The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-08-29

RICHMOND,
force OF rebel cavalry, and Mason and WOODWARD
"sos speechss complmenting each ether
CORRESPONDENCE BETwEEN BUTLER AND pHgrp.
IN REGARD TO THE NEoRo BRI0ADk.
CAMP PARAPEr, La, Aug 3 1862.
Major General B. r. Butler, Commanding the De
partment Of the Gulf
Sir: Two communications from you, Of this date
have this moment been received. One OF them re-
ers to the raising Of volunteers or militia forces
stating that must desist from the formation oi
any negro military organisations." and the other
declaring In spirit contrary TO all usage Of mill
tary service aud TO al the rights and liberties of
citizen OF free Government, that my resignation
win not he accepted by you; that leave OF sb
sence until Its acceptance by the President will not
be granted me, and that must nee to Il that your
orders--whlch could NO, obey without becoininc
slave myseif-are faithfully and diligently exc
cnted" -
II can be Of little consequence to me- "a to what
KIND Of slavery am I" be subjected, " neither to
AFRICAN slavery or to that which you 20 Extensively
propose for me, giving me All order wholly opposed
TO my convictions Of right "a well a. of the higher
scale OF public necessties In the case and insisting
upon my complying with It faithfully and diisent.
ly, allowing me NO room to escape with my convic.
fions or my principles at any sacrifice that ! may
make. ! cannot submit to either kind Of slavery.
and cannot, therefore. for . double reason. comply
With yonr order q the aist Jaly In comply ing with
which should submit to both kinds-both to Afri.
can slavery and to that to which you resort In its
defence.
Desirous to the last of saving the public interests
involved, appeal to ycur sense Of justice to re.
consider your decision and make the most 70 the
cause ont of the sacrifice which Ioffer by granting
the quiet, proper, and customary action upon my
resignation.
BY refusing my request you may subject me to
inann vosn{o.> szsS So
any advantage either to yourself to the service
With the view Of securing myself a tardy Justice
In the case. being remote from the Capital, when
the transmission of the malls is remarkably irregu.
lar and uncertain; and In order to give you every
ssaurance that my resignation s rendered in strict
compliance with paragraph twenty nine of the
regulations. to be unconditional and immediate, I
herewith enclose copy for the Adjutant- General
him. to be laid before the President for q early
ton in the case as his Rxcellency may be pleased
to accord and as my position, sufficiently unples
SAINT already, promises to become much more 30
still by the course Of action which &m sorry to
find that you deem 1t proper to pursue, urgently
request his kxcellency, by u speedy acceptance Of
my commission to lberate me from that sense of
snffocatiop. from that darkling sense OF bondage
and enthrament which, II appears to ne, like the
snake around the muscles and sinews Of Lsecoon
is entangling and deadening the eneiEies Of the
Government and country, when q decisi 70 act might
cut the evils and lberate us from their bone and
fascinating influence forever.
In conclusion Of this communication, and should
also hope OF my services in this department, deem
1t my duty to state lest it might not otherwise
to your notice that several parties of the free
lcred men of New Orleans have recently come to
consult me on the propriety of raising one two
regiments OF volunteers from their class OF the
population, for the defence of the Government and
good order, and that have recommended them to
propose the measure to you having no power to
act upon 1t raysolf.
sm. sir, very respect'y. your ODD. sery't,
!, W. .HELPs, Brig -aen1
MONDAY. Aug. 4-P. S.-The negroes increase
rapidly. There are doubtless now 600 able bodied
men in camp These, added to those who are suffer.
ing useiessy In the prisonsand ails Of New Orleans
and vicinity and feeding from ths genei al stock Of
provisions, would make a good regiment of 1000
men, who might contribute as much to the preser-
walton OF Law end good order a regiment Of eau.
csssisna and probably much more. Now q mere
burden. they might become bsus feent element Of
governmental power. JW.P
CAMP PAkAPET, La. Aug 2. 1862
Gen. Lorenzo Thomas, Adjutant General, Washing.
Sir: Finding 1t impossible to serve In this de.
partmeut without doing vio,sncs my convi :tions
OF right and public necessity, respectfully tender
you the resigna,ion of my commission as an officer
Of the army of the United States, and request as
early an acknowledgment OF it's acceptance as con.
venienty possible have the honor to be, SIR very
respectfully, your o6edient servant,
J. w. PHELPS, Brig sdier eneral
HEADe'R RS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, Aug. 5, 1864
General: Your communication of to-day has
been received. / had forwarded your resignation
ths day 1t was received to the President of the
United States, SO that there will be occasion OF
forwarding a duplicate General, not at liberty to
accept your resignation cannot, consistently with
my duty and the orders Of the War Department,
grant you leave Of absence till is accepted by the
for af aS13c
l see nothing unusual Lor do intend anything so,
in the refusal to accept the resignation of any officer
where his place cannot be at the present moment
supplied.
pray you to understand that there was nothing
intended to be offensive to you, either in the matter
or manner OF my communication IN directing you
to cease military organization Of the negroea do
but carry out the law Of Congress, az understand
it, and doing which | have no choice. l can see
neither African nor other slavery In the command
of the post clearing from the front Of this line,
by means Ct abe bodied men under his control the
trees and underb-ush which would afford cover and
shelter to his enemies in Of attack especially
when the very measure. as a precautionary one,
was advised by yourself; and WHILE in Difference to
your aga and experience a soldier, and the appre.
citation have of your many good qualities of heart,
have Withdrawn and do withdraw anything you
may find offensive in my communication, still
must request categorical answer 10 the question
Wall you or will you not employ proper portion of
the negroes in cutting down the trees which atord
pray you to observe that If there is anything of
wrong in this order. that wrong IL mine, for you
have sufficiently protested against it. You are not
responsible for II than the hand that executes
1t. 1t can offend neither your political nor moral
sense. With sentiments Vf the utmost kindness and
BENZ. F. BUTLER.
To Brig Gen. Phelps
WESTERN SURPRISES.
New York journal Ia not pleased with matters
In the Southwest. 1t says:
II ID time the Union commanders In the South
west were waking up. 1t can hardly be polite for
hands, to be fast asleep. We have suffered three
damaging reverses In rapid succession In the West,
in consequence Of the sleepy propensitles OF our
officers First was the disgrsceful surprise and
surrender of Gen. Crittenden's command at Muir.
freesboro Tenn We lost 2 600 prisoners there, all
because they were surprised" They didn't think
well bred Southern soldiers would be SO uncivil a.
TO disturb them In their sleep. Crittenden was
taken In bed at hotel and removed from Murfrees-
boro' before his command was attacked and made
aware of his capture His friends urge that he has
been harahly judged, as lie only took command OF
the post the evening before. and went to a tavern
10 sleep "becanse hts tent had not arrived" A mis-
cradle excuse this. He knew he was in the enemy .
country and should have slept, or thought of
his tent even, till he knew his camp was safe from
attack. That first night Of insecurity was fatal to
him ~ Q commander.
Na<t CAME the capture Of Independence No.
by 0uantrells guerrillss. We lost 500 prisoners
there But Independence was surprised 1T
could not otherwise have been taken" Why sur
prised9 The town. stands in prairie; the eye
sweeps the horizon ten miles or more, In every d.
rection. It was known ouantrell was recruiting
came like . thief In the night, az more honest
.cIa;ar mioht and captured the town and its de-