Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-21

What General Beauregard says ABOUT
the Way His Family and Friends were
Treated During the Federal Occupa-
ton of New Orleans.
The following is an extract from an in
terview with General Beauregard, OF
New Orleans, published in the New York
World, September 10:
Glow would the candidacy of General
Butler be received in the SOUTH"
Il am not prepared to speak for the
South. y said the General, "but l think it
would meet with strong opposition in
that quarter, although he may not be
guilty of all the charges brought against
him while in command there. His subor-
dinates may be responsible Ior many Oh
the acts complained Of"
"How did he treat your family ana
friends % was the next question.
'sWith proper consideration, as l was
more particularly informed on my return
to New Orleans. l left home FEBRUARY
%, 1861. having resigned from the United
States Corps of Engineers, on the call OF
the Provisional Government OF the Con-
federacy. at Montgomery, Ala. / expect
ed at that time to return in about fort
night to command in LOui4iana, where
had been stationed for many years. In
stead, was ordered to Charleston, >. c.,
thence to Manassas, thence TO west Ten
nessee. etc. to the end of the war, re-
naming absent from home four years
and three months. When l started from
New Orleans Mrs. Beauregard was IN
very bad health and / was compelled to
leave her with her own family to be taken
care of: hence | was extremely anxious
to return to be with her; but in war n sol
dier belongs first to his country and then
to his family. Shortly after New Orleans
was taken possession of by the Federals
nv wife and family-cOmposed only OF
ladies, the gentlemen having gone to the
war-received an order from zen. Butlers
Chief Quartermaster to Vacate their house
in fortV-eight hours, as it was to be Occu-
pied by Federal officers. An old friend of
the family. DIR. Mercer, who was we'll
acquainted with Gen. Butler, went to him
to demonstrate against such proceeding
and to explain the condition OF Mrs.
Beauregard's health. Gen. Butler at once
countermanded the order, which, he said,
had been given without his approval.
Moreover, he sent guard to protect the
house from further intrusion, but the
ladies requested the guard to be with
drawn, which was done.
s'The war progressed with variable re-
suits, while Mrs. Beauregard's health be-
came worse and worse. At last, in the
early spring of 1864 it became evident to
her physician and her family that she
Udu uoL lOuB W i've. OuI SOOu Oiu liAChus
DR.. Mercer, again went to Gen. Butler to
know if there were no possibility of my
seeing once more the tender and loving
wife from whom | had been so suddenly
and long separated? He Immediately
turned to his desk, and with his charac-
teristic prOmptneSs wrote an uncOndi-
tional pass, which authorized me to en-
ter his lines and come to New Orleans,
where | could remain unmOlested as long
as circumstances required my presence
there. That was a noble act for which l
shall ever be grateful. 1t is doubtful, in
my mind, whether many officers of the
United States service would have been
willing to assume such a responsibility
without first referring the matter to the
War Department at Washington.
When l received the pass Charleston
was threatened with another serious at
tack, and General Seymour, of the United
States army, was about to leavesJackson-
vile, Fla, on an expedition across North
Florida, thence to the Gulf of Mexico, and
| was organizing a force to check his
march, which was done shortly after by
Generals Finegan and COlquitt, at the
battle of Olustee or Ocean Pond. was
thus placed in the painful dilemma of Sc
lecting between my duty as commander
and my affection as a husband. l de-
clined the pass so generously tSAdered.
1.-TWO weeks after, while with my
troops in front of Jacksonville, in which
General Seymour had retreated after his
defeat | received, and read by the dismal
light of a camp fire, the news of the death
of one whom | loved dearer than life. We
had been married less than one year when
we parted, and l never saw her again."