Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-07-16
CASE OF COLONEL PAINE

|
between Gen. Williams and Colonel H. E
Paine, Of the 4th Wisconsin Reg. now at
Baton Rouge, La, relating to driving ne
groes who give important information to
What will be the result Of Col Paine's |
refusal to obey the order Of Gen Viii /
Jams, remains to be seen, but we are fully /
convinced that the people OF Wisconsin, /
in regarding the act Of Congress to hich |
he attached more force than Gen Will |
Jams order No 46 just such orders as
that of Gen Williams does more to dis
courage men from enlistment than all the
bullets of the Southern army
Headquarters 4th Wis. Regt.
Baton Rouge, La, June s. 1862
Capt Wickham Hoffman Asst Adlutant
General:
iR:-An order Of Brigadier General
Williams of this date, has Just reached
me- 1t is in the following words, viz
Headquarters ID Brigade.
Baton Rouge, June 5. 1862
disorganizing tendencies of the troops, of
harboring runaway negroes, it is here
by ordered that the respective command
ers of the camps aud garrsons of the sew
eral regiments I'd brigade, turn all such
fugitives in their camps and garrisons,
out Beyond the limits of their respective
guards and sentinels.
BY order ef Brig Gen T. Williams
WIcKHAM HOFFMAN,
The following are the provisions of en-
act of Congess, approved March 10, 1862,
entitled can act to make an aodional ar
ticie Of war
Be 1t enacted by tie House Of Repre-
sentatires in Congress assembled, that
hereafter the following statement shall
be promulgated as an additional article of
war for the government of the army of
the United States, and shall be obeyed as
such
ART. |, All officers and persons in the
military and naval service Of the United
States, are prohibited from employing any
of the forces under their respective com
mands Cor the purpose Of returning fugi-
tiyes from service or labor, who may es-
cape from any person to whom such ser
vice or labor is claimed to be dne And
any officer who shall be found guilty, by
court martial, of violating this article,
then he be dismissed from the service.
Sec 2 Ind be It further enacted, That
this act shall take effect from and after it's
| passage
Approved March 18th 1862,
1t is true that the order of Gen, Will
Jams does not an terms require regimenta
commands, ito employ their gurads or SEN
tinels for the purpose of returning fugi-
tiyes," but it is equally true that the order
lie effect requires nothing else For
it is notorious that the regimental camps
are watched, not only by pretended own
ers, but also by men who hunt for pay,
into whose grasp the fugitive viii certai.2-
" fall the very slant the guard thrusts
them over the lines Within nay own per
sonal knowledge, many fugutives have
been received aboard the transports at
different places IN this State, by General
Williams, and have, upon close int3rroga-
ton, given him important military infor-
nation Such Of these as have not AREA
dy been returned to their owners may
sill be found in the camp OF this brigade
What VIII be their fase il deligere up to
claimants or hunters Is easy to predict
1t seems to me that while their surrender
would be in paipable violation OF the law,
1t would also be sub ect to the grayest OBJ
jeetions.
The order OF Gen Williams. forces or
me an alternative which is peculiarly pain
full; because with me obedience to or
ders' has always been in practice as well
as in theory fundamental military max
i'm
am compelled either to disobey him
or defy the sovereign power of the Repub-
lie In this matter | cannot hesitate No
punishment for disobedience to this order
can be so intoierable as would be the con
seriousness OF having violated the law, by
compelling my guards to return 30 vindic-
tive rebels, fugitives whose information
has been sought and used for the benefit
of our arms. While | have command of
the 4th regiment Wisconsin volunteers,
they cannot with my consent be employed
in the violation of the purpose of return
ing fugitiyes TO rebels. our obedient
seryana HALBERT r. PAINE
Col. 18th Wis. regiment
Headquarters I'd Brigade
Baton Rouge, June 10 1862
COLONEL " cur letter Of the 9Th inst,
is not sufficiently definite Y GU will state
categoricaly whether or not you will Of ay
general order No. 46.
by order of Brigadier General T. Will
Hams
Henry IL ELLIOTT A A A. G..
To Col Z. Ii. Paine, 4th Wis vols