The daily bulletin. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn) 1862-1863, 1863-01-05

80 A'i"AN-SSSt anu pLicOllS, anu OllG cSp pc
cially on an island of barren sand, under
tropical SUM- have been fed with loathsome ra-
tions, that had bsen exposed to tho vilest in
suits.
Prisoners of war who 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 pretexts have been sought or in
vented for plundering the inhabitants of the
captured city by fines levied and exacted under
threat OF imprisoning recusants ut 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 all their
property, and taking an oath against conscience
to bear allegiance to the invaders Of their
country.
Egress from the city has been refused to
those whose fortitude withstood the test, even
to lone and aged women and to helpless chill
dren; and after being ejected from their homes
and robbed of their property, they have been
left to starve III the streets or subsist on char
ity.
The slaves have been driven from the plan
tations 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 consent had been extorted, tho
Slaves have been restored to the plantations,
and there compelled to work under the bayo-
nets of guards of United State soldiers.
J 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 in
firm for work, have, in spite Of their entreat-
les, been forced from the homes provided by
the owners and driven to wander helpless on
the highway.
BY recent General Order mo. 81 the en-
tire property in that part of Louisiana, lying
west of the Mississippi river, has been seques-
trated for Contiscation, and officers have been
assigned to duty with orders to '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 bidders an or
der which, if executed condemns to punish
ment by starvation, at least quarter Of mil
lion of human beings, of all ages, sexes and
conditions; and Of which the execution, Gltho'
forbidden to military officers by the orders of
President Lincoln, Is in accordance with the
Confiscation law Of cur enemies, which he has
directed to be enforced through the agency Of
civil officials. And finally, the African slaves
have not only been excited to insurrcctOn by
every license and encouragement, but numbers
of them have actually been armed for q seryile
war, n war in its nature for exceeding in hor-
rors the most merGiles5 atrocities Of the saw
ages.
And whereas the officers under the com
mand of the said Butler have been, in many
instances, active and Jealous agents in the
commission Of these crimes, and no instance
is known of the refusal of any one of them to
participate in the outrages above narrated;
And whereas, the President of tho United
States has, by public and official declaration,
signifed not only his approval of the effort to
excite servile war within the ContGderacy, but
his intention to give aid and encouragement
thereto, if these independent States shall con-
tinue to refuse submission to foreign power
after the first day of January next and has
thus made known that all appeals to the laws
of nations, the dictates Of reason and the in
stincts of humanity would be addressed in vain
to our enemies, and that they can be deferred
| from the commission of these crimes only by
the teIrors of just retributiOn:
Now, therefore, ], Jefferson Davis Presi-
dent of the Confederate States Of America,
and acting by their authority, appealing to
the Divine Judge in attestation. that their
conduct is not guided by the passion Of revenge
but that they reluctantly yield to the solemn
duty of repressing, by necessary severity,
crimes of which their citizens are the victims,
to issue this my proclamation, and by virtue
OF my authority as Commander-i Chief of the
armies of the Confederate States do order,
1st. That all commissioned officers in the
command of said Benjamin f. Butler be de-
clared not entitled to be considered as soldiers
engaged in honorable warfare, but as robbers
and criminals, deserving death; and that they
and each Of them be, whenever captured, re-
served for execution.
I'd. That the private soldiers and non-com-
missioned officers in the army Of said Butler
be considered as only the instruments used for
the commission of the crimes perpetrated by
his orders, and not rs free agents; that they
therefore be treated, when captured as prison
ers of war, with kindness and humanity, snd
be sent home on the usual parole that they will
in no manner aid or serve the United States in
any capacity during the continuance OF this
war, unless duly exchanged.
Sd. That all negro slaves captured in arms,
be at once delivered over to the executive au-
thorities of the respective States to which they