried and executed
inbeTs OF military organization not sanctioned By
the laws OF civilized warfare. Ii is TO he observed
that he first great law Of nature the right OF self
defence. IL iaLeIcut IN communities well :;s in
deiduals.
NJ law condemns The individual vi lao siays the
robber assassin. And no just law condemn
Il community for using aii its power RESIST the
invader and drive him from their sol. The exer
else OF this light universally recogu ized becomes
imperative duty when the inv ati1i, has been
the ease with the Federal troops in ID il district dis
regards those rules OF warfare reeog niZed and
specied BIZ all civilized nations, and adopts that
code which has heretofore been confined to the
rudest savages The proof Of this IL unfortunately
too abundant in the vicinity O; Batua Rouge. 1t ID
atestrd by helpless women and child iiy ing from
their burning homes, and by aesolston OF plalta
tons, by the plumber of private property and the
wanton destruction OF growing crops. Such acts
crimes against humanity, and justify all men III
taking up against their perpetrators The n-
dependence OF nations las rarely been achieved by
regular armies
Our own revolufion--tba: revolution which sue
cessfuliy established the great principle for which
the Confederate States are NOW conteniiDg, that
all Governments derive their just powers from the
consent OF the governed was rlainiy fought out
by who lett the plough at the news Of the
my's approach, and eiurned to IL when he had been
driven back 1t may be conceded that i'll Europe,
where the Governments mainly rely upon large
standing armies which much as possible dig
connected with the people and where the policy Is
to prevent the people from bearing arms under 81
most any circumstance some very absurd refine
ments on this subjec, have been asserted, and to
some extent tolerated But such doctrines have
never been recognized on this continent. The
United States especially have repUdiated them.
The various revolutions which have agitated the
Central and South American States have been con
Quoted by the people frequently without organiZa-
tion and without leaders other tEan those chosen
upon the spur OF the occasion to direct single en-
teTprse. And to recur to the Revolution OF
forefathers the history Of that immortal struggle
abounds with instances where the hardy yeoman--
As Ut Lexington and Bunker Hill-were like the
clansnen OF Rhoderck Dhu, called by & concertcyA
signal TO some Limerick Mead" and there select
their officers upon the very field ot battle. But
whatever differences OF opinion may exist on this
point it has never been claimed even by the most
stringent advocates of Legitimacy, that belg-
erent has any right 10 complain of the name
form which the other may choose to give 10 its
military organization
The right to adapt these TO the peculiar service
required has been universally conceded so far in
deed, has this practice been led in naval
warfare, that prigateersmen, ''the militia OF the
seas, with charters ak broad az the oceans bounds
recognized as legitimate among begereDts.-
And now, indeed, the extraordinary spectacle is
presented to the contemplation of civil lied man IN
this boased nineteenth century Of the Christian
werld, OF a nation claiming To be civilized in vo-
lation of it's constitutional obligations, inaug,rating
deliberately servile war by stimulating the half
civilized African to raise his hand against his
and benefsetor and Thus make war npon tho
Anglo Saxon race--war on human nature. This
with the Federal Government is legitimate
fare but the defence of their resides by Southern
citizens IL treason and murder.
In military organizations, the Polish Lancers.
French Zouayes aud Pritish corps OF scents and
guides in the late East Indian war; cases iii
point The Confederate States claim and have
ereised this undoubted right. The formation Of
companies, battalions, and regiments OF partisan
rangers has been specially authorized by an act OF
Congress The officers of this corps are coulMis
stoned The men are regularly mustered into ser
vice. receive pay rations, and equipments from the
Government, and are entitled 10 the same privl-
leges and governed by the regG'aiions as all
other troops in the Confederate service. 1t is ask
ed therefore, what pretext can be offered by the
enemy for snbjecting the niembers-of this corps TO
"a different treatment from that extended to other
prisoners Of war; Certainly such distinction
can be recognized or tolerated by us.
aThe Government having called thege men into
service IL hound by every obligation Of good faith
To protect lHSBt 10 tne eAteut oi power iuI II
found necessary for their protection welt as for
that of numerous unar;ncd citizens who have been
subjected 10 outrages unparalleled in civilized war
fare will not hesitate feel constrained TO declare
to resort TO retaliation, even to the extent sane
toned by the Jewish law--an eye for an eye,
tooth for tooth, and life for life. / await
swer containing an explicit declaration oil the in
tentions OF the United States Government respect
ing these prisoners.
Very respectfully, your ob't sery't
DANIEL RUG8LEs
Brigadier-G General Cong District.
To which Gen. Butler replied a. follows;
HEADQs DEPARTMENT CT THE GULF,
New Orleans, La. July 81, 1862.
General II II ths intention OF the United States