Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-05-01
81 New and Buffers Granite House H" Special Public lnet Because
Treasure SdT There Eventual
C SonrP / Conenin hChagsofY @vAg

the city and levied upon the owners
and others for rations and other ne
cessities.
Very naturally this caused intense
bitterness and was added to by
charges that jewelry of all kinds and
valuables belonging to residents We're
taken not to be turned in to the pro-
vost marshal for Government realiza-
tons, but for his personal use and
that of those under him. Looting and
robbery were charged on all sides, and
the complaints of the alleged sufferers
were unavailng. as Butler ruled with
a hand of iron and paid little attention
to those who made them.
That looting by the Northern troops
took place was vigorously charged.
and it was not long before Washing
ton heard the reports. An investiga-
ton was ordered. with Butler relieved
of his command. and Gen. Banks
placed in charge of the captured city.
But no proof was ever brought to
show that Gen. Butler had profted
personally by the looting, and it was
then chargd that the valuables had
been hurried away to the North and
there secreted.
Hence the stories Of vaults and Sc
cret hiding places in Granite House,
which was erected by Gen. Butter
shortly after the Civil War ended and
in which. sonaa claim, was the even
tual storage plant for thousands of
dollars worth of bullion melted down
from knives, forks and spoons of solid
silver which had once been the pride
of New Orleans families, This also
was added to by tales of stolen relics
in the shape of wonderful miniatures,
French watches of enamel which were
priceless in historic memories, and
other trinkets in gold and jewels that
disappeared shortly after the Union
forces took over the control of the
Crescent City.
ON the other hand, one thing was
proved definitely--that a great
part OF the New Orleans looting was
not done by Northern soldiers, but by
inha bitants Of the city. When the
officers sent by Farragut to demand
the city's surrender went ashore, they
found mob rule in control and were
told by the mayor that he was pow
erIess TO handle the situation which
had been created by the sudden de-
parture Of the Southern troops. 1t
had been reported that the Union
forces intended to destroy the city.
and the fright of the property owners
had been intensified by promiscuous
raiding by the underworld, in which
homes were entered and Valuables
taken IN hundreds of instances.
In fact, the situation was so bad
that when the mayor was comforting
with Farragut's ENJOYS in his office.
the City Hall was surrounded by
bowling mob which threatened to
hang the Union naval men to the
nearest lamp post, and 1t was only
through their escape by rear en-
trance that outrage of this kind was
averted This was followed by days
and nights Of wild disturbances, IN
which enormous stores of cotton ana
foodstuffs were burned to prevent
their falling into the hand of the
enemy. and almost inconceivable out
RACES took place before Butler and his
troops arrived and were able to re-
store order.
Grace King, in her New Orleans,
the Place and the People" being from
the South herself. can hardly he ac-
cused OF eXaggeration in the follow
ing account of the scenes which fol-
lowed the city's capture by the Union
fleet:
The rain was pouring-and the
levee was lined with a despairing
crowd. Some of the ships bore signs
of fighting; that was the only allevia
ton to the popular feeling. The sky
was hidden by canopy of smoke,
streaked with flames. Heaps of burn
ing cotton. sugar salt, salt meats,
provisions lined the levee
''In the river the shipping, tuSboats
and gunboats floated down the cur
rent in flames. Molasses, running like