Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-07-15
lNTaREsrIae ooaassronBENaE.

A@1-ioA ttHe was 9-iiet 4lu ~ Al---s
ENFEREsFBgG CsRagsroNDENeE.
Eoa. 4. Il. StsgEsas on a Mission % Washing
teH-Ks IS net AH0lrsd 10 Proceed further tksH
Nei5P0r RslsS-ifis- Mission Eejgr.at - Tie
Federal authorities Consider 'thc .3IltlsF5zsd
Charnsls" Sg6isisni
Tbs following correspondence viii exPlaia
itself;
RICHIOND, July p 1868.
Hon A. Il. Stephens, Riehmoad, Va:
SIR: Having accepted your patriotis offer to
proceed ss military commissioner, under flag
of truce, 70 Washington, you viii receive here
=fth y0ET letter Ell authority to the Commander
iR-Chief Of the array ard navy Of the Uaitea
States.
This letter is signed by rzs, IS Commander
in-Chief Of the CsEfedeIGts land and naTa.
foress.
YoE viii parceive from the terms Of iho letter
thst it is SO wordsd as to avoid anY political
difficulties in its reception. Intended exclusively
as one Of those communications between bell
lig5rents which public lsw recognizes IS n5css-
sGry and Fropey between hostile io-ces. care hss
been tkkeR to give no Byetext for refusing to rs-
esive Z on the ground that it would involve O
iseit recognition Of the independence Of Che
ConfedsEaey
YouT mission is simFiy enc Of humanity, and
kas no PeliEcEl asPest
If objection ia made 60 receiving your letter,
On the ground tkst it Is not ad5feszaI to Ab1s-
ham Lincoln, 'as President instead o. com
man2sria-ehisf, etc, then ycH wi-l present sas
duplicate letter, which ls addressed 90 hiu, as
Persistent, and signed by me, IS PleBiieue To
this latter, objection may be mr5s oa the ground
tsRt l an not recognized 20 he President of the
CSnfsderaey. In this event, You wiz derliue
auy further stteHpt 70 confer on the subject Of
yeQr mission, as such conference is admissible
only on the footiQg of perfect equsiity.
4y recent interviews with you have put voG
so fully in possession of my views tratit is
scarcely necessary to give y5u acy detailed in.
stTHetioas, even were / 81 this mo1ont, wo.l
enough to attempt iI.
My whels purpose Is, IL Gre Wsri, 70 p'acs
bis var en- the footing Of such SO sfs wsgsl by
civilized Peap.e in TnoaeIn times and 10 vest i5
of tbe savage character " 1Icl has been inuve7s-
ed on it BY on sqegniss ia spite Of ai cur forts
and protests. War is foil euouga Of uuaveils-
Die horrors, under Eli It's Nspects 30 Justify sad
even to dsm-ud, Of any Christian ruieIs vb5
msy be uDhapPlly angaget, 10 carrying it On, 20
seek 10 restrict is eelsmiiiss, and 10 iTest 60 of
all unnecessary seventies. You VIII 5-5a2T1r
to establish the cartel for the exchange Of n.js-
snsIs on sEch bssig as % svai5 tbs c7nsts.t
! 5is;cultiss su3 eamplaiHts which arise and 30
prevent fer the future, what we deem ths ua--ir
coRduci sf eur sscBies in evs5iEE t5a delivery
Of the prisoners who fall iuto their hands; H re-
tsgding It by sending them 1n eircuTous ron
and by defining ths2, sometimes for mont zs
in camps ard prisons, asd iB pegsisiiHE iH
takiHg caplivas aeR eomba5suts.
Year attention 10 also called Go shs uah=asa
| sf conduct Of Federal aihcoys ia driving lrom
/ their hsmss entire communities Of women and
/ children, as well as Of men, whom tt-r Eu1 in
/ districts occupied by ihair tre7p5 for no other
reason than because these UUfortunstes ere fsita-
fol 10 the allegiance due TO their States and re-
| fuse to take aa osth of fidelity 60 hcir enemies
! This puttHg TO death of unsrrnsd prisoners has
/ bsea grsuad Of inst complaint in mere tE2o
oss instaRc7, sad the recent execution Of ofisers
I Of our army N Kentucky, for tho sole Cause
/ that tkey were engaged ia recruiting service in
/ a State which Is slamed So still oneoI ihs United
/ States. but is elss c.aimsd BIZ us Gs one of the
/ Confederate States, must be Iepressed BY re-
| isliatioR if not Internationally abandoned,
/ because it woald Justify the Ike execution n
/ every other State of tle Confe1eracy, and tbo
prsetice is ksrbuou5, uselCssly c-ue', aa3 can
/ oaly tend to tbs'slaughtar Of prisoners on beth
sidss-s rssult tee horrible TO contemplate with
( oct making every effort 70 avoid Is,
o. tbesa and al kindred subjects yea viii
asnsider yogr authority foil ana smple 20 make
/ such arrangements as wiz temper tHa present
cruel ehaYeeter of tic coniest, and Ell confidence
is plsssd in your iad zmoat, patriotism a1d dis
cretisn, that while carving Gu. tbe objects Of
your mission, you viii take care that lie equal
/ rights Of the Confe1sraeY be always preserved
Very respectfully,
Lsignedl JEFFERSON DAVIS.
RICHMOND, July 8, 1865.
HIS EzesIlsnsy Jefferson Davis
SIR: Undsr the su,hedty and instructions Of
Taft "a, nf
the mission therein assigned, without delay The
steamer Targedo, esmnsnded bY Lisus. HUntel
Davidson, of the navy, was put in readiness ss
soon IS possible by order of the Secretary Of The
NavY aud rendered fsr the service At aeon
on the 81, she stared dOWR james river, hoist
ing sRd bearing flag of tTUcs sf-er passing
City PeiRt. The Rext d&y (ths Alb ct abou
enc o'elack r. NJ vAen within few miles @
Nswpsrt News, VS. were met By a suEp bsai
Of the enemy, carrying two guns, which alss
raised wbits fsg before approaching MS. Tht
sfieer in esmmsG5 iBformed Lieut. Davidson
tbatn Ia de- Oraers from Admiral Loe,oa board thl
United States flagship Mineesois, living below
and then in view, not to ailsw any beat or yes
sci te pass the jIoiRt near whieh he va5 stationed
witbont bic Bermission. By this ofiesr ] seat t;
ADMIRAL Lac q nets sta.ing my objects sn,
wishes, q sepy Of which is hereto annexed
. / marked a. j also ssat 60 tuz 41infrGi, % b'
iorwss3sd, ans3ser ia the same langsaFs %
/ dressss to lbe cfiear ia command of 5he Uri'ss
States forces at Faft:css Mearoa. }bs genbaa
proceeded iDne liateiy TO The MiBnesc5a, witl
tkess dispafekss, while the Torpedo rsrnaiaed a
{ sne6oT. Between thres aod foar o'elaed 81
aaoihsr bsat caHae up 70 us, bsaring tie Adai
RAILS answer, Whlch is HcrsuniO snasxod IagrB
( cd B.
We TsaaiRed st or abeUt this psint in ts
river until the 6Ea inst. when, having bear,
nolkinE farther fres tie Admiral, st II o'eloel
Nj. on shat day I 6reetsd Lisut Dsviasas
/ again 70 speak tbs gaRbsat on guard, ard &
ksad to the sfiesT in esasmand aue thsr noto G.
this Admiral, This was dono. A osBY Of lh
note IS aPPenasd, msrkea G. a. halEBast
o'clock P. NJ. TIVE boats approached rs freHl Be
4 lew, enc bearing aB answer from q Admissl 8
+ my note to him Of the 4th This ans 7sr Is an
f psxee, marked D. Ths other ba2t~hure tho an
E ever Of LiaHt.-C8l.. ". II. Ludlow TO my not
Of tha 4sh, addressed to tbs ofieer ia cemmaa
: at Ter AoHree. A eapy 81 this j. sunexsd
marked Z. beut-C5i. Ladlow else eaaae ua d
{ person ia lha beat that bFcueht his answcr 6
{ ms, ard conferred wish Col Osl6, Oh beard th
4 Torpedo, apsa ssnas matters lie desirsd TO So
e hin about an connection with the exchange o
! pFis7asFs. From the papers sppenfed, elnoI'
cling ths cOrrespasaenes Iesoaed 10, i yFili b
seen thzt tho nuissioR failed from tke refusal (
{ the enemy to rsesive or esteT5sia t, h9ldirg 90
proposition for such q conference '' insdfliaz
, blsn
It Tie inaasRsss and views that led 10 this &
r seIminstien after 50 long consideration oi ib
q subject, must he left 30 eenlsctare. Ine re-
= son assigned for ths refusal - Tie uoIt9a Sat-
ls Secretary Of War, to.git that Z the Gus tofnar
= agents and chaonsls are eoasiaeFed adeqna
ar fox all needtul military communications a.