Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-07
IMPORTANT OFFICIAL COBRE-
aEQNDENCE.
HEADQUARTERS FIRST DISTRICT, DEPARTMENT
EAST LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI
20 II .LuLN - LrL-.


To Bfsior-General Butler, Commanding United stat
Forces New Orleans La.
GEEERAL:. 1 have received petitions fro
officers OF the 1st regiment Louisiana psrtlsa
I rangers, touching the case Of Henry Castle, j
! "a private Of Company II, of that regiment, al
E also application respecting Tho G. Pennini
? ton, private Of Capt. Wilson Tate's compsn
2 OF the same regiment, and deem it expedieI
to request your ea,ly consideration OF the su
a ject.
a 1t appears that Private Castle was capture
b by detachment Of Federal troops in the vicil
/, ity of Baton Rouge, on or about TIC sevent
] 9TH OF the present month, and private Psi
uinyton on or about the 2Ssh day of June, th'
I they were taken to New Orleans and are no.
held either there or at one ef the forts in the V
ciuity, in close confinement, with the threat ths
they are TO be tried and executed as members {
a military organization not sanctioned By tn
laws of civilized warfare.
{ Il is to be observed that the first great law c
nature, the right Of selEdefense, is inherent il
communities as well as individuals. No lay
condemns the individual who Stays the robbie
or the assassin and no Just law can condemn
community for Rsing all its power to resist th
invaders and drive him from their soil.
Tire exercise of this right, SO universally re
ccgn;zed, becomes an imperative duty when tn
invader, as has been the case with the Fedora
troops in this district, disTegards those rules o
warfare recognized and respected by all civilized
nations, and adopts that code which has hereto
/ fore been confined to the Tudest s2vages
The proof Of this, is unfortunately too abun
dant in the vicinity Of Baton Rouge. It is at
tested by helpless women and children flying
/ from their burning h0n,s; by the desolatoa o.
! plantations, by the pluRder of private property
and the wanton destruction of growing crops
! Such acts are crimes against humanity, and jus.
tity all men IN taking up arms against their per
! Petrat0Ts
! The independence Of nations has rarely been
achieved by regular armies. Our own Revolu-
ton, that Revolution which successfully estab-
lishsd the great principle fer which the Conled-
crate States aEe now conteuding, that "all gov
ernmeBis derive their just powers from the cen
sant Of The governed" was mainly fought out
by men who left the plow at the news of the
eaemy's approach, and returned TO it when he
rad been driven back. It may be conceded
that ia Europe, where the governments main
" rely upon large standing armies, which
are, as much Gs possible, disconnected with
TIE people, and whers the policy is TO pre-
vent the people from bearing arms under
almost any circumstances, some very absurd re-
hnsments on this subject hsve been asserted,
and TO some extent tolerated; bat such doe
tinss have never been Teco ognized on this con-
tinent-.he United States especially have al
ways repgdiated them.
The various revolutions which have agitated
the Central and South American States, have
been conducted by tie people frequently without
organization, and without leaders other than
those chosen upon the spur of the occasion, to
direct single enterprise. Ard to recur to tie
revolution Of our tOrefatbeTs, the history of that
immortal Struggle sboUnds with ins tances where
the hardy yecmen, IS at Lexington and Banker
Hill, were Ike the clsnsmen of ROderick Dhu,
called by a concerted signal to some Lanerick
Mead, and then selected their officers upon the
very field OF battle. Bat whatever difference OF
opinion may exist on this point, it has never
been claimed even by the most stringent advo-
cate Of legitimacy, that one belligsTant has any
right to complain Of the name or form which
the other may choose to give to It's military Or
gauizati0ns. The right to gdapt these to the
peculiar service required, has been universally
conceded; so Ear indeed has this practice been
carried in naval warfare that prIYateersmau, the
militia Of the seas, with charters as broad as
the Ccsan's bounds, are recognized as legitimate
among 5elGgerents And now, indeed, the ex-
traoldinaTy spectacle is presented 10 the CON
temptation OF civilized man, in this b0astedn nine
teeulh century, Of the Christian world, of a
nation claiming to be civilized, in violation of
It's constitutional obligations inauEura.ing, de-
civilized Afrjcsn to raise his hand against his
master enc beuCisctor, aud thus make war upon
t.C AEgiC-SsZCu rGce-war on human nature |
IGis, Nith tie Federal government, is legitimate
warfare; but the defense Of their fresiles by
Southern citizens is treason and murder La
niutzry orgauizatiOrs the Polish laBcers the
French ZouaVes and British cops of scouts and
guides in the late Esss Indian war, are cases in
point. The Confederate States claim and have
exercised this undOuJtsd right. The formation |
OF companies, battalions and regiments Of par |
tisan rangers has been gpocially authorized By |
an act Of Congress. The officers of this corps |
are commissioned; the men are regularly mus |
tered unto service, receive pay, rstions and |
equipm. nts from the government, and are enti- |
tied to the same privileges and governed by the |
same regulations as all ether troops in the Con- |
federGte service. 1t is not perceived, therefore,
Whist preieXt can be offered By the nemy for
suhjecdng The members of this corps 70 a differ
ent treatment from that extended to other pris-
oneTs OF war, certainly no such distinction can
be recognized or tolerated by US. The govern
ment having called these men into service is |
bound by every obligation of good faith TO pro-
tect them to the extent of its power. And If
found necessary for their protection, as well as
for thst Of numerous u armed citizens who have
been subjected to oUtrages unparalleled in civ
lizsd warfare, VIII not hesitate, feel consTain-
ed to declare, to resort to retaliation even 10 the
extent sanctioned by the Jewish law" an eye |
for an eye tooth for tooth, and life for life
await an answer containing an explicit de-
slaIstion Of the intentions of the United States
respecting these prisoners.
Very respectfully;
Your ObedieDt servant,
RUGGLES, Brg-Gen. Com.
HEADoUAR's DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF.
NEW ORLEANS, July 23 1862
GENERAL: Il is the intention Of the United
States government to let these men 20 on their
larole aud one Of them has been gone more than
week
have the honor TO be
your Cbs5ent servant
Benz +. BUTLER
Maior-General Commanding.
To Briga6iar- General RuggIes,
Commanding at TangipahOa.
au2-eod-3s
THE RAPPAHAEEOCK LINES.--The Central
ar came through without interruption yesterday,
nd we could hear nothing to confirm the report,
% in9Ustriously circulated on Sunday, that the
Yankees were threatening another demonstra-
ion upon the road. Passengers bring report
hat a skirnish took place on Saturday not far
rom G0rdOnsville, and that the enemy hastily
otired after brief show of resistance. Them
lications are that general battle will take
,lace in that direction before many days. as il is
,ow well asceTtained that reinforcements are be-
ng semitic Pope, the Federal commander, and