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Union Orders, Reports and Letters -- Louisiana Page 1 |
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OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 41, Part 1 (Price's Missouri Expedition) Pages 927 - 929
Report of Brigadier General Robert A. Cameron, U. S. Army, commanding District of La Fourche.
DISTRICT OF LA FOURCHE,
Thibodeaux, La., November 30 1864.
---------
After he had been gone a few days i heard by rumor that Captain Moore, his officers and men, had seized a quantity of Louisiana rum and were on a drunken spree, committing various depredations, and that one of his men had attempted to rape a mulatto girl and had shot and killed her for resisting.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. A. CAMERON,
Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding District.
OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 41, Part 1 (Price's Missouri Expedition) Pages 932-933
Report of Sergt. John Simms, Company E, Sixteenth Indiana Infantry.
THIBODEAUX, LA., November 28, 1864.
SIR: In compliance with instructions from the general commanding the district, I have the honor to submit the following report of the doings of the scouting party under the command of Captain Moore, so far as the same has come to my knowledge:
------ I protested against their all going and leaving the detachment without a commissioned officer, and asked that one should be left, but this was refused. About noon of the 21st a Mr. Patton Pelton (I believe was his name), who resided on a plantation about five miles from our camp, came to our quarters and reported that a soldier had shot and killed a little girl and had fired at a negro man on his plantation. I immediately took two men of my company and proceeded to the place, where I found a mulatto girl, about twelve or thirteen years old, lying dead in a field. She had evidently been killed by a pistol-ball, which had entered the forehead and passed entirely through the head. I learned from the negro man, who was near, that the girl had been shot by a drunken soldier, who had first fired at one of the men and them had shot and killed the girl. One of the men had witnessed the killing. After getting all the information I could from them I proceeded to the planter's house, half a mile farther on. Between the house and where the dead girl lay I met three men of Company D, Privates Hilton, Davis, and another I did not know. They were running their horses at full speed. Hilton was very much intoxicated. I made an effort to stop them, but none stopped but Davis. I questioned him about the killing of the girl; he answered that he knew nothing about it. Not getting any further information I returned to camp. I immediately informed Sergeant Yandell of the particulars and stated to him that I was satisfied that Hilton was the guilty party and suggested that he be arrested. Yandell declined to arrest him, but said he would keep and eye on him and not let him escape. And so matters remained until Saturday, the 26th, during which time nothing had been heard from the absent party. On this day the adjutant of the Thirty-third Illinois came to our quarters, and having learned of the killing of the little girl, took two men of Company E and arrested Hilton. The same evening an orderly arrived with a communication addressed to Captain Moore, and there being no commissioned officer present, I opened the same and found it to be an order from he commanding general for the detachment to return to their stations immediately, which was accordingly done, Company E stopping at Terre Bonne and Company D returning to Thibodeaux. Sergeant Yandell took charge of the prisoner, stating that the adjutant of the Thirty-third Illinois had ordered him to deliver Hilton to district headquarters. Of his subsequent escape I know nothing.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN SIMMS,
First Sergeant Company E, Commanding Company.
OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 26, Part 1 (Port Hudson) W.FLA., S.ALA., S.MISS., LA., TEX., N.MEX. Chapter XXXVIII. Page 456 - 459
DECEMBER 9, 1863.-Mutiny at Fort Jackson, La.
Reports of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, U. S. Army, and record of Military Commission.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, December 11, 1863.
GENERAL: An unpleasant affair occurred at Fort Jackson on the evening of the 9th instant. Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict, of the Fourth Regiment, Corps d'Afrique, having some difficulty with the troops there, struck and punished 2 soldiers with a whip.
This produced great excitement among the troops, who assembled on the parade grounds, in most violent excitement, and threatened the officers of the regiment. They fired their muskets in the air, and committed other excesses, but without doing any injury to persons or property. This occurred about 6.30 o'clock. Colonel Drew, in command of the post, reports that the excitement continued about half an hour-------
It was difficult to get precise knowledge of affairs during the night, but, with a view of being on the safe side, Commodore [Henry H.] Bell was requested to send one or two more gunboats immediately to Fort Jackson. A regiment of troops was moved down during the evening and a battery of artillery in the morning. They proceeded no farther than Quarantine Station. Commodore Bell himself moved down the river with the Pensacola.
Inclosed I send copies of the various dispatches received and sent to the captain of the Suffolk and other officers at Quarantine Station, Fort jackson --
Page 457 -- It is apparent, however, that the want of discretion, of a spirit of justice and of capacity to deal with men of this class manifested by some of the officers, ------
The punishment to which the men were subjected for a considerable length of time before the revolt was contrary to the rules of war, and contrary to the orders constantly given in this department. They may justly be classed as among the cruel and unusual punishments interdicted by the Constitution.
I have the honor to be, with must respect, your obedient servant,
N. P. BANKS,
Major-General, Commanding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 460------ Colonel CHARLES W. DREW, Fourth Regiment Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, being duly sworn, testified as follows:
Question. Were you in command on the 9th instant?
Answer. I was.
Question. Please state in detail what unusual events, if any, occurred on that day.
Answer. The first unusual event that I noticed occurred about 5 p.m. I saw Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict, of the Fourth Regiment Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, strike one of the drummers with a whip two or three times, at the same time reprimanding him. He made use of an expression like this: "I have had a great deal of trouble with you already, and I am going to stop it." He then walked off.
Question. -------- Please state what that language was.
Answer. It was language something like this: "Give us Colonel Benedict; we did not come here to be whipped by him. Kill Colonel Benedict; shoot him," and other language to the same effect.
Question. Were the guns fired aimed at any person?
Answer. I do not know of a single gun aimed at any person. They were all apparently fired into the air. I heard one man, a soldier, cry out, "Kill all the darned Yankees."
Page 465 ----- Question. What men do you refer to when you say "those men"?
Answer. I refer to the two drummer boys, named Harry Williams and Munroe Miller. I do not know whether the latter is the correct name. I only know him by that.
Page 466-- Question. Was there ill-feeling toward Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict before this?
Answer. My impression is that there was, but I do not know personally. I think it was on account of some punishment inflicted upon men.
Question. What are the punishments in your regiment? Do you punish without court-martial, and how?
Answer. Confinement in the guard-house, carrying ball and chain, and in one instance a man was tied up by the thumbs.
The evidence of Major Nye was here closed. ( William E. Nye, major Fourth Regiment Infantry, Corps d'Afrique)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Captain JAMES MILLER, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, was then duly sworn by the judge-advocate.
Page 467 ----- I saw him whip two musicians on the 9th. He whipped them severely with what I took to be a rawhide. I was stationed at Fort Saint Philip when Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict was in command there, and there was a great deal of discontent among the men there on account of his severe treatment. The men were very much enraged on the 9th, and would undoubtedly have killed Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict if they had caught him.
The court then adjourned to meet to-morrow morning at 8 o'clock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 467 ---- The examination of Captain James Miller was then resumed.
Page 468 --Question. Have you ever seen Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict maltreat any of the me besides whipping the two music boys?
Answer. I have seen him, in the month of August, at Fort Saint Philip, spread a man out his back, drive stakes down, and spread out his hands and legs, take off his shoes, and take molasses and spread it over his face, hands, and feet.
Page 469 -- The evidence of Captain James Miller was here closed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First Lieutenant GEORGE H. KIMBALL, regimental adjutant, Fourth Regiment Infantry, Corps d'Afrique
-------- Question. Did you see him whip them?
Answer. I saw him whip one, Harry Williams, with a large whip resembling a wagon whip. I saw him strike five or six blows severely. The boy had his coat off.
~~~~~~~~~~~
page 470 -- Quartermaster's Sergt. GEORGE MCFAUL, Fourth Regiment Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, was then duly sworn.
Question. Did you ever see him maltreat any man; if so, when and where?
Answer. I saw him whip Harry Williams, a drummer boy, on the evening of the 9th instant. I have never seen him whip anybody else, but I have seen him handle men very roughly at guard-mount; shaking them. He struck Harry Williams from fifteen to twenty times with an army wagoner's whip or an artillery driver's whip. The boy had his coat off. I do not know what offense the boy had committed.
The examination of Quartermaster's Sergt. George McFaul was here closed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 471 -- Second Lieutenant EDWARD D. MOONEY, Fort Regimental Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, was then duly sworn by the judge-advocate.
Question. Were you ever, as officer of the day or guard, required by Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict to inflict any unusual punishment?
Answer. I was officer of the day once, and officer of the guard once, when I had to inflict, by Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict's order, a punishment that was unusual to me.
Question. What were those punishments?
Answer. On the 7th of August, at Baton Rouge, when officer of the guard, I was ordered by Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict to take 2 men, have their shoes and stockings taken off, and to lay them on the ground, straighten their legs and arms out, and stake them-tie them down. Then he told me to go to the commissary and get some molasses, and cover their faces, feet, and hands with molasses. He told me to keep them there during the day and night, and said he did not care if I kept them there until they died. They belonged to Company B, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique. I do not remember their names. Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict was commanding the regiment at that time. I understood him at the time that the men had been stealing some corn to roast, but I do not no certainly. They were kept tied down from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. or 7.30 p.m. They were tied down again the next morning and I turned them over to the officer of the guard that relieved me.
The examination of Second Lieutenant Edward D. Mooney was here closed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 472 -- Colonel C. A. HARTWELL, Fifth Regiment Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, was then duly sworn by the judge-advocate.
Answer. Not the slightest that I can observe. My officers have told me that their sergeants told them that the men were ready to march to quell the disturbance.
The examination of Colonel C. A. Hartwell was here closed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 473 -- Captain WILLIAM H. KNAPP, Fourth Regiment, Corps d'Afrique, was then duly sworn by the judge-advocate.
Question. Do you know that Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict ever inflicted any cruel and unusual punishment upon the men?
Answer. I do. I have seen him strike them in the face with his first, kick them, and, in one instance, strike a man with his sword in the face. On the 19th of October, I was officer of the day; the guard was turned out for Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict, and one man, Private Francis, of my company, did not dress properly, and Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict took the sergeant's sword and struck him in the face. I have frequently seen him at Fort Saint Philip, at guard-mounting, strike men in the face with his fist and kick them because their brasses were not bright or their boots not polished. Men of my company have come to me in two or three instances and complained.
The examination of Captain William H. Knapp was here closed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 474 -- Augustus W. Benedict, lieutenant-colonel, commanding Fort Regiment Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
Question. What offense had the two boys to whom you refer committed?
Answer. The immediate offense was going to a sentinel, and telling him the sergeant of the guard had permitted them to go out, and going out on that pretense.
The examination of Lieutenant-Colonel Benedict was here closed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These negroes were charged with the crime of mutiny --
Page 476 --
1. Musician Edward S. Smith, Company B, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him "to be imprisoned at hard labor for one year on such permanent fortification as the commanding general may direct."
2. Private Frank Williams, Company I, Fourth Infantry, Coprs d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him, Frank Williams, private Company I, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, "to be shot to death
Page 477
with musketry, at such time and place as the commanding general may direct," it appearing, upon the reconvening of the court, that two-thirds of the members concurred therein.
3. Corpl. Lewis Cady, Company K, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PEAL.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him, Corpl. Lewis Cady, Company K, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, "to be imprisoned for the term of two years, at hard labor, on such permanent Government fortification as the commanding general may direct, and to forfeit all pay and allowances, except for prison food and clothing."
4. Corpl. Henry Green, Company G, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PEAL.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, acquit him, Corpl. Henry Green, Company G, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
5. Private Jacob Kennedy, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PEAL.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, acquit him, Private Jacob Kennedy, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
6. Private Charles Taylor, Company K, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him, Private Charles Taylor, Company K, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, "to be imprisoned at hard labor for the term of ten years, on such permanent Government fortification as the commanding general may direct."
7. Private Abraham Victoria, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him, Private Abraham Victoria, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, "to be shot to death with musketry, at such time and place as the commanding general may direct," it appearing, upon the reconvening of the court, that two-thirds of the members concurred therein.
Page 478 --
8. Private Abram Singleton, Company F, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him, Private Abram Singleton, Company F, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, "to be imprisoned at hard labor, for the term of ten years, on such Government fortification as the commanding general may direct, and to forfeit all pay and allowances, except for prison food and clothing."
9. Private Volser Verrett, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, acquit him.
10. Private Willis Curtis, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him, Private Willis Curtis, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, "to be imprisoned at hard labor, for the term of three years, on such permanent fortification as the commanding general may direct, and to forfeit all pay and allowances, except for prison food and clothing."
11. Private Julius Boudro, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him, Private Julius Boudro, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, "to be imprisoned at hard labor, for the term of twenty years, on such permanent fortification as the commanding general may direct, and to forfeit all pay and allowance except for prison food and clothing."
12. Private James H. Moore, No. 2, Company F, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Insubordinate conduct, to the prejudice of good order and
military discipline.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him, Private James H. Moore, No. 2, Company F, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, "to hard labor for one month under guard."
Pager 479
13. Private James Hagan, Company B, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Mutiny.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Not guilty."
And the court does, therefore, acquit him, Private James Hagan, Company B, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
14. Lieutenant Colonel Augustus W. Benedict, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique.
CHARGE.-Inflicting cruel and unusual punishment, to the prejudice of good and military discipline.
PLEA.-"Not guilty."
FINDING.-"Guilty."
And the court does, therefore, sentence him, Lieutenant Colonel Augustus W. Benedict, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, "to be dismissed the service."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IV. The proceedings, findings, and sentences in the cases of Musician Edward B. Smith, Company B; Corporal Lewis Cady, Company K; Privates Charles Taylor, Company K; Abram Singleton, Company F; Willis Curtis, Company D, and Julius Boudro, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, are approved. The sentences will be carried into execution at Fort Jefferson, Fla. The provost-marshal-general, Department of the Gulf, is charged with their execution.
The proceedings, findings, and sentences in the cases of Private Frank Williams, Company I, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, and Private Abraham Victoria, Company D, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, are approved; but the execution of the sentences is suspended until further orders, and they will be turned over to the provost-marshal-general, Department of the Gulf, to be sent to Fort Jefferson, Fla., there to be kept in close confinement.
The proceedings and findings in the cases of Corporal Henry Green, Company G; Private Jacob Kennedy, Company D; Private Volser Verrett, Company D, and Private James Hagan, Company B, all of the Fourth Regiment of Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, are approved. They will be released from confinement, and returned to duty.
In the case of Private James H. Moore, No. 2, Company F, Fourth Infantry, Corps d'Afrique, the proceedings are disapproved, the evidence being conflicting and unsatisfactory. He will be released from confinement, and returned to duty.
In the case of Lieutenant Colonel Augustus W. Benedict, the proceedings, findings, and sentence are confirmed. He ceased from this date to be an officer in the military service of the United States.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
V. The general court-martial of which Colonel F. S. Rutherford, Ninety-seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteers, is president, is dissolved.
By command of Major-General Banks:
G. NORMAN LIEBER,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.
A sailor of fortune; personal memoirs of Captain B. S. Osbon (1906)
Author: Osbon, Bradley Sillick, 1827-1912; Paine, Albert Bigelow, 1861-1937
page 207
* In Farragut's reports he says : " I have never witnessed such
vandalism in my life as the destruction of property. . . Ships, steamers, cotton, coal, were all in one common blaze."
I am only levaing the abouve enrty posted because I am not sure how many people may have read it. I found the entire report in "The naval history of the Civil War" By David Dixon Porter, page 190. After reading the entire report I am not sure these actions fall under the heading of atrocities.
GP
OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 15, Part 1 (Baton Rouge-Natchez) W. FLA., S. ALA., S. MISS., LA., TEX., N. MEX. Chapter XXVII. Page 450 -
HDQRS. TWENTY-FIRST REGIMENT INDIANA VOLS.,
Algiers, La., May 22, 1862.
Major General BENJAMIN F. BUTLER,
Commanding Department of the Gulf:
SIR: In obedience to your order of the 11th instant to proceed to the town of Houma, in the parish of Terre Bonne, and arrest and punish certain charged with having fired upon 4 sick soldiers of the Twenty-first Indiana Volunteers, killing 2 and wounding the others; to execute the guilty, their aiders and abettors, of found; to confiscate and destroy the property of all who were in any manner implicated, ---------
Page 454 ------- Property on premises of Howard Bond burned: One dwelling-house, furniture, and contents; one sugar-house, filled with sugar; from 50 to 100 negro houses and other outhouses; one steam saw and corn mill; blacksmith-shop; with tools and other contents; on store-house, filled with molasses; two buggies and harness; stacks of hay and fodder. Taken from above premisses, 35 mules, 20 sets harness, 6 plantation wagons, 1 cart, 2 yoke of oxen, and 5 loads of forage.
Property owned by Dr. Jennings burned; One dwelling-house, other outhouses, barn, stables, all their contents, buggy, and a valuable library and other articles.
Property owned by E. N. Dutrail, consisting of dwelling-house, stables, and other outhouses, with all their contents, were torn down and utterly destroyed.
Property of A. Wood, consisting of the Ceres newspaper establishment, was completely destroyed, the type and other material being thrown into a bayou.
The parish jail (in which Private Morris had been incarcerated), a strong brick building, by means of a battering-ram was demolished.
Page 455 --- The property of Crewell, consisting of a light one horse wagon, chests of carpenter tools, was seized upon.
The personal property of A. S. Hornsby (groceries), of which there wa but little, was either taken and used or destroyed. The other guilty parties escaped all punishment, as they possessed no property which could be seized or destroyed.
It is here worthy of remark that a number of citizens, before we left the town, assigned as their reason for withholding form us information in their possession when first demanded that their own lives and property would be endangered by the parties implicated by their so doing, and some of hem even requested that troops should remain there of their protection. I caused the national flag to be planted upon the top of the court-house, in presence of the battalion and large number of citizens, assuring the latter that it must there remain, under penalty of the destruction of the town in case of its removal. They were also warned of the terrible consequences that would result from any further disturbance of the graves of the murdered soldiers.
About noon of Saturday, the 17th instant, we took up our line of march from Houma to Terre Bonne Station, reaching the last-named palace at 3 o'clock p. m. Here we found in waiting aa train of c are, in which we proceeded to Algiers, leaving behind Lieuts. T. D. Bryant which we proceeded to Algiers, leaving behind Lieuts. T. D. Bryant and J. W. Connelly, with a detachment of men, in charge of the captured property, with orders to follow on the next train, which they did on the following day and delivered over the property left int heir charge. This property consisted in the main 85 mules, 61 head of cattle, 8 horses, 43 sheep, 6 wagons, 2 carts, 1 spring-wagon, and 2 carriages, with other articles, all of which were turned over to Lieutenant W. S. Hinkle, quartermaster of Twenty-first Regiment Indiana Volunteers. I brought with me as prisoners the following-named residents of Houma and vicinity, all of whom were promptly handed over to the proper authorities, namely: Lieutenant-Colonel Minor, Captain Slatton, Recorder De Laporte, Sheriff Larette, Dr. Helmick, Captain Gayne, messrs. Ernest, Guano, Larette, Wright, Delaspit, Gentre, Hornsby, and one other.
JOHN A. KEITH,
Lieutenant Col. Twenty-first Indiana Vols., Comdg. Detachment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 456 ---- PROCLAMATION.
A foul and unnatural murder of two American soldiers, repugnant alike to the instincts of humanity and the practice of civilized warfare, has caused the presence of this portion of the U. S. Army among you, for the sole purpose of bringing to justice the guilty. Although the cowardly miscreants may have fled, fearing the swift and righteous retribution with should follow the perpetration of their horrible crime, they are known to the citizens of this place. By withholding the names of the guilty parties to the crime, liable both in law and justice to suffer the penalties of the same. ------
457 --- In view of the disposition manifested by citizens of the town and parish to harbor and screen the offenders, therefore I, John A. Keith, lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment Indiana Volunteers, being armed with proper authority from General Butler, do hereby solemnly declare and proclaim that unless the names of these murderers are given up within forty-eight hours, with such information of their hiding places as will lead to their speedy apprehension, not a vestige of the town of Houma shall be left to identify its formed location, and the plantations in the parish of Terre Bonne shall suffer in a like degree. ----------
The United States troops will quarter in Terre Bonne Parish until these murderers are brought to justice or it becomes evident they cannot be found; in which case prominent citizens of Houma, known to have been sympathizers, some of whom have already been arrested, will be publicly executed as murderers.
JOHN A. KEITH,
Lieutenant-Colonel Twenty-first Indiana Volunteers.
HOUMA, LA., May 14, 1862.
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