The Confederate government declared him an outlaw and criminal for hanging a man for taking down an American flag. The Federals were not in charge of New Orleans at the time the flag was taken down. A party of Federals went ashore, placed the flag on the Mint building, then retreated to their ship. The flag was then taken down by New Orleans citizens.
The People's Press of Salem, North Carolina, reports on this in their May 16, 1862 issue:
The Yankee flag placed over the Mint was torn down on Saturday evening, 26th ult., by some spirited citizens. The Crescent says:The men engaged in this gallant enterprise, we learn, were Vincent Hoffernan, W. B. Mumford, N. Holmes, John Burns and James Reed. They tore the flag in shreds, and each with a piece in his hand marched up town in triumph.
I never realized people other than Mumford were involved in taking the flag down. Mumford was the only one hung for it. The paper, which was reporting on news that happened before Mumford was hung by Butler, continued with the following:
The shots fired by the Federal vessel came very near demolishing several houses in the vicinity of the Mint, and a shell lodged in the roof of the dwelling of Mr. J. A. Lacour, corner of Victory and Frenchmen streets; but luckily, not exploding, inflicted no serious damage. Mr. Lacour got the shell out from his roof, and brought it up town. We would not have believed that a civilized people could have so forgotten their dignity as to have permitted themselves to have endangered the lives of unoffending women and children, in thus wantonly firing into a city; but the fact is patent -- the deed was done.
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