Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-08-19
kSoSsgo rAtSeattOp OT the II.
= sststes 0esa'l RAelps.


1 i
correspondence between himself and
General Phelps in relation to the mill.
airy employment Of the blacks. Butler
ays: l.
General Phelps, without orders and
w'taout my knowledge, has organized
i've companies Of negroes, and the FIRST
official Information I had Of bis doipgs
vac requisition for arms and equip
nents for them.
1t becomes moro r.ecessarv. 10 my
Judgment, to employ them differently,
and thought ~ this means l could
NOD employ. lent for them oil, and not
raise the question offeosively between
3ene'A al Phelps and myself until it va
se" led at Washington, and therefore,
,ent the order to employ the negroes
without sending 40 answer to bis reqoi-
sitiou. But bis letter Of resignation has
left me no choice but to insist that ny
order should be obeyed. l submit the
whole matter to the department.
The frat letter Of General Phelps 10
dated New Or cans, July the goth, and
says:
The Southern loyalists are willing, -
| understand, 70 furnish their share Of
the tax for the support Of the war; but
they should also furnish their quota of
men. which they have not thus TAR done.
An opportunity new offers Of supplying
the deficiency, and it is not safe to neg
lect opportunities in war. think that,
with the proper facilities,I could raise
the three regiments proposed in short
lime, without holding out any induce
ments or offering any reward. l have
now upwards of three hundred Africans,
organized into five companies, who are
willing and ready to show their devotion
to our cause in any way that it may te
put to the test. They are wiIlioy to sub
init to anything rather than to slavery.
/ would recommend that
the cadet graduates of the present year
should be sent to South Carolina and
this point, to organize and discipline
orr African levies, and that The more
promising AFOREMENTIONED officers and
privatcs OF the. army be appointed as
company officers to command them.
Prompt and energetic efforts in this di-
rection would probably accomplish more
towards speedy termination of the war,
and an early restoration of peace and
smitv, than auy other course which
could be adopted.
General Butler replied:
HsADoUARrERs DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF
Nav ORLEANS, La, July 81, 1922
GENERAL The General Command
ing wishes you to employ the contra
bands in and abont your camp in cut
ting down all the trees, &C., between
your lines and the lake, 10 forming aba.
tis according to the plan agreed upon be-
tween you and Lieut.. Wei,zel when he
visited you somtime since. What wood
is not used by you is much needed in
this city. For this purpose have or
dered the qnarterm aster to furnish you
with axes and tents for the contrabands
to be qusrtered in. by order of
MAJOR GENERAL BUTLER.
, r. S. Davis, Captain and A. A. A. G..
This restriction Of the services of the
blacks to the mechanical labor of the
camp not suiting General Phelps, he
replied uider date ofJuly 81:
In reply, must state while am vii
ling to prepare African regiments for
the defence Of the Government against
its assailauts, am not willing to be-
come the mere slave driver which you
propose, having no qualifications in that
way, l am, therefore, under the neces.
sity Of rendering the resig' alton OF my
commission rs an officer Of the army of
the United States, and respectfully re-
quest leave OF absence until it is &C.
cepted, in accordance with paragraph
20, page IL, of the General Regulation.
While | am writing at half past eight
O'Clock p; M, a colored man is brought
in by ope Of the Pr ckets, who has just
been woudl led in the side by charge
of shot, which he says, was fred at him
BY one Of party Of three hare-hunters
or guerriIlas, mile or more from our
line OF en'inels. As it is some distance
from the camp to tie lake. the party OF
wood choppers which you have direct
ed will probably need considerable
force to guard them against similar at.
tacks.
| Gen. Butler rejoined, under date Of
August 3D.:
BY the act of Congress as l under
stand it, the President of the United
States alone has the authority to EN-.
ploy Africans in arms as part of the
military forces OF the Unit ID States.
Every law up to this time, raising
voIunteerslor mi!itsa forces, has been
opposed to their employment. The
President has not as yet indicated bis
purpose to EMPLOY the Africans in arms.
The arms, clothing aud camp eqnip
age which have here tor the Louisiana
volunteers, are, by the Secretary of
War, cx. ressly limited to white soldiers.
so that l have no authority to direct
them, however much l may desire to
do SO.
90 not think yon ave empowered to
organize INTO companies negroes. and
drli them as military organization, as
am unexpectedly informed YOU have
done. l ca"nnt sane ION this action. az
IT present advised, especially when We
have need Of he services nfthe blacks
who are being sheltered upon the out
skirts OF your camp, as You vii. see BY
the orders for their employment sent
oy the Asst. Adjutant General.
| will send your application to the
president but, in the meantime Won |
must desist from the formation of auv !
negro military ofpanization