Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-03
HE EXCHANGE Of Prisoners

a oeotc'u9 hO"Ne % keoet Dttrlictv-Is
sincerity Of TIE Rs6~s
| The rebel Commissioner, Ould, who ha.
oeen endeavorins to defraud the United States
| Ia the exchange OF prisoners, has proved
himself to be an outright falsifer, as the fol-
| lowing, By his own admissions to our Com
missioner OF Exchange, will show:
OFFICE COMMISSIONERS OF EXCHANGED
FORTRESS MONROE, Va, Nov u, 1868.
Hon. Robert Os4ld, Aesnt Of Exchanges, Rich
''aond, "a.
sIR L acknowledge the receipt of your
communication Of October Slst. I would
have been surprised at its contents lad l not
been previously acquainted with your habit
OF special pleading, and of pervsrting the
truth.
In the last interview but one which l had
with you, you stated to me, distinctly and un
squlvocally, that you would make declarations
OF exchange whenever you conscientiouslv
telt that you had the right SO to do, for the
purpose OF putting men into the field. You
made this statement not only once, but two
or three times In my previous interviews
with you had taken the precaution to have
verbal propositions of any Importance made
oy you reduced to writing; on this occasion
retralned from my usual course, now much to
my regret, as | will do you the justice to say
that have no doubt you have forgotten what
occurred at that meeting.
The following extracts, from two of your
letters, will probably serve to convince you
that 1t is highly probable that, while laboring
under the excitement limited at above you
may have made the statement attributed to
you. From your letter dated October 2, 1868,
take the following:
"Inow inform you, in view Of the recent declar-
alton of exchange u ade by you, coupled with your
failure either to agree or decline the proposition
made to you the oath of August last, in relation
to paroles, that the Confederate authorities will
consider themselves entirely at liberty to pursue
any course as to exchange or paroles which they
may deem rig hit and proper"
Again, in your letter to me, of October
18th, you stated as follows:
al reserve to myself the right to make further
declarations of exchange, from time to time based
upon the paroles in my off ce, until have declared
exchanged a number of Confederate soldiers equal
to that of Federal troops declared exchanged by
your last notice p'
In these two extracts you arrogate to your
Government and yourself the right to declare
exchanges. Of course a Government in as
prosperous condition as the Confederacy,
with men in superabundance to put into the
field, would not declare men exchanged for
that purpose, nor would high toned, honor
able gentleman, who has reserved to himself
the right to declare exchanges, use that right
with the idea of putting men in the field. Yet
it is well known that many officers and men
captured at Vicksburg were in the battle of
Chickamauga. l deem it proper here to say
few words in relation to the $4,000 paroles
which you state you have in your possession,
and which you claim as valid. You rest the
validity of these paroles (Which l have never
seen, and which you acknowledge to have
been accommodating for many months) on Gen
eral Orders Of the United States Government,
Nos. 40 and 100. These two orders announce
general rules based on the usages of war,
but cartel having been agreed upon, no Or
der of either party could set aside its pro-
visions (Which I have stated to you on sew
eral occasions). For instance commander
on being captured might under some circum-
stances, give a parole for himself and his
command without violating General Order No.
100 (Which includes General Order No 49,,
but unless the paroling was done at City Point,
or other named places, it would be in viola
ton of the cartel, nor could exceptions be
taken to this course by the party granting the
parole, because the validity of the parole de-
ponds on a strict compliance with the pro-
visions of the cartel.
Paragraph 100 of Order 100, which pre-
scribes the duties that a paroled soldier may
| perform, is also to some extent set aside by
the cartel, which restricts these duties to a
much more limited field than the order
Paragraph l31, which you attempt to make
so much of, is also rendered imperative by
the cartel, because it could only apply to
paroles not given at the points designated for
delivery; but all such paroles are by the car
tel made invalid, and the paroling party
therefore has no pretext for claiming their
recognition.
Had such claim been admitted, the effect
at Gettysburg would have been to give to
Gen. Lee the privilege of placing his prison
ers in our hands, to be delivered to him at
City Point, at our own charge, a claim SO
manifestly absurd that | am surprised that
even you should have had the assurance to
make it. Yet on precisely this ground rests
the foundation for the eighteen thousand pa
roles which you claim as valid. Paroles on
the field of battle, often given in haste by an
enemy unable to take care of or receive them,
are informal and invalid by the laws of war.
Most of the paroles above mentioned were
taken by guerrillas bushwhackers, and de-
tached commands in the West.
No possession was ever had, no delivery
was ever made, and no rolls have ever been
furnished of those giving them. On the cap
ture Of town by a cavalry raid, the COM
mand remained long enough to take the pa
roles of the unarmed citizens there, and then
decamped, leaving the paroled men behind,
and forwarding the paroles to accumulate in
your Office in Richmond, yet you have the as
surance to say that you expect the United
States Government to exchange prisoners le-
Ultimately captured in battle and now held in
custody, for such paroles az these.
1t is well for you to write letters filed with
well-feigned indignation at any irputation
upon the integrity or honesty of your Gov
eminent or yourself, for publication in the
South, to delude the suffering people there
into the belief that you and your Govern
mcnt are doing everything to cause aresump
ton of exchanges, but feel it my duty to
say that your principles are so flexible and
your rule of action so slightly Influenced by
sense of truth, honesty or honor, that | find
it almost impossible to arrive at any fair IN
Outstanding with you on the subject, and all
my efforts thus far, for the above reason, have
been fruitless.
In your communication of October 9th,
you use the following language:
"I state that General Orders Nos. 40 and leo
not sent to at the same. l received GEN
eral Order No. 40 long before No. 100 delivered
to me. Their respective dates will show that be
the fact. My own personal recollection is that
General Order No. 100 was never communicated in
letter"
You then proceed to impress the public
with the idea of your careful habits, as fol-
lows:
"It my habit faithfully to keep all letters writ
ten by the Federal Agent Of Exchange"
But this most important letter happened to
be mislaid, which intelligence you convey to
the Southern public as follows:
ga careful search of the records of my office