Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-08-27
To the General Commanding.
r. s drmy WaXhiu1t0n D.

10 the General Commanding.
.. s. army, Washington, d. c.:
GESERAr.-In obedience to the order of His Ex-
celleucy, the President of the Confederate States
have the honor to make to you the following som-
municatiOn
On the 22d July last cartel for general en-
change of prisoners Of war was signed between
MajorG General ID. II. Hill in behalf Of the Confed-
crate States, and Major General John 4. Dix, in
behalf of the United States.
BY the terms of the cartel it is stipulated that all
prisoners Of war hereafter taken shall be discharged
on parole till exchanged.
= Scarcely had that cartel been signed when the
military authorities of the United States commence
ed practice changing the whole character of the
war, from such as becomes civilized nations into,a
campaign of indiscriminate robbery and murder.
The general order issued by the Secretary of War
of the United States, in the City Of Washington, on
the very day the cartel was signed in Virginia, d.
rccts the military commanders of the U. States to
take the private property of people for the con-
venience and use Of their armies, without COM
pensation.
The general order issued by Major General Pope
on the 23d day Of July, the day after signing Of the
cartel, directs the murder of peaceful lnhabi-
tants as spies if found quietly tiing the farms in
his rear even outside of his lines and one of his
Brigadier Generals Steinwehr has seized upon in
nocent and peaceful inhabitants to be held as hos
tages to the end that they may be murdered in cold
blood, if any of his soldiers killed by
known persons whom lie desgnates as Bush
whackers."
We find ourselves driven by our enemies by
steady progress towards practice which we abhor,
and which We are vainly struggling to avoid. Under
these circumstances this Government has issued the
accompanying general order, which am directed
by the President to transmit to you, recognizing
Maj Gen. Pope and his commissioned officers to be
in the position which they have chosen for them
Selves that of robbers and murderers and not that
of public enemies entitled if captured to be treated
as prisoners of war
The President also instructs me to inform you
that renounce our right of retaliation the in
nocent and will continue treat the private enlist
ed soldiers of Gen. Popes army prisoners of war;
but if after notice to your government, that
fine repressve measures to the punishment Of com
missioned officers, who are willing participants in
those crimes the savage practice threatened in the
order alluded to be persisted in, shall be reuc
family forced to the last resort of accepting tho
the terms chosen by our enemies, until the
of an outraged humanity shall compel respect for
the recognized usages of war.
While the President considers that the facts re-
ferred to would justify refusal on our part to exc.
cute the cartel by which we have agreed to iberate
in excess of prisoners of war in hands, sacred
regard for plighted faith which shrinks from the
semblance of breaking promise precludes resort
to such an extremity; nor is it his desire to extend
to any other forces of the United States the punish
mont merited by Gen. Pope, and such commissioned
officers as choose to participate in the execution of
his Infamous order.
have the honor to be-
Very respectfully,
Your obdL servant
[Signedl r. E. LEE,
Gen. Cong