Year: 1877

HEADQUARTERS DRPARrMRRr OF THE GuLP
| New Orleans, January II, 1877.
non 3; B. Packard, State House. New Orleans
DEAR STR-Your letter, dated the six.
teenth instant, which you had published in
sne newspapers, and telegraphed North,
before 1t was possible for me to see, is re-
| oe:ved.
Though addressed to me, understand
very well that it is not particularly intend
ca 1or me; and, but for some errors affect
ing me, personally, should not think it
necessary to make any reply.


lou state that ORDERS had been issued
early on this day 1.-THE ninth instantl by the
honorable Secretary of War, directing that
all unauthorized armed bodies shonld be
| required to desist," etc, az
considered this order of the Secretary of
war as virtually commanding q mainte-
nance OF the StGtU quo, consequently the
state forces in charge of the different DO
sitlOns outside the Capitol were directed to
make such resis.ano as would compel a
manifestation of force and breach of the
peace on the part of their opponents. IL
was my understanding that neither side
should be permitted to interfere with the
status of the other side"


The time of day on which this order was
issued ls not material. 1t was not received
here until some time after the surrender,
without resistance, of the Supreme Court
room, the arsenal and all of the public sta
tlOns; and it is quite new thing to me to
hear that you ever considered that order as
Commanding a maintenance of the stqtal
quo Yourself and the officers in COM
mand Immediately under you have repeat.
edly stated that it was the intention TO
selze any taVorabls opportunity to recover
the court room, aud you have repeatedly
sent your sheriff to demand that room, and
nave, twice since that time, made written
application to me for troops to assist in
such recovery. This does not look as
though it was your understanding that
neither eide should be permitted to inter
tere with the status OF the other side"


Ii was the fact of these threats to recover
lost ground, whenever favorable opportu-
nifty presented itself, that has furnished an
excuse for the Nichols party to keep a
force in readiness TO resist them; and it was
IN view of this very condition of affairs
that, yesterday morRlng, directed two of
my staff lone to see you and one TO see
General Nicholls) to inquire, not to request,
If some agreement, or understanding, could
not be entered into by which the statu quo
could be guaranteed until such time az The
President should make his decision. Sucn
an agreement would do away with the cup
posed necessity of keeping up body of
armed men on either side aud diminish very
greatly the chances for violence and blood.
shed. l made no request in the matter.
had no right TO make any request. 1t was
simply suggestion in the interest, as |
thought, of peace, and to give moments
quiet to the citizens of this excited city.
Neither General Nichols nor yourself
thought it advisable to adopt it and there
it ended.


An error was made, too, in the form of
the memorandum left you by ajor Russell
last night, though of no particular moment
Sdll prefer to be reported correctly. In
directing the staff officer last night to de-
liver to you and to General Nichols each
copy of the dispatch of the sixteenth, from
the Secretary of War, he was told: "Say to
each that hope they will give assurances
that the Presidents wishes shall be re-
spected." l made no request for such as



Very respectfully, your obedient servant,


c. G. KUGUR,


Brigadier General Commanding.