Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-02-05
EXECUTION OF MtMFoRD.
oES. BuTLER's AccoUHT.

' to the execution Of Mumford, at New
4 Orleans. ft F f-ii-- is i'bo p
q You have been pleased 10 allude 4
an act Of high executive responsibility
i which, in toe performance Of duty, be,
! came q powerful necessity, and that i,
! the execution Of William B. Mumford
a Applause. Owing 10 the terms ii
which the so-ealled Confederate Gov.
ernment chose to demand from nv
Government an account Of that act, il
was rendered impossible that an ex-
plantation or report could be made
Having by their offensive language cut
of all possible Government communica-
Eticn on The subject Il was assumed that
some wrong was done, and the procla.
nation which you have doubtless all
seen has been issued as a consequence.
Perhaps il may not be indelicate were,
for moment to speak of that act.
On the SSth day of April. l forgot
not the date, the Mayor Of New Or
leans, writing With the pen of Hon.
Pierre Soule, informed Commodore
Fsrragut that there was no man base,
enough 70 tear down the flag of
Louisiana which was raised upon the
City Hall, but the city was at the mer-
cy Of the Federal forces. and If the Fed
ersl commander chose to take down the
flag Of the State in token Of the surren-
der Of the city. the Commodore had the
physical power TO do so, and would not
be interfered with ia that act. Ae-
cordinglY, on the next morning the flag
Of the United States was raised over
the Mint-the property of the United
States. After flying a short time a
mob, headed BY drunken gambler, in
the presence ofthe feet, in broad day
light, tore down the symbol Of our ma
tionalty, that we all reverence, and
dragged II with Infamous outrage
through the streets, trampling upon il
and tearing it to pieces. and after
which each went his way.
That act in its consequences, might
have been most calsmitous. The com
mander Of the Federal feet and the
army then coming up the river. had a
right TO suppose that the city atthori-
ties had come TO the conclusion TO re-
new the contest, and the evidence of
that renewal was the hauling down of
the flag. The commander CT the fleet
had no means Of knowing that this was
done by mob, and the act might and
ought, as military proposition, 10
have brought down upon the city an in
slant bOmbsrdment. -
But through the very proper precau-
tion Of Commander Farragut but a
shot or two was fred and no resistance
following, no special damage was done;
it resulting in the wounding Of single
person. But, niaik you, sir, it was not
the fault Of Mumford that New Orleans
was not laid in ashes. and the women
and children crushed beneath the shells
OF Federal feet. We were about ta-
king other towns and cities on the Mis-
sissippi river. II every drunken ruff
fan by tearing down our flag, could
bring bombaTdment upon every city
along the Mississippi river, there was
no safety to non combatants from the
operations Of the war, nor in the su.ss
render Of places. And ii was in mercy
10 the towns that we should take here
after, and their inhabitants, that felt
it necessary exemplary 10 punish, sc-
cording to the iust laws OF war, sftera
fair trial and full Confession Of guilt,
VIM B. Mumford. To save human
life and smeliorate the horrors OF war.
i became necessary exemplarily TO pun
Ish this crime: / have a right to say
here that, in no Unauthorized manner.
10 the Department of the Gulf has ATTY
ether flag Of the nation been taken from
The place where is has beer put by
Ioyal hands. Loud lAppladse.J And
rigbtfully or wrO1gfuHy done
hat act still .cOmmends itself to my
Judgment. More applause J .
And seeing the utter worthliness Of
he man that treason has attempted 10
.xalt into patriot. / was inclined to
pare Murnford, but that was not per-
nittad to me. His associates, the
Thugs, Toughs, row dies, gamblers; as
in New Orleans on the night
before his execuiiob, and solennly 1o-
ed that Mumfofd should not be execu-
ed. 1t then became a question
whether the mob should rule New Or
cans as il had done for fifteen years
previously, or the commanding general
of the United States forces. Long ap-
Dlause.) From that day, however,
here has never been any question on
hat subject. daughter aud sp-
olause. -1s-,s-s. srs rs.u,.a.