Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
Undated
January 1863

We have published heretofore several barbarous orders from Gen. Milroy, in Western Virginia. We give through the kindness of a friend an original copy of an appeal of that General in behalf of his ___ and superior, the "n____;"

Headq'rs Cheat Mountain division.
Clarksburg, Va., Oct. 29, 1862.

General Orders No. 28.--The General commanding has been repeatedly pained to learn that a few had men in some of the regiments of his command are in the habit of abusing, heating, and otherwise mistreating the negro and mulatto servants and teamsters employed by officers and quartermasters in his command. The services of these negroes and mulattoes are necessary and cannot be dispensed with, without taking soldiers from their legitimate duties, which would be an injury to the service.--The is black people are generally quiet and orderly : they were created black and cannot help it : they have mostly been made slaves, and robbed of the proceed of their own labor, and could not help and have left traitor masters in arms against forces and are of helping us all they and are, therefore, to our and , rather then and but traitors or a coward, who would and abuse children, would treat them. It is suspected that the rebels have hired these bad men to enlist in some of our regiments as spies and for the purpose of abjuring and driving back the contrabands, that they (the rebels) may have the benefit of the services of their slaves, and they were deterred from coming into our lines.

It is therefore ordered, and hereby made the duty of every officer and soldier of this command, to immediately down every soldier or other person who may be found causelessly abusing, beating, or otherwise maltreating any of the negro or mulatto servants or drivers in or about this command.

By order of

Brig. Gen. R. H. Milroy.
Henry C. Flesher, Capt. and A. A. A. G.

Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: Undated: January 1863