Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-12-23
UNION PRISONERS AT RICHMOND.
MHY THEY ARE nor EXCHANGED.

WHY THEY AXE NOI EACHANGED
As some persons may possibly even yet
have misgivings as to the proprlety OF the
refusal by the Government to accede to the
demands Of the rebels, regarding the terms
of exchanging prlsOners-not understanding
fully and clearly what those demands and
terms were-we think the following article
from the New York Erentng Post makes
the matter so plain, that we commend a
careful perusal of it to all who would wish
to understand the subject.
The Chattanooga correspondent OF the
Cincinnati Gazette says, in his report OF the
recent battle:
General Hooker met with unexpected
success and as he swept around the noun
tain, cut off and secured several hundred
prisoners These fellows hid in the rocks
and bushes, and surrendered at discretion.
Many of them were unexchanged men, ta-
ken at Vicksburg, and the question has arls
en-, what is TO be done with them. 1t is eyl-
dent from their conduct that they have been
forced to take. mp arms against us, and all
appear to be conscientious in saying that
they supposed they had been exchanged, as
they were told.
From the best sources we learn that this
report is correct and that our men had, in
the recent battle, to contend with prisoners
paroled not only by Gen Grant but also by
General Banks at Port Hudson, and never
regularly exchanged or set free. If Gener-
al Grant had suffered bloody repulse, it
would have been through the strength Civ
en- to Bragg by men whom Grant would
have sent North from Ficksburg, had he
not trusted in the promises of JEFF. Davis
and other rebels. If Rosecrans was cut up
at Chickamauga, that, too, was the result of
this unheard-of and most dishOnorable con
duct of the rebels.
Can we trust such wretches? Ought our
government to treat them as though they
were men of honor? Would it not be alb
surd, and a bitter wrong to our gallant sol
diers in the held, to do an act which would,
we now know, simply reinforce the rebel ar
mics by about forty thousand men? The
rebels hold, according to official accounts,
thirteen thousand of our men as prisoners
of war: we hold within our hands now not
less than forty thousand Of their soldiers
prisoners of war. Our government has
made offers to the rebels, any one of which
is fair and honorable, and would have been
accepted at once if the rebels had not dis
honorable intentions
lst. Our authorities offered to exchange
man for man with the rebels that is to say,
let them release and send to us the thirteen
thousand men they held, and we would at
the same time send them thirteen thousand
of their men now in our hands. This pro-
position they refused; but insisted that we
should release forty Thousand men against
their release of only thirteen thousand OF
course that is impossible.
I'd. General Meredith, our commissioner
of exchange, offered some days ago to re-
ceive all the prisoners from Richmond under
solemn pledge that they should not be al
lowed to take arms unless duly exchanged
with the consent of the rebel authorities,
without reference to existing difficulties on
the subject of exchange; and that this gov
ernment would pledge itself to both feed and
clothe all rebel prisoners in our hands.
This, too, was refused by the rebels
1t is plainly impossible to make any taIrer
offers than these. But it would be folly and
cruelty in our authorities to submit to the
rebel demands Not only would 1t neutral
ize the advantages gained by us IN some OF
the most brilliant operations of the war, but
it would leave number of our men at the
mercy of the rebels They have, according
to their own account, thirteen thousand pris-
oners of war; but how many more are Ian
gushing in Southern dungeons, OF Whom
they gave no account? Gen. Hitchcock
tells US the rebels have given no returns OF
a single prisoner captured, officer or man,
belonging to negro regiments or corps. lhe
Government has, however, recently received,
by chance, intelligence of one such officer,
now confined in dungeon, though the reb-
els had solemnly and readily agreed to ex-
change him. Gen. Hitchcock reports as fol-
lows upon his case:
Only few weeks since proposition
was made from our side that all chaplains
held as prisoners of war should be mutually
irrespective of numbers on either
side. The rebel agent, Mr.. Ould. professed
to accept this proposition cordially upon
which we sent to the South all we had of
that class of non-combatants in good faith
and received from the South about one-haf
the number belonging to us, supposing this
was all they had in custody but, as | now
learn, upon authority which | am not at lib
erty to discredit, chaplain belonging to a
Massachusetts, colered regiment, upon being
captured, was heavily ironed and sent to
prison in Columbia, South Carolina, where
he has been held, in violation of MIR. Ould' S
cordial acceptance of the proposition for
general release of this class of persons.
have every reason to believe that this par
ticular chaplain, because he had belonged to
a colored regiment, was deliberately with