The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1863-01-02

Il
crimes.
And whereas the hostilities, waged against
this Confederacy by the forces of the United
| States, under the command of B. f. Butler.
have borne no resemblance to such warfare
as is alone permissible by the rules Of inter-
national law or the usages of civilization,
but have been characterized by repeated afro
cities and outrages, among the large number
Of which the following may be cited as ex-
ampless1
Peaceful and aged citizens, unresisting cap
tlves and non-combatants have been confined
at hard labour with balls and chains attached
| to their limbs, and are still SO held in dun
| geons and fortresses. Others have been sub
iected to a like degrading punishment for sell
ing medicines to the siek soldiers of the
Southern Confederacy.
The soldiers of the United States have been
invited and encouraged by q neral orders to
insult and outrage the wives the mothers
and the sisters of our citizens.
Helpless women have been torn from their
homes, and subjected to solitary confinement,
some in fortresses and prisons, and one es-
peclally on an island of barren sand, under a
tropical sun, have been fed with luathsome
ratlons, that had been condemned as unfit
Tor soldiers, and have been exposed to the
vilest insults
Prisoners of war who have surrendered to
the naval forces Of the United States on
agreement that they should be released on
parole, have been seized and kept in close
confinement.
Repeated uretexts have been sought or In
vented for plundering the inhabitants Of the
captured city by fines levied and exacted un-
dor ft,ro Of -
labour with ball and chain.
The entire population of the city of New
Orleans have been forced to elect between
starvation by the confscation of all their
property. and taking an oath against con-
science to bear allegiance to the invaders of
their country.
Egress from the city has been refused to
those whose fortitude withstnod the test, even
to lone and aged women and to helpless child
rem, and after being elected from their homes
and robbed Of their property they have been
leN Np starye IN the streets, or subsist on
charity, 17-.l. s- 7175
The slaves have been driven from the plan
tatnns in the neigborhood of New Orleans;
till their owners would consent to share the 4
crops with the Commanding General, his
brother, Andrew J. Butler. and other officers;
and when such consent had been extorted,
the slaves have been restored to the planta-
tons, and there compelled to work under the
bayonets of the guards of United States sol /
diers
Where this partnership was refused, armed
expeditions have been sent to the plantations
to rob them Of everything that was suscepti-
bic OF removal, and even slaves, too aged or
illfirm for work, have, in spite of their en-
treaties, been forced from the homes provided
by the owners, and driven to wander helpless
on the highway
by a recent General Order NO 81 the en-
tire property in that part of Louisiana lying
west of the Mississippi river, has been Sc
questrated for confscation, and officers have |
been assigned to duty with orders to s'gather
up and collect the personal property and turn
over to the proper officers upon their receipts,
such.of said property as may be required for |
the use of the United States army: to collect
together all the other personal property and
bring the same to New Orleans, and cause it |
to be sold at public auction to the highest bid |
ders, ian order which, if executed, con-
dennis to punishment by starvation at least {. /
quarter of q million of human beings, Of all |
ages, sexes and conditions, and Of which the
execution, although forbidden to military Off I
GERS by the orders Of President Lincoln, is in
accordance with the confscation law of our I
enemies, which he has directed to be enforced
through the agency of civil officials Ard,
finally, the African slaves have not only peen
excited to instruction by every license and
but numbers of them have
actually been armed for a servile war, a war
n It's nature far exceeding in horrors the
most merciless atrocities Of the savages
And whereas. the officers under the COM
nand of the said Butler have been. in MANY
instances, active and jealous agents in the
of these crimes, and no instance
$ known of the refusal Of any one Of them to
in the outrages above narrated
And whereas, the President of the United
'tates has, by public and official declaration,
ignifed not only his approval Of the effort to
xcite servile war within the Confederacy, but
rs intention to give aid and encouragement.
hereto, if these independent States shall con-
lnue to refuse submission to foreign power
fter the first day Of January next; and has
hus made known that all appeals to the laws
nations, the dictates Of reason and the in
tincts Of humanity would be addressed in
ain to our enemies, and that they can be de-
erred from the commission of these crimes /;
My by the terms of just retribution;
Now, therefore, |, Jefferson Davis, Presi-
ent OF the Confederate States Of America,
nd 8, acting by their authority, appealing TO
ne Divine Judge IN attestaton that their con-
ucf IS not guided by the passion Of revenge.
ut hat they reluctantly yield to the solemn /
aty OF depressing, by necessary severity, L
fimes OF winch their citizens are the victims,
issue this my proclamation, and, by vir-
le OF my authority as Commander-in Chief of /
le armies Of the Confederate States, do order i