The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-07-25
Ecttcr GrOEna Gen. EsulIcr
Explanation of the Famous Woman
order.

The following letter from Gen. Butler
was received by gentleman in Boston.
The order referred to was received by the
last ma il from New Orleans:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TIE
GULF, New ORLEANS, July >, 1862. {
My DEAR Sir: am as jealous of the
good inioE of my friends as am care
less OF the slander Of my enemies, and
your kind eXpr ssions in regard to order
No. 2S, leads me to say word on lhc sub
jcct.
That It ever could have been so mis-
conceived us it has been by some portions
OF the northern press is wonderful, and
would lead Cne to exclam with the Jew.
80, Father Abraham, what th, s. Chris
teach them to suspect the thoughts Of 9TH
crs."
What was the state of things to which
the woman order applied!
We were two thousand FIVE hundred
men in city seven miles long by two
u four wide, of II hundred
and fi!ty thousand inhabitants, all hos
tile, bitter, defiant, explosive, standing
literally on magazine, II spark only
needed for destruction. The devil had
entered the hearts of the women Of this
town (you know seven of them chose
Mary MUgdalcn for residence), to stir
up strife in every way possible. Every
opprohrious epthet, every insulting gcs-
ture, was made by these bejeweled, be
crinolncd, and luced creatures, calling
themselves ladies', toward my soldiers and
officers, from the windows of houses and
in the streets. How long do you sup
p Sc our flesh and b!ood could have stood
this without re tort. That wcud lead to
disturbances and riot, from which we
must clear the streets with artillery-and
then howl that we had murdered these
fine women. | had arrested the men
who hurrahed for Beauregard. Could |
arrest the womenl No. What was TO
be cone! No order could be made except
one which would execute itself. With
anxious, careful thought, hit upon this:
Women who insult my soldiers are to be
regarded aud treated as common women
plying their vocation"
Pray how do you treat common wo-
man plying her vocation in the street,
You pass her by unheeded. She cannot
insult youl As a gentleman you can and
will take no notice of her. llshe speaks,
her words are not opprobrious. 1t is on.
ly when she becomes n continuous aud
positive nuisance that you call watch
man aud give her in charge OF him.
But some Of the Northern editors seem
to think that whenever one meets such II
woman, one must stop her, talk with her,
Insult her, or hold daliance with her,
and SO from heir own conduct they con-
strued my order.
The editor of the Boston Courier may
so deal with common women, and out oil
the abundance of the heart his mouth
may speak-but so do not |.
Why, these Shareholders Of New Or
leans themselves were at once shamed
into proprety of conduct by the order,
and from that day no woman has either
insuted ar annoyed any live soldier or
officers, and of certainty no soldier has
insulted any woman.
When passed through Baltimore on
the 23d of February last, members of my
staff were insulted by the gestures Of
the ladies' { y there. Not SO in New Or
leans.
One of the most possible of all these
women showed disrespect to the remains
of.gallunt young peKay, and you will
see her punishment, copy of the order
which enclose is at once a vindication
and construction of my order.
| can only say that | would issue it
again under like circumstances.--
Again thanking you for your kind inter-
est,
am truly your friend.
Benz. +. DuTLER,
Major General Commanding.