had entered the hearts of the women of this town (you know seven of them chose Mary Magdalene for a residence) to stir up strife in every way possible. Every opprobrious epithet, every insulting gesture, was made by these be-jeweled, crinolined and laced creatures, calling themselves ladies, toward my soldiers and officers, from the windows of houses and in the streets. How long do you suppose our flesh and blood could have stood this without retort? That would have led to disturbances and riot, from which we must have cleared the streets with artillery-and then a howl that we had murdered these fine women. I had arrested the men who had hurrahed for Beauregard. Could I arrest the women? No. What was to be done? No order could be made save one which would execute itself. With anxious care, I thought I had hit upon this: Women who insult my soldiers are to be regarded and treated as common women, plying their vocation.'

"Pray, how do you treat a common woman plying her vocation in the streets? You pass her by unheeded. She can not insult you. As a gentleman, you can and will take no notice of her. If she speaks, her words are not opprobrious. It is only when she becomes a continuous and positive nuisance, that you call a watchman and give her in charge to him.

"But some of the northern editors seem to think that whenever one meets such a woman, we must stop her, talk with her, insult her, hold dalliance with her, and so from their own conduct they construed my order.

"The editor of the Boston Courier may so deal with common women, and out of the abundance of his heart his mouth may speak. But so do not I.

66

Why, these she-adders of New Orleans themselves were at once tamed into propriety of conduct by the order, and from that day no woman has either insulted or annoyed any live soldier or officer, and of a certainty no soldier has insulted any woman.

"When I passed through Baltimore on the 23d of February last, members of my staff were insulted by the gestures of the ladies (?) there. Not so in New Orleans.

*

*

*

"I can only say that I would issue the order again under like circumstances."

Among the women of New Orleans there were some who knew how to maintain, and even assert, their fidelity to the Confederate

cause, without forgetting the courtesy due to officers of the United States who were simply doing their duty. To such General Butler and his staff were as complaisant as their duty permitted. The case of Mrs. Slocomb and her daughter Mrs. Urquhart, may be cited in illustration. These ladies applied for a pass to enable them to go to their country house, but stated with courteous frankness, that they could not take the oath of allegiance to the United States. At the beginning of the war, they said, they had desired the preservation of the Union; but now all their male friends and connections were in the Confederate army; one of them had lost a son, the other a brother, in the service; and they were now unalterably devoted to the cause, which they deemed just, noble, and holy. General Butler said to them, that he would make an exception to his rule and grant them the pass, if they would give up their spacious town house for the use of the United States during their absence, as he required such a house for his head-quarters. Mrs. Slocomb hesitated. With tears in her eyes, she said that her house was endeared to her by a thousand tender associations, and was now dearer to her than ever. She did not see how she could give

it up.

The general said, that he “experienced peculiar pleasure in meeting ladies who, while they were enemies to his country, were yet so frank, so truthful and devoted, and remarked that if New Orleans had been defended by an army of such women as Mrs. Urqu hart, he believed the Union army would have had considerable trouble in capturing the city. In regard to their house he assured them that, although he had the power to take it, yet without their permission it should not be occupied, nor a brick of it be molested, unless indeed, the city was ravaged by yellow fever, in which case he might be obliged to take every house suitable for hospital purposes; and he added, if I can find any other reason for making you an exception to my rule prohibiting passes to any who refuse to take the oath, I will do it."

Happily, he found such a reason. A day or two after, he wrote to the ladies: "I have the pleasure to inform you, that my necessities, which caused the request for permission to use your house during your absence this summer, have been relieved. I have taken the house of General Twiggs, late of the United States Army, for quarters. Inclined never on slight causes to use the power intrust

ed to me to grieve even sentiments only entitled to respect from the courage and ladylike propriety of manner in which they were avowed; it is gratifying to be enabled to yield to the appeal you made for favor and protection by the United States. Yours shall be the solitary exception to the general rule adopted, that they who ask protection must take upon themselves corresponding obligations or do an equal favor to the government. I have an aged mother at home, who, like you, might request the inviolability of hearthstone and roof tree from the presence of a stranger. her sake you shall have the pass you ask, which is sent herewith. As I did myself the honor to say personally, you may leave the city with no fear that your house will be interfered with by any exercise of military right; but will be safe under the laws of the United States. Trusting that the inexorable logic of events will convict you of wrong toward your country, when all else has failed, I remain," etc.

For

Mrs. Slocomb acknowledged the favor: "Permit me to return my sincere thanks for the special permit to leave, which you have so kindly granted to myself and family, as also for the protection promised to my property. Knowing that we have no claim for any exception in our favor, this generous act calls loudly upon our grateful hearts, and hereafter, while praying earnestly for the cause we love so much, we shall never forget the liberality with which our request has been granted by one whose power here reminds us painfully that our enemies are more magnanimous than our citizens are brave."

Another instance. Mrs. Beauregard, the wife of the Confederate general, and her mother, were residing in the mansion of Slidell, the rebel emissary to France, who had lent it to them during his absence. This house being sequestered, Lieutenant Kinsman went to take possession, not knowing by whom it was occupied. Those distinguished and amiable ladies received the officer with dignity and politeness. He reported the fact of their occupation of the house to the commanding general, who immediately ordered that they should be allowed to reside in it undisturbed. There they remained, honored equally by the Union officers and by the people of the city.

CHAPTER XIX.

EXECUTION OF MUMFORD.

THE crime for which Mumford suffered death has been already related. If in the act of tearing down the flag of his country, he had fallen dead upon the roof of the Mint, from the fire of the howitzers in the main-top of the Pensacola, no one could have charged aught against those who had the honor of that flag in charge. His offense was two-fold: he insulted the flag of his country, and endangered the lives of innocent fellow-citizens by drawing the fire of the fleet. His life was justly forfeited to the United States and to New Orleans. His life, moreover, was not a valuable one; he was one of those who live by preying upon society, not by serving it. He was a professional gambler. Rather a fine-looking man, tall, black-bearded; age forty-two.

After the occupation of the city by the troops, he still appeared in the streets, bold, reckless and defiant, one of the heroes of the populace. He was seen even in front of the St. Charles hotel, relating his exploit to a circle of admirers, boasting of it, daring the Union authorities to molest him. He did this once too often. He was arrested and tried by a military commission, who condemned him to death, and General Butler approved the sentence, and or dered its execution.

SPECIAL ORDER No. 10.

"NEW ORLEANS, June 5, 1862. "William B. Mumford, a citizen of New Orleans, having been convict ed before the military commission of treason and an overt act thereof, in tearing down the United States flag from a public building of the United States, for the purpose of inciting other evil-minded persons to farther resistance to the laws and arms of the United States, after said flag was placed there by Commodore Farragut, of the United States navy,

"It is ordered that he be executed, according to the sentence of the said military commission, on Saturday, June 7th instant, between the hours of 8 A. M. and 12 M., under the direction of the provost-marshal of the district of New Orleans; and for so doing, this shall be his sufficient warrant."

During his trial and after his condemnation, he showed neither fear nor contrition; evidently expected a commutation of his sen

tence, not believing that General Butler would dare execute it. His friends, the Thugs and gamblers of the city, openly defied the general; resolved, in council assembled, not to petition for his pardon; bound themselves to assassinate General Butler if Mumford were hanged. These things were duly reported to the general by his detective police, and were a common topic of conversation in the city. It was the almost universal belief that the condemned man would be brought to the gallows and there reprieved-according to the cruel blank-cartridge mode of weak governments.

While the friends of Mumford were thus building up a wall between him and the chance of pardon, the case was further complicated by the arrest and condemnation of the six paroled prisoners, part of the Monroe Guard, who had conspired to break away to the rebel camp. Their sentence also, the general approved:

GENERAL ORDER No. 36.

"NEW ORLEANS, May 31, 1862. "Abraham McLane, Daniel Doyle, Edward C. Smith, Patrick Kane, George L. Williams, and Wm. Stanley, all enlisted men in the forces of the supposed Confederate States, captured at the surrender of Forts St. Philip and Jackson, have violated their parole of honor, under which they, as prisoners of war, were permitted to return to their homes, instead of being confined in prison, as have the unfortunates of the United States soldiers, who, falling into the hands of the rebel chiefs, have languished for months in the closest durance.

"Warned by their officers that they must not do this thing, they deliberately organized themselves in military array-chose themselves and comrades officers, relying, as they averred, upon promises of prominent citizens of New Orleans for a supply of arms and equipments. They named themselves the Monroe Life Guard, in honor of the late mayor of New Orleans.

"They conspired together, and arranged the manner in which they might force the pickets of the United States, and thus join the enemy at Corinth.

"Tried before an impartial military commission-fully heard in their defense-these facts appeared beyond doubt or contradiction, and they were convicted.

"There is no known pledge more sacred-there is no military offense whose punishment is better defined or more deserved. To this crime but one punishment has ever been assigned by any nation-Death.

"This sentence has been approved by the commanding general. To the end that all others may take warning-that solemn obligations may be preserved-that war may not lose all honorable ties-that clemency may not be abused, and that justice be done: