The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1863-01-07

exchange, until the said Butler shall have
met with due punishment for his crimes

exchange, until the said Butler shall have
net with due punishment for his crimes.
And whereas, the hostilities waged
against this Confederacy by the forces Of
the United States, under the command of
said Benjamin F. Butler, have borne no
resemblance to such warfare as is alone
permissible by the rules Of international
law or the usages Of civilization, but have
been characterized by repeated atrocities
and outrages, among the large number Of
which, the following may be cited as sx.
amples:
Peaceful and aged citizens, unresis,ing
captires aEG non comba,au,s, have been
confined at hard labor with balls and
chains attached to tbeir limbs, and are
still so held in dungeons and fortresses.
Others have been subjected to like de
grading punishment for aelling medicine.
to the sick soldieis of the Confederacy.
The soldiers Of, the United States have
been invited and encouraged by general
orders to insult aud outrage the wives,
the mothers, and the sisters Of our ci,i
zena.
Helpless women have been torn from
their homes, and subjected 10 solitary
continement-some in fortresses and pris
ons. and one, especially, on an island Of
barren sand, under a tropical sun have
been fed with loa,bsome ra,ions, that
had been condemned as unfit for soldiers,
and have been exposed to the vilest in.
suits.
Prisoners Of war who surrsnde cred 10
the naval forces Of the United States on
agreement that they should be released
on parole, have been seized and kep, in
close confinement.
Repeated prste1ts have been sought or
invented for plundering the inhabitants Of
the captured city by fines levied aud ex.
acted under threat Of imprisoping recus.
ants at hard labor, with ball and chain.
The entire population Of the city Of
New Orleans have been forced to elect
between starvation, by the confscation Of
their property, and taking an oath
against conscience TO bear allegiance to
the invaders Of their country.
Egress from the city has been refused
10 those whose lorti,ute wi,hstood the
test, even 10 lone and aged women and
to helpless children and after being
elected from their homes and robbed of
their property, they have been left to
star'e in the .tree,s or subsist on charity.
The slaves have been driven from the
plantations in the neighborhood Of New
Orleans, till their owners would consent
to share the crops With the Commanding
General, his. brother, Andrew J. Butler,
and other officers and when such con.
sent had Been extor,ed, the slaves have
bssn restored TO the plantations, and
there compelled to work under the bayo.
nets Of guards OF United States soldiers.
Where this partnership was refused,
armed expeditions have been sent to the
plantations to rob them OF everything
that was susceptible Of removal, and even
slaves, too aged or infrm for work, have,
in spite Of their entreatiss, been forced
from the homes provided by the owners,
and driven to wander helpless on the
highway.
Bya rsceu. General Order (No. 9l)
the entire property in that part Of Louisi
ana. lying Wes. Of the Mississippi river,
has been sequest'sted by con6scs,ion,
and officers have been assigned to duty
with orders "to gather up and collect the
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 Or
leans, and cause it TO be sold at auction
to the highest bidders, an order which, il
executed, condemns to punishment by
starvation, At lsas, quarter Of million
Of human beings. Of all ages, sexes and
aud Of which the execution,
forbidden to military officers BY
the order: Of President Lincoln, is in ac
with the oon6scstion Law Of our
eLemies, which he has directed 10 be On.
forced through the agency Of civil officials.
And finally, the African slaves here have
no, only been excited to instruction by
every license aad encouragement, but
numbers Of them have actusIly been
armed for servile waxe war in its ma.
lure far exceeding in its horrors the moe,
nsrsiless atrocities Of the savagss.
N