"Captain R. S. DAVIS, A. A. A. General, New Orleans, La.:

"SIR:--The communication from your office of this date,
signed, 'By order of Major-General Butler,' directing me to
employ the 'contrabands' in and about my camp in cutting
down all the trees between my lines and the lake, etc., has
just been received.

"In reply, I must state that while I am willing to prepare
African regiments for the defense of the government against
its assailants, I am not willing to become the mere
slave-driver which you propose, having no qualifications in
that way. I am, therefore, under the necessity of tendering
the resignation of my commission as an officer of the army
of the United States, and respectfully request a leave of
absence until it is accepted, in accordance with paragraph
29, page 12, of the general regulations.

"While I am writing, at half-past eight o'clock P. M., a
colored man is brought in by one of the pickets who has just
been wounded in the side by a charge of shot, which he says
was fired at him by one of a party of three slave-hunters or
guerillas, a mile or more from our line of sentinels. As it
is some distance from the camp to the lake, the party of
wood-choppers which you have directed will probably need a
considerable force to guard them against similar attacks.

"I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

"J. W. PHELPS, _Brigadier-General._"

Phelps was one of Butler's most trusted commanders, and the latter
endeavored, but in vain, to have him reconsider his resignation. General
Butler wrote him:

NEW ORLEANS, August, 2, 1862.

"GENERAL:--I was somewhat surprised to receive your
resignation for the reasons stated.

"When you were put in command at Camp Parapet, I sent
Lieutenant Weitzel, my chief engineer, to make a
reconnoissance of the lines of Carrollton, and I understand
it was agreed between you and the engineer that a removal
of the wood between Lake Pontchartrain and the right of your
intrenchment was a necessary military precaution. The work
could not be done at that time because of the stage of water
and the want of men. But now both water and men concur. You
have five hundred Africans organized into companies, you
write me. Th