The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-07-25
SAINT PAUL. FRIDAY. JULY g 1867.
Letter from Gen. Butter.

Ihe following letter from Zen. Butler,
explaining his reasons for issuing the cele-
brated order in regard to the women of
New Orleans, has beou received by geu>
tleman of Boston:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE gully.
NEW ORLEANS. LA. July 2, 1862.
MY DEAR SIR: am as jealous of the
good opinion OF my friends as am careless
of the ISLANDERS OF my enemies. and your kind
expressions in regard to Order No. 70 leads
| the to say word to you on the subject.
That it ever could have been SO miscon.
ceived as it has been by some portion of the
northern press is wonderful, and would lead
one to exclaim with the Jew, 80, Father
Abraham, what these Christians are, whose
own hard dealings teach them to suspect
the very thought Of others"
What was the State of things % which
the Woman order applied.
We were two thousand five hundred men
10 city seven miles long by two to four
| wide. Of hundred and City thousand inhab,
itants. oil hostile, bitter, defiant, explosive,
standing literally on magazine; spark
only needed for destruction. The Devil had
entered the hearts OF the women OF this town,
(yOu know seven CT thea chose Mary Mag.
daleo for q residence,j to stir up strife in
every way possible. Every opprobrious
epithet, every insulting gesture, was made
by these bejvweied, beerinolined and laced
creatures, calling themselves ladies, toward
my soldiers end officers, from the windows
OF houses and in the streets. How long do
you suppose our flesh and blood could have
stood this without retort? That would lead
to disturbf nces and riot, from which we
must clear the streets with artllery-and
then howl that We had murdered these fine
women. / had arrested the men who bur.
rahed for Beauregard. Could ARES. the
women? No. Wnat was to be done? No
order could be mace save Que that won d
execute itself With anxious careful thought
hit upon this: "Women who insult nv
soldiers are to be regarded as common wo<
men plying their vocation"
Pray, bow do you treat common woman
plying her vocation 10 the streets? You
pass her by UNDECIDED. She cannot insult
you. AS gentleman you can apd will
take 90 notice Of her. ii she speaks her
words are not opprobrious. 1t is only
when she becomes q contiguous aud posi-
tive nuisance that you Gail watchman ard
give her 10 charge 10 bin.
But some Of the northern editors seem to
think that whenever one meets a woman,
ore must stop her, talk with her, insult her,
or hold dalllance with her, and so from
their own conduct they construed my order.
The editor of the Boston Courier NAV so
deal with common women, and out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth may
speak but so do not l.
Why, these she adGers of New Orleans
themselves were at ouce sbamed into pro.
priety OF conduct by the order, and from
that day no woman has either insulted or
annoyed any live soldier or officers, ard Of
a certainty no soldier bus iusulted any wo.
man.
When Ipassed through Baltimore on the
23d of February last, members of nov staff
were insuted by the gestures of the la
dies z? there. Not SO in New Orleans.
One OF the worst possible OF all these wo-
men showed dI respect to the remains of
gallant young Dekay, ard you will see her
punishment, copy OF the cider which |
enclose, is at once yiDdIcation and con-
struciion of my order.
can only say that | would issue it again
under like circumstances. Again THAI ng
you for your kind interest.
am truly yoUr friend,
BENJ. +. BUTLER,
MaJor GcueGai Comm ,ndine.