Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-08-02
Richmond, July 20, 1861.
DOCUMENT Al.
To ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President and
COmmander-in- 0hief Of the Army and
RICHMOND July, 6, 1861.

hlCHMoND jury ., 1901.
To ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President and
Conlmander-ia- Chief Of the Arnly and
Nary Of the United States.
SIR--Having learned that the schooner Savan-
nah, a private armed vessel and sailing under a
commission issued by authority Of the Confederate
States of America, had beer captured by one of
the blockading squadron off Charleston harbor |
directed a proposition to be made TO the officer
commanding that squa dron for an exchange of the
officers and crew of the Savannah for prisoners of
war held by this government, according to num-
Der and rank" To this proposition made on the
10th ult, Capt Mercer, the officer in command of
the blockading squadron made answer on the same
day that the prisoners Preferred toy are not on
board Of any of the vessels under my command"
1t now appears by statements made without con-
tradiction in newspapers published in New York,
that the prisoners aforementioned were conveyed
to that city, and have been treated, not as prison.
ers 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 rumored that they have beea actual
ly 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.
I could not without grave dscourtesy have mad
the newspaper statements above referred to the
subject of this communication, if the threat of
",
armed for its service the high seas had not been
contained in your proclamation of the - April
last; that proclamation, however, seems to afford
sufficient justification for considering these pub
lished statements as not devoid of probability
1t is the desire of this Government so tsfcon-
duct the war now existing as to mitigate its bor-
rors, as far as may be possible: and with this in
tent 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 under similar condition
within this Confederacy, and all have been furnish
ed with ratons for their subsistence such as are al
lowed to our own troops. 1t is only since the
news has been received of the treatment of the
prisoners takenon the Savannah, that have been
compelled to withdraw these indulgences and to
hold the prisoners taken by US in strict confne-
ment
| A just regard to humanity and to the honor Of
this government now requires to state explicit
ly, that painful will be the necessity, this gov
ernment will deal out to the prisoners held by il
the same treatment and the same fate as shall be
experienced by those captured on the Savannah
and if driven to the terrible necessity of retaliation
by your execution of any of the officers crew Of
the Savannah, that retaliation shall be extended SC
far shall be requisite to secure the abandonment
of practice unknown to the warfare of civilized
man and so barberous to disgrace the natior
which shall be guilty Of inauguiating it.
| With this view, and because it may not have
reached you, | now renew the proposition made t.
the blockading squadron, to exchange for the pris
oners taken on the Savannah, an equal number Of
those now held by us, according to rank.
! / am, sir, yours, &c,
JEFFERSON DAVIS,
President and Comnldnder-ir- Chief of the
Army and Nary Of the Confederate States