Confederate President Jefferson Davis made this proclamation in 1862.
I . . . do pronounce and declare the said Benjamin F. Butler to be a felon deserving of capital punishment. I do order that he be no longer considered or treated simply as a public enemy of the Confederate States of America but as an outlaw and common enemy of mankind, and that in the event of his capture the officer in command of the capturing force do cause him to be immediately executed by hanging.
–Jefferson Davis, A Proclamation. Adjt. And Insp. General’s Office,
Richmond [Va.], December 24, 1862. General Orders, No. 111.
How did Confederate President Jefferson Davis respond to Butler’s order?
He believed that Butler should not be punished and should no longer be considered a public enemy
He called for Butler to be rewarded by Union commanding officers and appointed five-star general.
He was upset that Butler was treating Confederate officers as outlaws.
He thought Butler to be a felon who ought to be caught and immediately executed