Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-09-22
Exchange and Re,aria,ion.

1 From ths Richmond Enquirer
/ The correspondence which took placs between
Judge Ould. cur efficient commissioner Of ex-
charge, on the one side, and Col Ludlow and
| Gen. Meredith, Yankee commissioners, on the
| other, has just been published It relates only
1 to the exchange Of surgeons. Rocker, the man
charged with murder aud horss sstsling. in Ale
1 ghauy eouaty, in Virginia, . county not only
1 10 this State hut ut tina tirae of The alleged
/ offenses within our miltaTy lines. awaits his
trisl STILL tEst trial having been deferred twice
at his own request. OF course, being in Gus
/ t9dy for criminal offsnse under the laws of
/ his own State, sltheHgh he Is claimed to have
been made a .suTgeoa in the Federal service
(sller commission Of the crimes) Judge Ould had
no power 70 deliver him Uo as al exchsBged
! pIisouer Of war. Therefore, ,he snemy-sciing
upon the TOO well Il-grouujed belief that threats Of
Outrsges committed on our prisoners, under the
falss preieuse Of retaliation, would make our
authorities h5sitsts even 80 perform An act Of the
plsinest criminal justice within their own iuris
diciion--set apart Dr. Gresu, au h0n1rabls gen
,lemsn and prisoner of war, IS hostage" for
the allt ge3 murderer and horse stealer They
not only DO this, 5ut began, without reason al
legel, 10 dstalH O;bors OF our surgeons in their
us-uly though already fXcha8gEd. s. far bgcls
~ tbs 29b Nay, J7dFe OUld wrote the first let
Ter to Colonel Ludiow, asking if it was their
Z AAiht-AAtNl " ia-tlAA cttA -uians CA Ltl6L
June Colonel Ludlow replies, giving no other
answer than 20 80 suggest that Dr. RUeker be
Included" IN the next batch Of exchanged prisO.
usFsi aud adding, g ] saw Dr. Green al Fo7t
Norfolk. He Is most anxious to kuoW what is
20 be his late Can YOU inform him 2" Now
Judge 0nd could not inform him, If the fate of
ttat gentleman Wsa to depend 90 the fate Of the
man charged With murder Bat, unwilling to
leave the matter thus pending, thus scanning 10
sNa..1E al. HEY. .r-.+-. .ags. -E
Just Csse of retaliation, our commissioner. on
ghe ~ b OF June, explains once more to Lud-
low why itWas that RuekeT could not be piven
up, And adds: IT yeu fsve any such officers
Of the Confederate S,ates in any such position,
(that IL, indicted i5E a criminal off5nse by the
laws Of sBy Slate), even though he may hsva
been declared exehsged BY our general agree
nents, I esuuOt c0mplsiu Of ms Tetsation"
Oh tbs l4th June, Ludlow rejuius: Or
Green viii be retained as hostage for Dr..
Rleder. All other surgeons in our custody
(thFee or four b7ing here,) viii be released and
delivered 30 you, on the Telasss and delivery to
ms Of al you hold, except Dr. Rueker'-and he
proposes that ths detention Of surgeons rs ''eon-
iued to those ti70." 0nce mere, ia a long let-
tor, Judge Osld explains that he cannot give
up DR.. Rucker, nor consent that Dr.. Green
should be considered "hostsgo' for hin
Hs ssys: Your request for The dis
charge Of sil Surgeons except Dr. Rass-
er aud Dr. Green, is simply asking me TO
admit that the former is UBiustly detained,
and later rightly hsid IN Teiaiatios," Again,
on l2sh July, Col LajloW responds, eommsno-
iug his letter with what he knew to be sn uu-
ruth " As understood by me, DR.. Ruckeris al.
legged otfense5 were committed in Wgs5 Virsiu.
ia, within the territory aHtariIy occupied at the
time by the troops Of the United Slstes. IF 40.
BY the laws and usages Of war, your authorities
nave no jUris .icti9n ia his case" Aud he rel.
tsrales his attimGtissn, that be is ready 20 ex-
change st other surgeons, only keeping host
sge 70. ths alleged murderer
After that, LadlsH css8ed to be commission
OF, and Bng.-Gsn. Meredith succeeded. To this
latter ofheaI Judge Odld (August I6) at once
exposed tue whole case Of Z ecker and Dr.
Green especially informing him that Aleeha-
ny county, where the alleged crimes wers com
mJtted, had net bsen at that tims even invaded
BY any Federal forces; furnishing the partiea
lars Of the indictments for murder and horse
stealing, and referring Gen. Meredith to the en-
eny's own general order 100, paragraph SO.
which says expressly A prisoner Of war rs-
mains snswersbie tor crimes committed against
the c8ptors, army or people, committed before
no wss captured, and Tor which ne hes been
punished by his own authorities" Judge Onld
then Tensws The proposal thai 81 surgeons shall
be exchanged, reserVing Rucker TOR trial. This
is the last letter Of the correspondence and no
answer has yet been received. We see no reason
to d9abt that the enemy will bold to bis alti
Riatiim keep q man Of homer, unstained by
crime, as hostage" FOR 2 thief and murderer
and if tbs thief and murderer be- convicted and
hanged, then hang Dr.. Green without jadge OF
jury and this ahey call retaliation"