Such was the tenor of General Pope’s orders on assuming command—­orders which were either intended seriously as an announcement of his real intentions, or as a blind to persuade the Confederates that his force was large.

Unfortunately for the region in which he now came to operate, General Pope did not confine himself to these flourishes of rhetoric.  He proceeded to inaugurate a military policy in vivid contrast to General McClellan’s.  His “expatriation orders” directed that all male citizens disloyal to the United States should be immediately arrested; the oath of allegiance to the United States Government should be proffered them, and, “if they furnished sufficient security for its observance,” they should be set free again.  If they refused the oath, they should be sent beyond the Federal lines; and, if afterward found within his lines, they should be treated as spies, “and shot, their property to be seized and applied to the public use.”  All communication with persons living within the Southern lines was forbidden; such communication should subject the individual guilty of it to be treated as a spy.  Lastly, General Pope’s subordinates were directed to arrest prominent citizens, and hold them as hostages for the good behavior of the population.  If his soldiers were “bushwhacked”—­that is to say, attacked on their foraging expeditions—­the prominent citizens thus held as hostages were to suffer death.

It is obvious that war carried on upon such principles is rapine.  General Pope ventured, however, upon the new programme; and a foreign periodical, commenting upon the result, declared that this commander had prosecuted hostilities against the South “in a way that cast mankind two centuries back toward barbarism.”  We shall not pause to view the great outrages committed by the Federal troops in Culpepper.  They have received thus much comment rather to introduce the following communication to the Federal authorities, from General Lee, than to record what is known now to the Old World as well as the New.  Profoundly outraged and indignant at these cruel and oppressive acts, General Lee, by direction of the Confederate authorities, addressed, on the 2d of August, the following note to General Halleck: 

    HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE C.S., /

    NEAR RICHMOND, VA., August 2, 1862.;

    To the General commanding the U.S.  Army, Washington: 

    GENERAL:  In obedience to the order of his Excellency, the
    President of the Confederate States, I have the honor to make you
    the following communication: