Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-12-23
Nv THE rRRsIDENr,o OF THE ooNFKDRn
ATE STATES.
A PROCLAMATION

Il ncfc9b, communication Whd hQuresSeS Oh the OH
day Of July last sea) BY General Robert T. Lee act
ing under the instructions of the Secretary of War
the Confederate States Of America, to General h. W
HRleck General-inchef of the United States army, in
forming the latter that report had reached this Gov
ernmsnt that VIM. b. Mumford, citizen ofthe Confsd
ss States, had been executed by the United States
authorities at New Orsan for having pulled down the
United States Gag In that city, before its occupation by
ths forces of the United States aud calling for state
ment Of the facts with view to retaliation II such
outrage had really been committed under sanction Of
the authorities of the United States h-
And whereas, mo answer having been received to
said letter. another letter was the I'd August last
Qs62) addressed by General Lee under my Instructions
70 Gen Haeck renewing the inquiry In relation to the
said execution Of said Mumford with the information
that In the Of not receiving reply within fifteen
days would be assumed that the fact alleged was true
and was sanctioned By the Government Of the United
States. ...-..,..... a4,.e
And whereas IN dated on the 18th August last
1882 addressed TO General Lee by General u. w.
Haeck the said Generain Chief Of the armies of the
United States alleging sufficient cause for failure to
make early reply to said letter Of the 9th July asserting
that mo authentic information had been received in
aton TO the execution of Mumford but measures will
he Immediately taken ascertain the facts of the alleged
erccuton," and promising that General Lee should be
tddy informed thereof:
And whereas on the seth November last (ls62) an
other letter addressed under my Instructions BY
Robert Guild Confederate Agent for the exchange or
prisoners under the cartel between tb two Governments
/ to Lieut. Col. W. H. Ludlow, agent of the United
States under sad cartel informing him that the expana-
tons promised In the said letter of General Haeck Of
18th of August last had not yet been received and that
il no answer was sent TO the Government within fifteen
DAYS from the delivery Of this last communication it
would be considered that answer Is declined:
And whereas by letter, dated on the Sd day Of the
present month OF December the said Lieut. Col Ludlow
apprsed the said Robert 0uld that the above rected
| communication of 29th November had been received
and forwarded to the Secretary of War Of the United
States
And whereas this last delay of fifteen days allowed
for answer has elapsed aud has been received
And whereas in addition to the tacit admission re-
sultng from above refusal TO answer have received
evidence fully establishing the truth Of the fact that the
said William B. Mumford citizen Of this Confederacy,
was actually and publicly executed in cold blood by
hanging amer the occupation Of the city of New Orleans
by the forces under the command Of Gen benjamin f.
Butler when said Mumford was unresisting and
combatant captive and for offence alleged to
have been committed by him subsequent to the date Of
the capture of the said city:
And whereas the silence Of the government Of the
United States and its maintaining Of said Butler in high
Office under IL authority, for many months after his
commission Of an act that be viewed in other
light than deliberate murder well AZ Of numerous
other ourages and atrocities hereafter 10 be mentioned
afford evidence only too conclusive that the said govern
ment sanctions the conduct Of said Butler and is de-
termned that he shall remain unpunshed Tor bis
crimes
Now therefore, JEFFERSON DAVIS, President Of the
Confederate States Of America, and in their name do
pronounce and declare the said Benjamin Butler TO
be feon, deserving Of capital punishment do order
that he be longer considered treated simply
public enemy OF the Confederate States of America but
as an ortnw and common enemy Of mankind, AID that
in tho OF his capture, the officer in command OF
the capturing forco do him TO be Immediately
cuted by hanging; and do further order that no
missoned officer OF the United Ststes taken captive
shall be released parol before exchange, until the
said Butler shall have met with due punishmeu, for hi
crimes
And whereas the ho'titps waCed against this Con-
federacy by the forces of the Uns Saies under The
command OF said Benjamin T. Butler, have borne no
sembance 10 such warfare as is alone permissible by the
rules of international law or the usages of civilization
but have been characterized by repeated atrocities aud
outragcs among the large Number If which, the follow
ing may be cited as examples:
Peaceful and aged citizens, unresistipg captiyes and
non combatsnts have been confined at hard labor With
balls and chains attached to their ubs and are still so
held 10 dungeons aud orresses Others have beeu sub
ected to like degrading punishment for selling med
cines TO the sick soldiers of the Coufederacy.
The soldiers OF the United States have been invited
and encouraged BY general orders 10 insult and outrage
the wives the mothers and the sisters OF our citizens:
HELPLESS women nave been from tDelr auC
subjected solitary confinement, in fortresses,
aud prisons and one, especially, island OF barren
sand under a tropical have been fed with loath
some ratous that had been condemned UNFIT for sol
ders aud nave been exposed to the yilest insults
Prisoners of war who surrendsed the naval forces
OF the United States agreement that they shonld be
released parole have been seized and kept In close
confinement
Repeated prets1ts have been sought or Invented for
pundeng the Inhabitants OF the captured city by fines
levied and e1acted under threat OF mpsonng recusants
nj hard labor with ball aud chain
The entire population oil the city of New Orleans have
been forced elect between starvation by the con6scl
ton Of all their property and taking an OATH against
conscience TO bear allegiance to the Invaders Of their
country
Egr,ss from the city has boon refused TO those whose
forttude whsood the test even to lone aud aged women
and to pless children and after being elected romlher
homes and robbed of their property they have been left
to s,arye in the streets or subsist on charity;
The slaves have been driven from the plantations 10
the neiehborhood OF New Orleans, till their owners
would consent share the crops with the Commanding
General his brother Andrew j. Butler and other OH
GERS aud when such consent had been extorted the
slaves have been restored to the plantations and there
compelled 20 work under the bayonets of guards Of
United States soldiers.
Where this partnership refused armed expeditions
have been sent the plantations to rob them of every
thing that susceptible of removal and even slaves
too aged or inrm for work have in spite of their
treaties been forced from the homes provided by the
owners and driven to wander helpless on the highway:
BY recent General Order no sl) the entire proper
~ in that part OF Louisiana lying west of the Mississippi
river has been for eonscaton and officers
have been assigned to duty with orders to gather up
and collect the personal property and turn to the
proper officers upon their receipts such Of said property
as NAV be required for the Of the United States
army Ia collect together all the other personal property
and bling the same to New 0rieans, and cause
il to be sold at public auction to the highest bidders,
an order which, il executed condemns to punishment
by starvation at least quarter of million of human
beings of all ages sexes and conditions aud Of which
the execution although forbidden military officers by
the orders of President Lincoln is in accordance With
the Coniscaton Law of enemies which he has d.
rected to be enforced through the agency of civil OFF.
Gals Aud finally the African slaves have not ouiy been
excited TO instruction by every license and encourage
mont hr,t nnnbnrs Of then have actually been armed