150-years-ago -- CONDITIONS IN OCCUPIED NEW ORLEANS

Maj. Gen. Benjamin "Beast" Butler
as depicted by his Confederate foes.
(Library of Congress)

Richmond Daily Dispatch

Feb. 2, 1863 

          Under this head the Crisis gives the substance of recent information derived from a lady who lately left New Orleans, after having vainly sought, for three months, to obtain a passport. We subjoin extracts:

           The administration of Banks differs but little from that of Butler, both of them being tyrants, fanatics, robbers, and Massachusetts Yankees.

          Although no information of a reliable character of Southern affairs is allowed to see the light through the papers of that city, yet our people there are kept fully advised of the success of our arms. Southern papers find their way in from time to time, and the information is circulated from hand to hand.

          The Federal troops are, to a considerable extent, seriously dissatisfied with the service and with the war, especially the Irish portion of them. The better class of Federal officers do not hesitate to declare themselves disgusted with such a service. They do not expect to hold New Orleans permanently, nor to conquer the South, and they regard the temporary occupation of the city as important only to those cormorants who are sucking blood from a subjected people.

           A few weeks before the departure of Butler a spirited engraving representing Butler's face very accurately, with the head and body of a hyena in the act of tearing open the graves of Gen. A. S. Johnston and others, which graves had been violated and robbed, was sent to Gen. Butler with the compliments of the people of New Orleans.

          Spies upon the Confederate war movements are constantly traveling between Mississippi and New Orleans. They often pass our lines and stations for hundreds of miles, without a single inquiry or examination of any kind by our officials. The people of that city were much surprised a few days ago by the presence of a Confederate officer, engaged a few months since in the conscripting service in Mississippi, who seemed to be on intimate terms with the Federal officers. The community there could not learn whether he came down under a flag of truce, or on what conditions he was permitted to enter the city and depart at his leisure. He left the city last week and said he was going to Texas. The Federal commanders at New Orleans seemed to be kept fully advised of all our movements, the strength of our forces, and the character of our defences.

              Butler said there were but two brave men in New Orleans, and they were Father Mullen, of the Jesuit Church, and Doctor Stone, the celebrated Surgeon. Father Mullen refused to take the oath, and denounced the tyranny that required it of him, and set them at defiance. Father Monaghan, of the Catholic Church, denounces Federal tyranny from his pulpit, and declares if they arrest him it must be at the altar, and before they drag him to the door they must wade knee-deep in blood, Dr. Nesux also refuses to attend the Yankee sick or wounded upon any condition.

            There are now very few Federal troops in New Orleans. Those who guard the approaches to the city have frequent battles with our patriotic partisans, who are sometimes badly worsted.