Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-01-01
BYTHE PRESIDENT or TFaE o0SFEDER-
ATE sFATEs.
A PRoCLAMATION.

lie Conf,derate 5 ate &C tmedca 20 General H. w
Halleck Geaeran-chief Of the Gmcd States army, IN
forming the latter that r!orl had eae!ed t'is Gov
eminent that VIZ j. Muniord citlZeH oil tie CoHied
er ,te aics had been executed by tie United states
authorities at New Orleans for having pued downthc
United States flag in tina, ity BEFORE ns oecupltion by
the forces OF the United Spases aud ealing Tor asate
ment of the facts With lev retdirf; On s'c an
outrage had really been committed unier sanction OF
the authorities OF the. Uuited States.
Aud whereas tuo answer having betn received TO
id letter. another letter Nas. the I'd August last
uS62l addressed by General Lee, under in' rncton
to Cen Hailee renewing the inquiry IA relation TO the
aid execution az said Muni ord, aith the information
that in he event OF mot receiving reply within ni'eei
daYs il would be assumed that te fact alleged was true
and was sane oued by the Government OF the United
st ties.
and whereas an answer dated the 18th August last
uS62l MAS uddresse to General Lee by General II. w
H,ueck the said eneralin Ch.f OF the arts OF the
United States, alleging sufficient cause for failure to
make early reply to said letter of the 9Th July asserting
that no authentic information bad been received in re-
ion TO the execution OF Mumford but measures viii
immediately taken iOaseeratn she acs OF the alleged
exec ,tiou and promising that General Lee should be-
duly inf Fwed thareot $500
And tnereas on Tie 29th November last, (iS62) an
other letter was addressed under my instructions by
Robert Ould Conlederte -tgent for the exchange o.
prisoners under lie cartel between the two tove nlent
TO Lieut.-Cu' ". II. LUDLOW, agent OF the United
-
tons promised he said letter OF General llaetk, e
7th of August last had yt been received, and that
if no answer Was sent TO tie government wiihn fifteen
diys from the delivery of tbs last communication 1t
would be considered that an answer is deciiued:
And Whereas ny letter dated Oh the 81 day OF the
present month OF December, the said Lieut. Co! Lnd ow
appraised the said Robert ouid that the abose rceited
communication OF 2gth Noyember had been received
and forwarded dc Secretary OF War of the United
States
And. whereas, this last delay Of fifteen days allowed
for answer has elapsed and oanswer HIS been received
And whereas in addition to the tacit admission
sultng from above refusal to answer have received
evidence FULLY establishing the truth ct the fact that the
said William B. MImIord, citizen OF th.s Couederaey,
| was actually ard puhciy executed IL, 90 blood by
banupg alter c occupation OF the city ct New Gg,e1N-
by the urc.- uad,r Zoe command of G'n benjamin +.
| Butter when said Numord Ma unrcsstiGg and non-
connatlut captive and for 40 oheuee even alleged to
have been committed b., hm Subsequent 10 The date OF
| the capture OF he said CITY:
AID whe.,s. r., silence OF the government of the
United States AID maintaining of said Butler in high
/ o5co under II sun outy, for many moiths alter his
"a u-- on ui 1u ytt thlt BE- viewed IA no Other
Grht thai. a. IA u lerl,e murder as well OF numerous
| oher outrage rd atrocities bewoi-l 20 he mentioned,
afford evidence uly TOO conclusive that The said covert
menl sanctions tie c,udoct OF said Butler aud is dc
termipcj that he shall remain unpunished Tor DIS
crimes
Confederate states Of America, and ia heir name, do
pronounce and declare the said Benjamin Butler TO
be telnu deserving Of capital punishment. do order
that he bc 40 longer considered OF treated simply as
obhc enemy o Confederate State ol America, but
ts au outlaw aul common enemy OF mahh.d and ihnt,
in the event Of h, capture the od.e' an Command 'f
the capturing force 90 ian! 70 hc mnelite!y e1
cu,ed Dy h1 gieg; auj do further order that no conr
| mis -oled oleeg u t'e DATED States Ia On captive,
shsH be released IarOl be.nre eAehmEe, ua;H inc
said Bger shall have met wi'h due punishment for hl'
And, whereas, th, h0,tities naged agamstili1 'uh-
leder.cy by tsc l,-c- oi the United Salts under the
command of said Benjamin F. Butler hye bonEe no Pc
- -
rules Of international law te usagus OF ,syilzaon,
but have been characterized By repealed atrocities and
outrigeS among le large number OF which, The iolD,-
| ING NAV bu cited as examples:
Peaceful and aged citizens, unies ting captives and
non combat1nte bays been confined at hard labor vita
bal~ and chain, attached 10 hcIr ubs, and are stu 50
held In dungeons and OTre>ss. Others have been sub
iected 10 like rg".juS panishmc't for seias r;edi-
eucs 10 the sick soldiers Of the Coucdclacy.
The soldiers Oh Toe United States have been invited
aud encouraged by general orders to insult and outrage
the wives lhc mother, and the sisters Of our citizens:
Helpless women have been orr from their homes, and
subjected to solitary confinement, in foriresses,
and prisons and Onc espyc y, on an Island OF barren
slnd under tropical sln; have been led with loath-
some ratiuas That had been condemned UNIT Tor SOL
diers and iav, been cN ell 10 the yilcst insults
Prisoners Of war who surrendered tie naval forces
of the United States on agreement that they should b.
released on parole have been seized and kept in close
confinement:
Rcpcatcd prctcz. have been sought or invented for
p,underiuc the inhabitants OF the cap,utd city by fines
levied and exaced under threat OF mpr. oning r,cu1nts
az hard labor with ball and Chain
The entir, population of the city OF New Orleans have
been forced to eject between Starvation 10y tie eOnsci'
ton o; all Their property, and taking an oath against
cousc bear allegiance u the invaders Of their
country
Egrts from the city has been refused to those whose
jrtulc with TODD Jie test even to lone and aged women
and to helpless Child er heing elected from their
homes and robbed of their property ey have been left
| 10 sarye ~ tue streets or sub-ist on charity;
The slaves have beeo driven from the plantations in
! the neghborhood OF New Orleans, till their owners
would consent 10 share tbs crops with the Commanding
General his brother, Andrew ). Butler, aud other. ot
Ger, AID when sdel consent m'd n'en eA'"r'ed u''
slaves have been restored to the plantations, aud there
compelled to work under the bayOnets Of guards oi
United States soldiers
Where this partneshp was refused armed exp ditions
have been sent 10 the plantations to rob them Of every
thing that was susceptible OIL removal, and even slaves
too aged nfrm 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 recent General order 10 81 tie entire proper
ty in that part Of Louisiana lying wos the Mississippi
river has been seque-rt d for conscaton and officers
have been assigned to duty with orders to gather up
and collect the personal property and turn ever to tls
proper officers upon their receipts suod of said property
"a mas be required for the use of tue United States
army to collect together all the other personal property
| and bring the same 10 New Orleans, and cause
tito be sold public auction to the highest bidders
| an order w1icr Il executed condemns to punishment
hy starvation az least qaaier ct million OF human
beings 0. al ages sexes and condition; aud OF which
the execution, although forbidden to military officers 10y
the orie,s OF President Lnyola IS in accordance with
the Coui,catou Law OF cucm es, which he has d.
reeted to be enforced through the agency OF civil OH
Gals And finally, Ihe African slaves have not only been
excited to insr,ct0n b. every license and encou age
ment but numbers of them have actually been armed
foe servic war, var in its nature Tar exceeding IN
horrors the most meiclsss atrocities Of the saragcs
And whereas the officers under the continual OF the
I'd Butler have been in many instances, active anC
zeaos goats N the commission Of these crimes, and
no insauce is known Of the refusal OF any OF them
to participate in the outrases above narrated;