, 1863-11-19

1 ANNA
conscience ia enlightened and guided By those
laws Of war which require obedience between
heUiEe1eEts to solemn ngree.uenss, entered
in;o by auth61iZen commissioners acting In
the nsme If their respective superiors, Bat,
n5ou nean by the expression. "soae coasci-
se1se of right for the requirements of an e1-
| listing cartel. caa By no meat8 concsde to
5cu TINT right; and if you do not neA1 this,
Cannot understand Fhat you do neAn BY SO
vsgue and general q declaration. Judging b.
Iour recent proceedings, 1t seems that You
have declared exchanged all Confederate off
cesR and soldiers on parole within what you
claim as your Hnes up to q very receltdas
without having my proper right to do 30,
either under the cartel or under the LAWS Of
war.
= The history of this matter, as understand
It., is briefly this: Willis my predecessor, on
duty at this place, Was here, 10 dt*cha:ge of
| the duties now committed to me, you ar one
TING made declaration Of exchange embsa.
chg great number Of prisoners of war,
rot in accordance with the requirements Of
the cartel. and you invited Col. Ludlow, my
predecessor, to make corresponding dcclsra-
1ion Of tqn!v n!valents. 8uch declaration was
nade BY Col. Ludlow, doubtlen without an.
t1c1rating the magnitude Of the eFu which
appeara now as the result Of that departure
| Subsequently to my, coming on duty hera.
| the events Of the war threw upon vnnr 1,4nI3
large body of paroled officers and men
| Iover $4,000 captured by Gen. Grant at
500 or more captured By Gen. Banks at Fort
Suddenly, aud without aoy proper confer.
| ence or usderstandiug with me, and but a
few days prior to the important events at
Chickamauga, as It Tor the express purpose
Of incTeaetng the force Of Gen. Bragg against
| Gan. Kosecrsns, you gave me notice that, on
the next day after the date of that notice,
| yhu would declare exchanged large EoriIon
Gen. Grant.
When your declaration was made, It cover
60 an i1detsrmlnate number Of troops, de-
n}gpatEd by commands, brfgades, divisions
and corps, no definite number of either Off
GERS OR men being designated, Up to that
Time, you had delivered at City Point GER
tain number Of prisoners Of var, for WHICH
yen t:d receipts, by which you must have
10 discharge from their parole. You did not
think proper to lio,it yourself 10 this mum
Der, Tor, In any proper manner, did You refer
to 1t, but made Jour declaration OF exchange
ir euch indeduite terms us made 1t next TO
certain that yoa did not intend to be govern.
On ref ring to the data furnished By the
reports OF Gen. G1art, and no~ Ia the hands
OF the Com1nfssnEy, General If Proylsions al
Washington, 1t vas asce,taincd that you had
discharged from parcls, by your declaration,
very considerable number Of your mea over
and above any ciaim you nif:ht pretend to,
fpended on receipts Tor prisoners Of mar de-
hSe.ec frc1n the South according to the cartel.
Without referring to fractions, 1t appeared.
lam the best data In our hands, tha. you had
ecli:cha:g* q three tyr two, or ons-third iaore
You suggested that should mako cor-
tsl ending declaration Of exchange, when.
es suppose, ytu muet have known you had
BOT delivered to me, nor had you valid pa
reles CT our men sufficient to cover the num-
Mr declared exchanged by yourself; and |
~hen proceeded to make ths declaration |
extef ding TO those men you had delivered, |
81 d stated to sou my objection to your PRO.
CT ttc!ras, Jou lDslsted that you had valid pa, |
iolta fcE more than the number that you had |
etclared exchanged, though you filled to |
or tlttory Of them and you then proceeded |
4. 1lhEe further decl .1atlon Of exchange.
1g1or}rg the cartel al'ogathes-basiug youe
action upon no data communicated to me,
tie "hole proceeding resting, as I. suppose |
!: yon were tha only party. having .
right to an opirion On the subIe:t
iig evidently In anticipation of the formal
ctcla1ation retired to a. the commencement
Ct ;lss Communication. "that you will pro.
tie purpose Of putting troops into ths field
rhentver ycn tliuk proper" and, having
noT exhausted, By adeclatatlon of exchange
tbs paro1ed prisoners In your hanas, you pfo.
pcse to ne The delivery Of prisoners OF war
m cur hands, for whom Tou have 10 eq1lYa-
o:ter, rs II were, that you may obtaln pos-
sesk1en e many 'huu.a1i!s more meg of four
OWL, delivered OF on p3role, for this purpose
II declaring thern also exchanged, ard p1t:f
Il: them into the 1eld, not in conformity
~n5 the ex'sNcg cartel, nor in accordance
rSH fArf Htha~ T.. |
scur Individual judgment, yon may tt4ak it
proper to CO SO. l have 0uly to add that IN
ea'5 inference from tifa statement Il the
= a1sa a er have 70 make TO your proposal Of
TIE eo:h iEst:, which is no: accepted.
Respectfully, your obediea1 servant,
8 A. MgREp11H, /
B']Eadler General and Commissioner for Ex-
change
coSFEpEHAT5 % & STATES Or AxER1cA,)
MAE DEPAHTAEST, 1
R1cHAoND, Oct 81, 1853,
51jg. Con. S. a. Meredith, Agent Of Exchange;
SIR: Your Communication Of the 29th inst
has been received, and Its extraordinyry and
zsouadlefs statements read With Surprise.
BIZ. Ould then proceeds to repeat each 49,
st. ton IN Gen. Meredtth'e letter and reply to
i in which u good deal Of quibling and petit
e eeng an9 aooslgs language Is indu]ged In.
1ratmuch. however, as my declaration, to cor
:1tesablc extent, ts retsllatory OF youIs have |
ieetaed 1t more appropriate 10 follow your own
9Im o, sspse.ston Yons M Istte. Of tho s4tn Of
Gsited States amy. captured aud paro.ed at any
me pFeSioas 70 t5s BE- i; It. FL q septemb 1862
*, declared exchanged nil f1oaieder,te1 % otfl.
:. II and men Captured aud pato1ed at any time
presious to the 1st Of s:ptember, 1863. II that
elloweo your example. Our declarations Of eI.
ctaIEe Htrc previously similar, except that, In |
'Eothe. la,t of NY no.lee reserved from is ope-
had followed yoar "sense Of light" as then
.sa I'D tttll ~ c'aim the hight to Do. woald hay3
The Confederate authorities take It unto til m.
:tlyte as proud aud holoyable bolyt tnat thev 1
'ave determined III these matters OF paroles aud
;sshaDges aeeorainE 10 tneir sense Of tgas,"
In following that guide they hsvo at least stunned
3ome I, Examples farnished By your Government
5hsy hayx IN ,;t yo9 II Of shss
pa1oed oesrs - e nd aea Pos e. 5tsa
ta1s solemn covenant, and, without exchange,
have, Therefore, escaped the paass of that
Slde5 though ~ 20 vol ysa sait;S 5iia e taa
given At Port Hutton On the gsh of III ths Io1a sams
ngnth- Upon further reflection, am sure you
u 6s satisfied thfs It does not bseoo Your
lett SO disposed. without notice Of consent from
3s, to 1epndint= the established ussges Of e1-
el, to complain that Others have acted a.coriino
o their acnee Off right. :
Not sontent with all the misstatements Of fact +,
hfch have cited, you h5ye In -FOUR letter OF lie
18th int descended to malignant and wapton
Ispersion Of the motives OF Confederate authori-
lee In making the ptopossl contained In my letter
4 fhs ajth inst. iou wire asked to 5sree "tlat
IL officers and men On both sldea should ba re. =
eased, the excess on one side OF the other to be
y p paso!e:" + wonld have hsen injustice enoagh
anda, and to those of ouss il y5ur custody. sin.
'ly to hare declined the proposal. B1t You have
t ought proper to add to yo1f Iefu s1l tha vrefni
ous 1nfult to taa Confederate States, OF Ultima. =
Jig that the fair and honest offer was m9de for =
impose Of putting In tue Geld officers and Innn |
.nduIently exchanged. This caIumnV fs ~ c
ssitaie Of foundation In fact, IS It is desp!csbo
L spirit. :
In conclusion, let me tell you that the purposc
t iyonr litter is appasent It hss besn VII
town for long tine that your authorities arc
ppnscd to fair and regular exchange Of prison-
:. pndar th9 cartel. u rejecting my proposition
rave charges and uhfourded statements, ths de-
animation TO which Joar Government has siecs
rtised: Why aot be frank ences Why not say,
'trhont any further Eubtezfuse, that you have
eacttd tho conclusion that our officers I'd SOL
iets are mora valuable, man for man, than YOURS:
Rcfps cttIl1y, your obedient servant,
ROBERT OuID, Agent Of Exchange.
AMEsDE.--some time eiace, We prefaced .
i extract from the Christian IstzM7eucs,. =
18th apazagraFh not very complimentary 70 | /