General Beast Butler's Famous General Order #28 threatening the women of New Orleans!

2 pages. Excellent content issue with numerous orders issued by General Benjamin F. Butler among them the famous,

General Order #28:

Notice. Headquarters Department Of The Gulf. New Orleans, May 15, 1862. General Orders No. 28. As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subject to repeated insults from the women calling themselves ladies of New Orleans, in return for the most scrupulous non interference 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 a woman of the town plying her avocation. By command of Major General Butler.

Also printed in this issue is the letter of Mayor Monroe of New Orleans to General Butler in response to Butler's Order #28. In part Monroe says it, "is of a character so extraordinary and astounding, that I can not, holding the office of Chief Magistrate of this city, chargeable with its peace and dignity, suffer it to be promulgated in our presence without protesting against the threat it contains, which has already aroused the passions of our people, and must exasperate them to a degree beyond control. Your officers and soldiers are permitted by the terms of this order to place any construction they may please upon the conduct of our wives and daughters, and upon such construction to offer them atrocious insults. The peace of the city and the safety of your officers and soldiers from harm or insult, have, I affirm, been successfully secured to an extent enabling them to move through our streets almost unnoticed, according to the understanding and agreement entered into between yourself and the city authorities. I did not, however, anticipate a war upon women and children, who, so far as I am aware, have only manifested their displeasure at the occupation of their city by those whom they believe to be their enemies, and I will never undertake to be responsible for the peace of New Orleans while such an edict, which infuriates our citizens, remains in force. To give a license to the officers and soldiers of your command to commit outrages, such as are indicated in your order, upon defenseless women, is, in my judgement, a reproach to the civilization not to say to the Christianity of the age, in whose name I make this protest."

In response to Mayor Monroe's letter, the Provost Marshal immediately brought him before General Butler. The mayor was then told that the language of his letter would not be tolerated and that if he believed that he could no longer control the aroused passions of the people, he would be relieved of any responsibility for the tranquility of the city, and sent to Fort Jackson. Monroe ended up issuing a letter of apology to Butler which is printed in this issue.

Butler than printed the follow reply:

Headquarters Department of the Gulf
New Orleans, May 16, 1862

Sir- There can be, there has been, no room for misunderstanding of General Order No. 28. No lady will take any notice of a strange gentleman, and a fortiori of a stranger, simply in such form as to attract attention. Common women do. Therefore, whatever woman, lady or mistress, gentle or simple, who, by gesture, look or word, insults, shows contempt for, thus attracting to herself the notice of my officers and soldiers, will be deemed to act as becoming her vocation as a common woman, and will be liable to be treated accordingly. This was most fully explained to you at my office. I shall not, as I have not, abated a single word of that order; it was well considered; if obeyed, will protect the true and modest women from all possible insult. The others will take care of themselves. You can publish your letter, if you publish this note, and your apology.

Respectfully,
Benj. F. Butler
Major General Commanding

Also includes other Butler Proclamations and Notices. Operations in the Gulf; Dispatches from General Butler to the War Department. Butler's General Order #10 praising the 9th Connecticut Volunteers and the 6th Massachusetts Battery on their expedition to Biloxi and Pass Christian.

This early Union occupation newspaper also prints Butler's General Order #25 which details the sad state of the citizens of New Orleans due to their lack of provisions and outlines his plan to fulfill their needs for food, etc.

Butler's General Order #27 is also published where he abolishes the day of fasting and prayer that was ordered by Confederate President Jefferson Davis and orders that all churches in New Orleans be kept open as in times of peace with no religious exercises held on the authority of Davis.

Includes Butler's General Order #37: It appearing that the New Orleans Crescent, a newspaper published in this city, is owned and edited by J.O. Nixon, a Rebel, now in arms against the Government of the United States, the Commanding General of this Department orders that the publication of that newspaper be suppressed, and that no publication, by pamphlet, handbill or otherwise in any form whatsoever, shall be made from said office after the promulgation of this order.

The following notice is printed:

NOTICE- The keepers of all coffeehouses, barrooms, hotels, gaming establishments and billard saloons are hereby notified that, in accordance with the Proclamation of the Major General Commanding the Department, they must immediately procure licenses. Any failure to comply with such instruction will be followed by the immediate closing of the establishment and the confiscation of the property of the offender.

Provost Marshal's Office:
Requires the services of some five hundred honest, intelligent, courageous and loyal citizens to compose of the civil police force of this city. All applications must be made in writing and every applicant must be vouched for by a gentleman of character and respectability. Parties applying may present their vouchers to officers in charge of either of the police stations.

Includes other stories and notices, advertisements, etc. Light age toning and wear. Couple of very tiny old tape repairs. Very fine issue printed shortly into the Union occupation of New Orleans! Rare and historic newspaper!