General Order No. 28

May 15, 1862 - During the Civil War, the Union Army occupied New Orleans under the command of Major General Benjamin Butler. On this day, Butler issued the infamous “General Order No. 28.”

Here’s the decree:

“As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subject to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans ... it is ordered that hereafter when any female shall by word, gesture, or movement insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation.”

The order was issued after many women in New Orleans openly mocked and harassed Union troops following the city’s capture. Some reportedly spat on soldiers, emptied chamber pots from balconies, or turned their backs when officers passed.

Critics immediately interpreted the order as meaning that women who insulted Union soldiers could be treated like prostitutes. The backlash was enormous. Newspapers across the South denounced Butler as a tyrant, and even some Northern officials were uncomfortable with the order. Butler soon became widely known in the South as “Beast Butler.”

Although the order was not the sole reason Butler lost command of New Orleans, it badly damaged his reputation and contributed to growing political pressure against him. He was relieved of command later that year, in December 1862.