"General:—You will cause all unemployed persons, black and white, to 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.: