Worcester daily spy., 1871-09-12

General Butler appeals to the Judgment of
good soldiers of his command, who, he asserts,
are all his friends. No better, truer or more
honorable soldier ever served under him than
the stout old veteran, Gen. Phelps, whom But
Ter censured for his attempts to do justice to the
slaves, and who afterwards resigned rather than
obey Buffers oppressive and cruel orders in re-
gard 10 them. Gen. Phelps was genuine and
uncompromising abolilionist and his truthful
ness and honesty were never questioned.
communication in the Brattleboro Phenix, said
to be from his pen, says:
The moment Butler was put in command at
New Orleans, that moment he entirely forgot
the contraband, and began to traffic in negroes
at once. He began to return them TO their mas
ters, and to receive on his part unlimited iacili-
ties for trade and accumulating rapid fortune.
His brother and brothcr-in-law were his right
and left hand men, into whose pockets he could
pour thousands by mere turn of his pen. 1t
was not the pecuniary interests OF the general
that the war should be waged euergetcally and
brought TO a speedy end So long as the enemy
occupied the country above, and our own forces
held the river below, and the forts near its
mouth the general could control the trade of
New Orleans and vicinity, and manage it to
suit his own convenience. Onr forces
were landed in the city of New Orleans,
line, about the 1st Of May, 1862. 1t was the
most sensitive point to the enemy in his whole
sphere OF operations; and yet less was made out
of it for the interests of the government than
out of any other point BY an energetic course
of action, making use of negroes as troops, and
taking and holding such strategic points as the
mouth of the Red river, Port Hudson, etc, the
whole southwest could have been firmly held,
and the limits of the rebellion seriously restrict
ed but by the end Of five months, most criti-
cal and valuable period of time, all this country
was lost TO our forces. II was once in our pos
session. and could have been easily held if the
proper measures had been adopted for that pur-
pose. Our troops once held Port Hudson, and all
the way up 10 Vicksburg, but at the end of
some five months after Gen. Buffers as
suming the command in New Orleans,
all this territory, with its strong strategic
points and abundant military resources,
was lost to our arms, and it cost many,
many millions Of treasure, and thousands of
lives to recover it. In the meantime Gen. But
ler delighted with power and distinction, and
in position to make money beyond the dreams
of avarice, was making a brilliant display of
acts that the forces which the government had
entrusted TO his command did on Withdrawing
from Yicksburg down the river to New Orleans
was to return negroes to the owners from which
they had been taken. An officer of Vermont
regiment, by a strange TetributOn visited on the
innocent instead of on the guilty. lost his life in
performing this peculiar duty having been
killed by a shot from the cannon of pursuing
rebels. He was engaged, when killed, in re-
turning negroes, under Gen. Buffers orders, to
a condition of slavery, after they had been en-
ployed in government service against the enemy
as ditch-diggers."