William B. Mumford
Encyclopedia
William Bruce Mumford was a North Carolina
native and resident of New Orleans, Louisiana
who was hanged
for tearing down a United States flag
during the American Civil War
.
ships approached Confederate
New Orleans, Commodore David Farragut
ordered two officers to send a message to Mayor John T. Monroe
requesting removal of Confederate flags from the local customhouse, mint
, and city hall
and the placement of U.S. flags. Monroe refused, claiming it was beyond his jurisdiction. On April 26, Captain Henry W. Morris sent ashore Marines from the USS Pocahontas
to raise the U.S. flag over the mint. Morris did so without any order from Farragut, who was still trying to receive an official surrender
from the mayor.
As the marines raised the flag, a number of locals gathered around in anger and the marines told the population the Pocahontas would fire on anyone attempting to remove the flag. However, a group of seven individuals, including Mumford, decided to remove the flag from the mint. The Pocahontas fired and Mumford was injured by a flying piece of brick
. With cheers from local onlookers, Mumford carried the flag to the mayor at city hall, but onlookers tore at it as he walked, reducing it to a stub.
Major General
Benjamin Butler
, the commander of the Union ground forces, heard about the incident and decided to arrest
and punish Mumford. When the Union Army occupied the city on May 1, Mumford was arrested and charged with "high crimes and misdemeanors
against the laws of the United States
, and the peace and dignity thereof and the Law Martial
." On May 30, he was tried
before a military tribunal
and was convicted even though there was no clear attempt to determine whether the city was actually occupied when the event occurred.
On June 5, Butler issued the following Special Order No. 70:
On June 7, a little before noon, Mumford was taken to be hanged in the courtyard of the mint itself, a place that Butler had decided "according to the Spanish custom" would be the ideal place. Many people came to the spot, and Mumford was allowed to give a final speech in which he spoke of his patriotism for the Confederacy and his love for what he considered the true meaning of the U.S. flag, a symbol he had fought under in the Seminole
and Mexican-American wars.
issued a statement declaring Mumford a hero and a model. Robert E. Lee
demanded that Union General-in-Chief
Henry Wager Halleck
explain how execution could have occurred for a crime committed before New Orleans was occupied. Confederate President
Jefferson Davis
issued a proclamation stating Benjamin Butler should be considered a criminal and worthy of hanging. However, later on, Butler assisted Mumford's wife and helped her find a job in Washington.
Mumford was originally buried in a vault in Cypress Grove Cemetery, New Orleans. His remains were transferred to the Confederate Monument at Greenwood Cemetery, New Orleans
, by the Ladies’ Confederate Memorial Association on January 11, 1950.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
native and resident of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
who was hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
for tearing down a United States flag
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Flag incident
On April 25, 1862, as Union NavyUnion Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
ships approached Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
New Orleans, Commodore David Farragut
David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the...
ordered two officers to send a message to Mayor John T. Monroe
John T. Monroe
John T. Monroe was the 19th and 32nd mayor of New Orleans .He was born May 6, 1822, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, US or in Howard's County, Missouri, US....
requesting removal of Confederate flags from the local customhouse, mint
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
, and city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
and the placement of U.S. flags. Monroe refused, claiming it was beyond his jurisdiction. On April 26, Captain Henry W. Morris sent ashore Marines from the USS Pocahontas
USS Pocahontas (1852)
The first USS Pocahontas, a screw steamer built at Medford, Massachusetts in 1852 as City of Boston, and purchased by the Navy at Boston, Massachusetts on 20 March 1855, was the first United States Navy ship to be named for Pocahontas, the Algonquian wife of Virginia colonist John Rolfe. She was...
to raise the U.S. flag over the mint. Morris did so without any order from Farragut, who was still trying to receive an official surrender
Surrender (military)
Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and eventually become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers. A white flag is a common symbol of surrender, as is the gesture of raising one's hands empty and open above one's head.When the...
from the mayor.
As the marines raised the flag, a number of locals gathered around in anger and the marines told the population the Pocahontas would fire on anyone attempting to remove the flag. However, a group of seven individuals, including Mumford, decided to remove the flag from the mint. The Pocahontas fired and Mumford was injured by a flying piece of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. With cheers from local onlookers, Mumford carried the flag to the mayor at city hall, but onlookers tore at it as he walked, reducing it to a stub.
Trial and execution
Three days later Union ArmyUnion Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Benjamin Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)
Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....
, the commander of the Union ground forces, heard about the incident and decided to arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
and punish Mumford. When the Union Army occupied the city on May 1, Mumford was arrested and charged with "high crimes and misdemeanors
High crimes and misdemeanours
The charge of high crimes and misdemeanors covers allegations of misconduct that do not fall under a more clearly defined impeachable offence; e.g., high treason...
against the laws of the United States
Law of the United States
The law of the United States consists of many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the United States Constitution, the foundation of the federal government of the United States...
, and the peace and dignity thereof and the Law Martial
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
." On May 30, he was tried
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
before a military tribunal
Military tribunal
A military tribunal is a kind of military court designed to try members of enemy forces during wartime, operating outside the scope of conventional criminal and civil proceedings. The judges are military officers and fulfill the role of jurors...
and was convicted even though there was no clear attempt to determine whether the city was actually occupied when the event occurred.
On June 5, Butler issued the following Special Order No. 70:
- William B. Mumford, a citizen of New Orleans, having been convicted before a military commission of treason and an overt actOvert ActIn criminal law, an overt act , an open act, one that can be clearly proved by evidence, and from which criminal intent can be inferred, as opposed to a mere intention in the mind to commit a crime...
thereof, tearing down the United States flag from a public building of the United States, after said flag was placed there by Commodore Farragut, of the United States navyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
: It is ordered that he be executed according to sentence of said military commission on Saturday, June 7, inst., between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 a.m. under the directions of the provost-marshal of the District of New Orleans, and for so doing this shall be his sufficient warrant.
On June 7, a little before noon, Mumford was taken to be hanged in the courtyard of the mint itself, a place that Butler had decided "according to the Spanish custom" would be the ideal place. Many people came to the spot, and Mumford was allowed to give a final speech in which he spoke of his patriotism for the Confederacy and his love for what he considered the true meaning of the U.S. flag, a symbol he had fought under in the Seminole
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
and Mexican-American wars.
Aftermath
After he was hanged, on June 18, Confederate Governor of Louisiana Thomas Overton MooreThomas Overton Moore
Thomas Overton Moore was an attorney and politician who was the 16th Governor of Louisiana from 1860 until 1864 during the American Civil War.-Early years:...
issued a statement declaring Mumford a hero and a model. Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
demanded that Union General-in-Chief
General-in-Chief
General-in-Chief has been a military rank or title in various armed forces around the world.- France :In France, General-in-Chief was first an informal title for the lieutenant-general commanding over others lieutenant-generals, or even for some marshals in charge of an army...
Henry Wager Halleck
Henry Wager Halleck
Henry Wager Halleck was a United States Army officer, scholar, and lawyer. A noted expert in military studies, he was known by a nickname that became derogatory, "Old Brains." He was an important participant in the admission of California as a state and became a successful lawyer and land developer...
explain how execution could have occurred for a crime committed before New Orleans was occupied. Confederate President
President of the Confederate States of America
The President of the Confederate States of America was the Head of State and Head of Government of the Confederate States of America, which was formed from the states which declared their secession from the United States, thus precipitating the American Civil War. The only person to hold the...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
issued a proclamation stating Benjamin Butler should be considered a criminal and worthy of hanging. However, later on, Butler assisted Mumford's wife and helped her find a job in Washington.
Mumford was originally buried in a vault in Cypress Grove Cemetery, New Orleans. His remains were transferred to the Confederate Monument at Greenwood Cemetery, New Orleans
Greenwood Cemetery, New Orleans
Greenwood Cemetery is a cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana.The cemetery was opened in 1852, and is located on City Park Avenue in the Navarre neighborhood.The cemetery has a number of impressive monuments and sculptures...
, by the Ladies’ Confederate Memorial Association on January 11, 1950.