Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-27
REP GRV OF SECRETARY Of WAR
UPON TIE NEGOTIATIONS FOR TIE LX yHAAGE
OF PRISONERS
WAR DEPARTMENT. March l7.h, 1862.

UPON TIE NEiO rIATION5 FOR TIE IN yHAAGE
OF PRISONERS.
War DEPARTMENT, March l7h, 1862.
SIR: In the report made TO yoa a. the commenc me1t
OF the present session, the ollo~Hg pas'ge VAS CO.
TAI cd
Negotiations With the enemy have recently been in
progress orte lnge o. isone's They are not yet
,ur-.y comil ted ana avoid iuIthsr delay 10 submit
tins p- replr, they vii be presented ia separate com
mu lea is. "
TT. ucgota ioas hsve nov been c;nelul 10 man
nor lls &c be expected, sLd n' narrative Of the
sJd0u ct his D rtmout o. Tie subi 90.
W en- Iougress fs-t G1'srl.Ioed private arm d
vests the plbaC DEF zee, lie PsIsiden .! the CH.-
I'd S,S Iceland bis -urPose 10 tJea. cur seGneu CT
sac vessels PTaes. hospFrehcn ioa ws cutcrta.n-
ri of Ggy a. mpi put tls -guAce IL ,xscui 1te
pit & de.t cf pi-Jleg oi Tar j. regarded 80 mG-
de- b. N civz,l raigcs a. it Tas "stsrsd g.. t.r
tltt ,ns gu.-. 9i m1nzlIi wgu'l sJii 8, de-, ...
sremy !.gm me commission Ct such crime. -n' 4,
h0Vtys-, s1m, of cur i-!lJr glz Re- captured
p-ir.esrs th-y were trcs'i Es l1-., c)-ia- 81 tie
js a5gr- ID 20 criminals, nj enc c. t.cl wa i
iF cocvC.sG Tor CtccT crce sat hs4t-s ~ sea n
she E,l re- og biz csuluy. dor IL ci-cul.t i-C-s
tao iclcwi-g Ctter Was Issued by &c D pGtnsa,:
Rloss,SD. November Q 1861.
SIR You a-, berab7 instructed % choose ~ 10, fs'm
amcug to- pri'4c:s gt u highest n X oIc - Is
% BE- CO hlsl l. eel spp-1os-cd 20 Convicted t-ills
suj vlo 10 be .rCsed 10 all respects 80 Il 5uch con
y'gj aud b. hold for cx-,ron IN the slm2 msrrer
- may 1e ado tsi ~ ms e1sm7 for r.e execution o
tho Do8eT Of va Smith recently c0ad ,m1ei 10 death
ia P,5l5dGpbia.
Ycu vii ai0 select thirteen her prisoner. Of va7
the hir il re Of those osp;lrsf 10y our forces 20
De cnGat in the cs TcacrT,d for prisoners accused
OF Infamous crimes aud will treat ihtm such 80 org
tee enemy T. a, couicue 90 to treat tIc Ike numb
OF prisoners OF captured by tA,m at aud roN
held 10; ,rill IN y IS YaI4 as pr.;es.
As td'se measures are a;eadcd 10 r,pres9 the ira
nous atienD: made ~ thc e3Im7 10 commit de-
cial mlIder or prisoners ol var, you vii "a
sTicy he mode bee. oacgA.gt 70 Prevent the con-
mission Vi 80 heiHous cf.ma.
Your obedient servant
TSisne6l J. P BENJAMIN,
Ac'irg S.ce'.Ty Ci War.
To 3rigadsr.Genc:al JOHN Il. wlader, Richmond
This prcmp: and necessary Of retaliation pro-
duced ,he desired Gc A;;er soma Sitancy, the en-
emy released the rra'ersman fsom lemcn as iel
ous the con- let vas liberated from bis CELL and al prs
O. crs were placed proi,ssed!y on the same footing
her prl-cros Of var. A. tho same time The rev $40
re-. ~ Of WAr Of he United ltes made to this Il "
err i. It the novel proposal taat tFo Cf our en'U'cs
sicul be permitted navel at pleasure throu- car
s-u-try, visit. h' pisoLers Of war held by Us and
uilistor;5g 20 their sgppcs wants. As It was lot
iecmai prob Die th.t this prop9 al made with any
xDccaion OF lt5 pit CO, the purpose really enter
.aiued hy the enemy sought .or AID from certain
r1rressi1rs contain Ia the letter. The coucuson was
reached hat a tx,h1,gs Of prisoners was -tendei-
The l,er of tn U-ited sta.es Secretary Of War was
as,o dpg'y treated as proposition Tor Exchange, and
ansEtred such.
In It's susw.r the cremy was informed a. biz pro.
position was "cofGilly welcomed as bang IN entire
rdancs with the views always entertained by tts
Government" Ny Communication stated in precise an-
.uage the basis Of tho agreement for the oXcha1Ec
'man for a1G officer Tor Cffcsr Of equal gaze, as
simlatog the gr6d of tic ofi;ers Of the army and
navy 10 Acc,rditce vi h ostbished usage when nee
sary ard agreeing UPON qltlbe terms for tie nber
o. men or o,cIs OF interior grade, TO be exchanged
for ary officer Of higher grade, when the Iion shall
arise for such CIChlrgr." Additional proposals verc
co. tain in Tho same letter and for Thorough under.
standing of all that occurred have the honor to
oopies Of tue correspondsT ce, as 10 lows:
A-Le;t,r Of Hoe. Ed-in NJ. S'sn'ol, Secretary Of
War Of the Uaitei SlatSs dated 30.l Jruay, 1862 sd
dressed to VI ssrs Amel and Fs1 viii instructions Gs
70 their proposed mission.
B-Lst CT Of Al F,b-uiry, 1862 from Sai G,rerai
20 j, commlndilg Ct Fortress Monroe to jSr p,
ger, commanding a. Norfolk, ero!Asirg copy o! tie
af.u:io-5 ahove mentioned l-kicg igr T. ie Ca uct
for lc tSO oonm soasrs AID rendering reciprocal rgL
4 vii to u
Letter OF b Of Fsbrrtry 1882. frru re urdar
signed crrfary o. r adj ss-d 20 MeS3rs J,nSs
A. Ssdiou ard Charles B Conrad Commissioners a.
ec I'd in beualt O; this Gogerlm.nt giving th IN in
-trucors 20 meet Ama5 and Fish, aud Ne late
general ezcharge o. prisoners, wi.a .p'c &c detail u
The basis for exchange Ia closing this Letter the follow
ing remarks were made:
II have sid notliog tie subject of cur piTaes's
recently treated eiOis b cause have been "a III d
10 find from the ments OF the puoe j,urnsis that
these olpvss are henctJrh 10 b treated prisoners
OF war. |, IS however, eKrem y u1sais 70 rely cH
news isper stl;ements that il will be vel tor you 10
qncst an official assurance o! this fact from Acs.rs
Ames and FISH, in ord 'hs: the prisoners held oy U
AS hos sges be al once relieved from their pioHal
colcirol, ard compr heneed in the general tIc;agc
Dorm OF Letter ssnt 10 Al. b ger, 20 be by
him ad .ressed to Gen. Woo, aat which was dated u
Norfolk on tie 9h February, aud forwarded to lis az
d eEs.
E-Tde ans ser OF Gen Wool to Gen. Huger, da.el
a For Monroe on the lS F.bruary, stating thai he
alone was clothed With ul powers TO- toe exchange q
pnsorer,;" that be was prepsrdto arrapge Tor tn
restoration Of al the prisores 10 thoir homes on t.r
terms CT eIcba0gc, for mIn and tf,cr for ci es
OF equal grade stsimiicg The grade oil oii,ers OF the
amy aud raw phen neceseary, and agreeing upoa eq
table terms for the number Of or ofcs OF iufsdor
grade TO be exchanged any Of higher gade when the
occasion shall arise"
Also "that al the surplus prisoners either side be
dschnged on rarole Nih the agreemtni that any pri
4ontrs of wa taken by the other patty sha be
ed in exchange fast az captured and this system TO
De continued while hostil ties continue"
General WoJl further gave assurance "that the pri
soners tax on bolrd OF vessels Otherwise In mari
me- CO. ct by the forces OF the UL ted States have
b,eb pu aud are row held only 10 mill AIRY custody, nd
on the same footing as other prisoners AIKEN in arms"
", aliv General Wool declared him elf rol6y to con-