Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-11-19
slnrerr In New OrIennr

toms forthcoming book on General Butler s
Government in New Orleans has a pain
full interest as recent and authentic re.
cord by eye-witnesses of the shames
which kind God is wiping away from
our nation:
THE OLD GENTLEMAN WHO THOUGHT MAN
COULD Do WHAT he LIKED WITH HIS OWN
SERVANT.
A Lieutenant searched q certain house
in New Orleans, in which Confederate
arms we're reported to be concealed. Arms
and tents were found slowed in the gar
ret, which were removed to that grand re-
pository ofcontrsband articles, the Custom
House. A gentleman with venerable as.
pect, with long, white hair, and q form
bent with premature old age, was the CO.
cup.nt Of the house from which the arms
and tents were taken.
In the twilight Of an evening soon after
the search, the most horrid screams were
heard proceeding from the yard Of the
house, as if human being was suffering
| there the utmost that a mortal can endure
Of agony. A sentinel, who was pacing
his beat near by, rsu into yard where he
beheld hideous spectacle. A young mu-
Iatto girl was stretched upon the ground
on her face, her feet tied TO q stake, her
hands held by black man, her back un-
covered from neck to heels. The venerable
old gentleman with the flowing white hair
was seated in an arm chair by the side Of
the girl, at distance convenient for his
purpose. He held in his hand a powerful
I,,.a -,6s nh oh hn la oh hn
delicate and sensitive flesh of the young
girl. Her back was covered with blood.
Every stroke of the Internal instrument
of torture tore up her flesh in long, dark
ridges.
The soldier, aghast at the sight, rushed
to the guard-house and reported what he
had seen to his sergeant, and the sergeant
ran TO headquarters and told the General.
General Butler sent him flying back 10
stop the old miscreant, and ordered him
to bring the torturer and his victim to
headquarters the next morning.
The sergeant hurried back and rescued
the girl from the lash.
About nine the same evening the SER
gesnt came again to headquarters, breath
less, reported that they were torturing the
girl again, as the most heart-rending
shrieks were heard from an upper room Of
the house. General Butler ordered him to
arrest oil the inmates Of the house, and
keep them in the guard house all night,
and bring them before him in the morning.
On returning 10 the house the sergeant
found that the second outcry was caused
by washing the lacerated back Of the
poor girl with strong brine. They do this
at the South on the pretense that it causes
the wounds Of thelash to heal more quick
ly and with less pain. The real object is
to make them heal without such scars as
would lessen the value of the slave at the
auction- block 1t is said really to have
that effect and the operation has tie fur
ther charm Of being more exquisitely
painful than the punishment itself, since
the flooding Of the back with brine re-
wives the dull sensitiveness of the nerves,
calls back the dead agony Of life, renews,
in one instant, the anguish Of each sew
The whole extent Of the sufferers back is
one biting, burning, piercing maddening
pain.
In the morning the hoary wretch and
his tortured slave were brought to the Gen
erals Office. The upper part of her dress
was opened. It was a hideous and horri-
Bile sight
"What have you to say, sir ?" said Gen
eral Butler to the old man.
He said the girl had given information
respecting the arms and tents in his gar
ret, and she was going to run away.
"It is false, sir" said the General, uso
far az he information Is concerned. We
had our Information from another source.
What WAS the cause Of the second outery2
The old man said he did not know. The
General asked the girl. She said it was
master washing her with brine.
'Is this so ?" asked the General.
"Yes."
"YOu d cid rascal What could
tempt you TO treat a human being 80 2"
"She is my servant, and suppos, 1
may do what like with her. l washed
her TO relieve her from pain"
"TO relieve herr Well, sir, shall COM
nit you to Fort Jackson
''Genersl, an native of South Caro-
-inai my health is infrm. 1t will kill
me-"
u can't help that. And see that you
behave well, or ycu shall have precisely
he same punishment that you have given |
his poor girl, and 10 relieve your pain,
'ou shall be washed down with brine"
The old native Of South Carolina went TO
fort Jackson, where, am happy to be
bile to state, he died in month General
3utler gave the girl her freedom, and as
igned her sum of money sufficient to /
let her up in some little business, such as !
Olored girls set up in New Orleans.