The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-08-12

most prominent citizens of Page county, Virginia,
to be held as hostages and to suffer death in the
event OF any OF the soldiers of said Steinwehr
being shot by "bush-whackers," )" by which term is
meant the citizens of this Confederacy who have
taken up arms to defend their homes and families;
" And, whereas, it results from the above
orders that some of the military authorities of the
United States, not content with the unjust and
aggressive warfare hitherto waged with savage
cruelty against an unoffending people, and ex-
asperated by the failure of their effort to subu-
gate them, have now determined to violate all the
rules and usages of war, and to convert the
hostlhtles hitherto waged against armed forces
into campaign OF robbery and murder against
unarmcd citizens and peaceful tillers of the soil :;
VI. Aud, whereas, this Government, bound by
the highest obligations of duty to its citizens, is
thus driven to the necessity of adopting such just
, measures of retribution and retaliation as shall
seem adequate to repress and punish these bar
barltles; and whereas, the orders above rectcd
have only been published and made known to this
Government since the signature of Cartel for
exchange Of prisoners of war, which Cartel, in so
tar as 1t provides for an exchange of prisoners
hereafter captured, would never have been signed
OF agreed to by this Government, if the intention
to change the war into a system of indiscrmnate
murder and robbery had been made known to it;
and whereas, ust regard to humanity forbids
that the repression of crime which this Govern
ment is thus compelled to enforce should be un-
necessarily extended to retaliation the enlisted
men In the army Of the United States, who may
be unwilling Instruments of the savage cruelty of
their commanders, so long there is hope that
the excesses OF the enemy may be checked or
prevented by retrbution on the commissioned
othcers who have the power to avoid guilty action
by refusing service under Government which
seeks their aid in the perpetration of such infam-
Gus barbarities
VII. Therefore it is ordered, that Maior-Gen
Pope, Brigader General Steinwher, and all COM
mlssoned officers serving under their respective
commands, be, and they are hereby expressly and
specially declared to be, not entitled TO be con-
sldered as soldiers, and therefore not entitled to
the benefit of the Cartel for the parole of future
prisoners Of war.
Ordered further, That in the event of the
capture of Major General Pope, Brigadier-
General Stenwehr, or any commissioned officer
serving under them, the captive taken sha II be
held in sclIse confinement, so long as the orders
aforesaid shall continue in force and unrepeale led
by the competent military authorities of the
United States; and that in the event of the murder
of any unarmed citizen or inhabitant of this
Confederacy, by virtue or under pretext Of any Of
the orders hereinbefore recited, whether with or
without trial-whether under pretence of such
citizen being spy or hostage, any other pre-
tence, it shall be the duty of the Commanding
General Of the forces of this Cunfederacy, to
cause Immediately to be hung, out Of the COM
missoned officers prisoners aforesaid, number
equal to the number of citizens thus
murdered by the enemy. BY order,
(Signed) S. COOPER,
Adit. and Insp. Genl