be excluded from your lines.

"You will not permit either black or white persons to pass
your lines, not officers and soldiers or belonging to the
navy of the United States, without a pass from these
headquarters, except they are brought in under guard as
captured persons, with information, and those to be examined
and detained as prisoners of war, if they have been in arms
against the United States, or dismissed and sent away at
once, as the case may be. This does not apply to boats
passing up the river without landing within the lines.

"Provision dealers and marketmen are to be allowed to pass
in with provisions and their wares, but not to remain over
night.

"Persons having had their permanent residence within your
lines before the occupation of our troops, are not to be
considered unemployed persons.

"Your officers have reported a large number of servants.
Every officer so reported employing servants will have the
allowance for servants deducted from his pay-roll.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. F. BUTLER.

"Brig.-Gen. PHELPS, Commanding Camp Parapet."

This struck Gen. Phelps as an inhuman order, though he obeyed it and
placed the slaves just outside of his camp lines. Here the solders,
having drank in the spirit of their commander, cared for the fugitives
from slavery. But they continued to come, according to divine
appointment, and their increase prompted Gen. Phelps to write this
patriotic, pathetic and eloquent appeal, knowing it must reach the
President:

"CAMP PARAPET, NEAR CARROLLTON, LA., June 16, 1862.

"Capt. R. S. DAVIS, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, New Orleans.
La.:

"SIR: I enclose herewith, for the information of the
major-general commanding the department, a report of Major
Peck, officer of the day, concerning a large number of
negroes, of both sexes and all ages, who are lying near our
pickets, with bag and baggage, as if they had already
commenced an exodus. Many of these negroes have been sent
away from one of the neighboring sugar plantations by their
owner, a Mr. Babilliard La Blanche, who tells them, I am
informed, that 'the Yankees are king here now, and that they
must go to their king for food and shelter.'

"They are of that