The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-01-20
BUTLER,s ORDER.
An Historic Episode I'm the War of the
Rebellion.

copied from Buffers book, showing the
cause, application and result. We copy;
On the next day, the Sabbath, one of
form, took his prayerbook in his hand and
was on the way to the church to attend
divine service. AS he was walking
quietly along he met two we'll dressed
and respectable looking women, and as a
gentleman should, he withdrew to the
outer side of the sidewalk to let them
pass by. AS he did SO, one deliberately
stepped across in front of the other and
spit in his face.
Now, what could he doP Anything
but take his handkerchief and clean his
facet never heard but one other sug-
gestiOn, and this was made by one of his
fellow staff, who said: "Why didn't you
do something's" "What could l do,
Davis, to two women?" "Well," said
Davis, ''you ought to have taken your
revolver and shot the first he rebel you
met"
But to the serious, the colonel said to
me: General can't stand this. This
isn't the first time this thing has been
attempted towards me, but this is the
first time it has been accomplished.
want to 60 home. came here to fight
enemies of the country, not to be insulted
and Disguised"
"Oh," l said, you can't resign. I'll
put stop to this"
81 don't think you can do it, general"
was the reply.
took it into very serious considera-
zion. After careful thought and delibera-
ton as to the best method of meeting
this unique, but dangerous entaHgle-
Ment, and running over in my MINI
form for the order, l remembered that
for the purpose of revision of the city
ordinances, l had once read in an old
English ordnance, which thought, with
a few changes, mutdtiS nautdndiS, mig hit
accomplish the purpose. There was one
thing certain about it, it must be an
order that would execute itself, other
wise it would stir up more strife in it's
execution by the police than it would
quell. Therefore, after full considera-
ton, handed to my chief of staff, to be
put upon the order books, the following
order;
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE
GULF, New ORLEANS, May 18th, 1862
General Order No. %: AS the officers
and soldiers of the United States have
been subjected to repeated insults from
the women calling themselves ladies' of
New Orleans, in return for the most I'M
scrupulOus non-lnterference and courtesy
on our part, it is ordered that hereafter
when any female SHALL by word, gesture,
or movement, insult or show contempt
for any officer or soldier of the United
States, she shall be regarded and held
liable to be treated as woman of the
town plying her avocation. BY com
mand of
MAJOR GENERAL BUTLER.
! GEO. c. STRONG, A. A. e., Chief ofStaff.
Strong said, after he read it: "This
order may be misunderstood, general.
1t would be great scandal if only one
man should act upon it in the wrong
way"
LET us, them" was my reply, ''have
one case of aggression on our side. l
shall know how to deal with that case, so
that it will never be repeated. SO fa- all
the aggression has been against us. Here
we are, cOnquerors in conquered city;
we have respected every right, tried
every means of Cancellation, complied
with every reasonable desire, and yet we
cannot walk the streets without being
outraged and spit upon by green girls. l
do not fear the troops. but if aggression
must be, let it not be all against u.s.
Ny troops were New England soldiers,
and consequently men well-bred in every
courtesy toward women, for a we'll be-
haved woman can safely travel alone all
through New England. l did not fear
that any one of them would conduct him
self in such way that he could not look
me in the face and tell me of it if asked
him. was not afraid on that score. l
was only afraid that the order would not
be understood by the women.
There was no case of aggression after
that order was issued, no case of insult
by word or look against our officers or
soldiers while in New Orleans.
The order executed itself.
No arrests were ever made under it or
because of it. All the ladies in New
Orleans forebOre to insult our troops be-
cause they didn't want to be deemed
common women, and the common women
forebore to insult our troops because they
wanted to be deemed ladies, and of those
two classes were all of the women seces-
sionists OF the city.
The order was, it was intended to be,
self-executing. And now, after all
these years, l challenge the production
of any authentic evidence that the order
was not message of good to the good,
and of fear to the bad, who required it.
Palmarston, however, got up in Par
lament and denounced the order as un-
fit to be written in the English language.
The only possible Objectionable phrase
in it was part of an ordinance of the city
of London from which | adantpd II