The ladies of New Orleans were not happy living in an occupied city. They would savage passing Union officers with insults, sometimes going so far as to dump the contents of their chamber pots on or near them.

"Beast" Butler, a complete imcompetent in the field, issued the following order:


As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subjected to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans, in return for the most scrupulous noninterference and courtesy on our part, 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.


This enraged the Southern men and led to Butler being branded a common outlaw by Davis himself - had he been captured, he would have hanged for this insult alone.