fore, in the enemy's hands, these negroes, when able-bodied,
are of great importance. Without them the batteries could not
have been erected; at least, for many weeks. As a military
question it would seem to be a measure of necessity, and deprives
their masters of their services.

"How can this be done? As a political question, and a question of
humanity, can I receive the services of a father and a mother and
not take the children? Of the humanitarian aspect, I have no
doubt; of the political one, I have no right to judge. I
therefore submit all this to your better judgment, and, as these
questions have a political aspect, I have ventured--and I trust I
am not wrong in so doing--to duplicate the parts of my dispatch
relating to this subject, and forward them to the Secretary of
War.

"Your obedient servant,
"BENJ. F. BUTLER.

"Lt.-General SCOTT."[81]

The letter of Gen. Butler was laid before the Secretary of War, who
answered it as follows:

"SIR: Your action in respect to the negroes who came within your
lines, from the service of the rebels, is approved. The
Department is sensible of the embarrassments which must surround
officers conducting military operations in a State, by the laws
of which slavery is sanctioned. The Government can not recognize
the rejection by any State of its Federal obligations, resting
upon itself. Among these Federal obligations, however, no one can
be more important than that of suppressing and dispersing any
combination of the former for the purpose of overthrowing its
whole constitutional authority. While, therefore, you will permit
no interference, by persons under your command, with the
relations of persons held to service under the laws of any State,
you will, on the other hand, so long as any State within which
your military operations are conducted remains under the control
of such armed combinations, refrain from surrendering to alleged
masters any persons who come within your lines. You will employ
such persons in the services to which they will be best adapted;
keeping an account of the labor by them performed, of the value
of it, and the expenses of their maintenance. The question of
their final disposition will be reserved