The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-08-23

'LNEhAl LEE 10 GENERAL uALILth,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY or THE G. 81
Near Richmond, Va, Aug. 2, 1862.
10 The General Commanding The L. s. .1,aH
Washington:
GENERAL. In obedience to the order
of his Excellency, the President of the
Confederate States, have the honor 20
make you the following communication
On the 22d of July last cartel for
general exchanged of prisoners was signed
by Major General Johu A. Dix on behalf
of the United States, and by Major Gen.
eral d. II. Hill on the part of this Gov
ernment By the terms of that cartel il
is stipulated that all prisoners Of war
hereafter taken shall be discharged ON
parole until exchanged Scarcely had
the cartel been signed when tho military
authorities OF tho United States COM
menced q practice Of changing the char
acter Of the war from such as becomes
| civilized nations into a campaign of in
discriminate robbery and murder.
A general order issued by the Secre-
tary of War Of the United States in the
city Of Washington. on the very day that
the cartel was signed in Virginia, directs
the military commanders of the United
| States 10 take the property of our people
for the convenience and use of the army
without compensation.
general order issued by Major Gen.
| Pope, on the 23d Of July last, the day
! after the date Of the cartel. directs the
murder Of our peaceful citizena as spies,
if found quietly tilling their farms in his
rear, even outside Of his lines.
And one of his Brigadicr- Generals.
/ aStoinwehr, has seized innocent and peace
! ful inhabitants 10 bo held as hostages, 70
tho end that they may be murdered ia
| cold blood IL any Of his soldiers are kill
ed by some unknown persons whom he
designates as bushwhackers" Some
! Of the military authorities seem TO sup
! pose that their end will be better attain
| ed by savage war in which no quarter
is TO be given and no age or sex is TO be
spared, than by such hostiiities as are
alone recognized 10 be lawful in modern
times We find ourselves driven by our
enemies by steady progress toward q
practice which we abhor, and which we
are yainly struggling 10 avoid
Under these circumstances this Gov
ernment has issued the accompanying
General Order, which / am directed by
the President 70 transmit TO you, recog
nizing Major Gener"l Pope and his com
missioncd officers 10 be in the position
which they have chosen for themselves -
that Of robbers and murderers, and mol
that Of public enemies, entitled, IL cap
tured, TO be treated as prisoners Of war
The President also instructs me TO inform
you that We ronJunce our right Of retail.
alton on the innOccut, and will cOntinu,
TO treat the private soldiers of Genera
Pope's army as prisoners Of war; but II
after notice TO your Government tina
they c0nllne repressiye measures 10 th
punishment Of commissioned officers VIII,
are willing TO participate in these crimes
the savage practices threatened in th
orders alluded to be persisted iu, W
shall reluctantly bo forced 10 the last re
sort OF accepting the war on the term
chosen by our enemies, until the voice O
an outraged humanity shall compel a re
spect for the recognized usagcs Of wal
While the President considers that Ga
facts referred 10 would justify a reluss
{ on our part 10 execute the cartel by whic
We have agreed To libcratc an excess 4
prisoners Of war in our hands, a sacre
regard for pighted faith which shrink
from the semblance Of breaking a pre-
mise precludes a resort 10 such an ca
/ trcmity, nor is il his desire 10 extend
{ any other forces of the United States N
punishment mented by General Pope an
, such commissioned officers as choose
, participate in the execution Of his inil
. nous order. II. h. LEE,
! General Commanding