Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-06-20
COLONEL CORCORANA AND THE PRIyA.
TEERSNEN

Mr.. Stanton, Secretary Of War, has laid before
Congress the correspondence Of Gen. Wool with
the Confederate General Huger, In relation to a
general exchange Of prisoners with the special
object OF obtaining the release Of Col Corcoran
and Col. Wilcox. Gen. Huger was evidently
snubbed by the Rebel Secretary Of War
On the Cd OF May Gen. Wool wrote that the
rebel privateersmsn were held as prisoners Of
war, and fof exchange. To this Gen. Huger re-
piled the next day, stating that the hostages un-
der the circumstance would be exchang ged as other
prisoners; and agreed to release those longest
tned, III the privateersmen were released; and
further states thai he had requested Gen. winder
to send prisoners from Richmond to Newport
News on Monday, the 5th inst
On the 10Th Gen. Wool writes that he 10 prepared
to make exchange Z" on the terms you proposed In
your communication Of Sd instant -
Huger replied the next day from Petersburg
and tells Gen. Wool, IL he will release upon
parole the prtvateersmen, and send them to City
Point, he viii return such mum Der of the officers
heretofore retained as hostages for them, would
be their equivalent, the captains Of prvateersmen
to rank as lieutenants Of the navy, and the mates
OF ths privateers az masters mates. ANY OF the
other hostages that may not be required for eI-
change for the privateen will be released upon
parole to be exchanged for officers Of equal rank
or their equivalent.
Gen. W ool wrote on the 21st, asking Gen HugeI
to appoint the time for the exchange to take place
and on the 23d the latter writes that the Wal
Department trebel had fully agreed to the terms
stated In his letter Of the ID, and said he would
be responsible for the delvey Of all the hostages
30 soon as The privateersmen were given up, and
that II not interrupted by operations in the held
would speedily effect the exchange
On June lst Gen. w col sent the p-ivateersmen n
In all eighty i've In number, with instructions tc
deliver 'hen up on receiving the hostages, Col
cording 10 Gen. Hueer's proposal: In the mea n.
time Gen. Huger had been writing TO his supe.
rioFs In Richmond, who refused to accede 10 the
terms They plainly, for some reason, desired tC
keep Coils. COrcoran and w ilcox
On June Sd Gen Huger wrote Gen WOOl
enclosing communication from the rebel Secre
tary OF War, g w. Randolph Huger confesse,
that he does not clearly understand the letter OF
bis Secretary OF War; and reiterates what he said
before, that he proposed to exchange Gf an ex
change was at all e1ected) those who had been
longest held as prisoners, and that he intended
to give such numbers of the hostages In exchange
as would be required by the cartel exchanging
the equivalent Of rank, and the other Ulcers tC
be excnanged as usual
The letter from the Secretary Of War to Gen
Huger expresses a willingness 10 PERFORM the
agreemen: between Huger and Wool but canno,
consent 10 c1IrY out a palpable misconsiructon
OF IL, much more disadvantageOus to the Govern.
ment Of the Confederate States. than the agree.
ment itself, and requests Gen. Huger to inform
Gen. Wool that the War Department will execute
faithfully vour agreement with him OF Nav 8
without considering whether you were suthorized
10 make 1t or not that we will exchange such
omcers recently held as >sta2es as he may name
for the privateersmen, according to the cartel
agreed on, but that we shall hold others to be
exchanged hereafter.
The letter concludes by saving: 81 might Justly
com plain that Gen Wool, an = bsing Informed
by Gen. Cobb that the Officers hitherto held az
hostages for the privateersmen had been placed
On the same footing es other prisoners Of wal, ,
and knowing that number of them more than
equivalent to the privateenmen, had actually
been paroled, should yet negotiate with YOU as Il
they were all still held as hostages, apparently
taking advantage Of the circumstance that you
were not so well informed as himselfn
Here the matter rests.