Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-08-01

~ nOW tppehkbB " bbhtemenLb mauo Without 1
contradiction in newspapers published in New
York, that the prisoners above mentioned were
conveyed 10 that city, and have there been treat
ed, not as prisoners of war, but as criminals;
that they have been put in irons, confined in
jail, brought before the Courts of Justice on
charges Of piracy and treason, and It is even
rumored that they have been actually convicted
of the offenses charged, for no other reason
than that they bore arms in defense Of the rights
OF this Government, and under the authority Of
Its commission. ~
| could not, without grave discourtesy, have
made the newspaper statements above referred
TO the subject OF this communication if the
threat OF treating as pirates the citizens Of this
Confederacy, armed Tor Its service on the high
seas, had not been contained in your proclama-
ton Of the - April last That proclamation,
however, seems to afford sufficient justification
for considering these published statements as
not devoid of probability.
Ii is the desire of this Government so to con-
duct the war now existing as to mitigate its
horrors as far as may be possiblej and with this
intent, its treatment of the prisoners captured
by its forces has been marked by the greatest
humanity and leniency consistent with public
obligation; some have been permitted to return
home on parole, others to remain at large un-
der similar condition within this Confederacy,
and all have been furnished with rations for
their subsistence, such as are allowed to our
own troops. 1t is only since the news has been
received Of the treatment of the prisoners taken
on the Savannah, that have been compelled
to withdraw these indulgences, and to hold the
prisoners taken by US in strict confinement.
A just regard to humanity and to the honor Of
this Government now requireslme to state ex-
plicltly, that painful as will be the necessity,
/ iii I..I ~ Il
held by it the same treatment and the same
fate as shall be experienced by those captured
on the Savannah; and II driven to the terrible
necessity Of retaliation by your execution of any
of the officers or the crew of.the Savannah, that
retaliation will be extended 80 far as shall be
requisite to secure the abandonment of a prac-
tice unknown to the warfare Of civilized man,
and 80 barbarous as to disgrace the nation
which shall be guilty of inauguratiDg it.
With this view, and because it may not have
reached you, now renew the proposition made
to the commander of the blockading squadron
to exchange for the prisoners taken on the Sa
vannah, an equal number of those now held by
us, according to rank. t.....
i / am; cir, yours, &c.
u JEFFERSON DAVIS,
President and Commander in Chief Of the Army
and Navy Of the Confederate States.
coPY.l
Il RICHMOND, July 10, l56l.
To His EScelle1ey Je6erson Dacis, Preeidsrt Of III
Confederate States;
SrR: In obedience to your instructions, l LEI
the City of Richmond on the morning Of th
=? 7th Of July, at six o'clock A. NJ, as bearer Q
q dispatches to His Excellency, Abraham Lin
! coin, President of the United States. At Nj
q nassas received from General Beauregard
/ letter to General Mcdowell, commanding th
j. United States forces at Arlington. From Mi
o nassas I proceeded to Fairfax G. H., where
It was furnished, by General Bonham, an escort
o fourteen cavalry, under command of Lieutenar
o Breckenridge, of the Virginia Cavalry. Pr
d ceeding on the direct road to Alexandria to i
: junction with the road to Arlington, met
:. detachment Of cavalry under the command {
n Colonel Porter, United States Army, abor
% three miles from the Junction, from whic
= place sent back my escort. Capt. Whippl'
70 United States Army, accompanied me to A.
j. lington, where arrived about four O'Clock
i, M, Monday, the 9th. General Mcdowell nj
'e him at Washington City.
% About nine O'Clock P. NJ, Colonel Van Re
ID selaer, senior aid-de-camp to General Scott, W
n sent to convey me to General Scott's hea
quarters, where found General Mcdowell,
t. whom delivered General Beauregard's lettt
n After reading General BIS letter he passed
in to General Scott, who, being informed In tt
e. letter that desired to deliver your commune
~ tion in person, received it of me. After readi
le your communication to Mr.. Lincoln, Gener
ly Scott informed me that reply would be retur
IN ed by Mr.. Lincoln as soon as possble-and
O. the same time instructed me to return to A
b. lington with General Mcdowell, thence to pr
IN ceed in the morning back to our lines, which
re did, under an escort of twenty United Stat
n cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Putnam
ir my intercourse with General Scott and the OF
g er officers of the United States Army, have
N say that was received with marked consider
t; tion and attention, and with that courtesy q
At kindness which should ever characterize Z
c. diplomatic relations Of great nations, in war
8, we'll as in peace. Understanding that the .
~ ject of my mission was the delivery of your i
De ter to Mr., Lincoln, have the honor to st'
III that it was done, and subscribe myself 20
10 obedient servant, THOS. H. TAYLOR
rs Capt. Cavalry c. s. A., and LII. Col. Cd i
n Regiment.