Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-12-11
dhe 6ree press.
EXCHANGE OF PRIsONERs-GEN.
HITCHCOCK'S LETTER.
BURLINGTON
FRIDAY MORNING. DECEMBER IL. 1868.

or rather at present the non-cfchange, Of pri
soncrs Ii will serve to clear out the confu-
sion which has ohscured the vision of some
and may check the disposition in many quar-
tiers to blame our government for what they
call Its obstinate perversity in not acceding
10 the demands of the rebel officers, for the
present at least, trusting to some sort Of
good luck in the future 10 prevent any recur-
renee Of new difficulties General Hitchcock
shows that there is abundant reason to lie
lieye that the atrocious policy, announced
by jeff Davis more than year ago-viz !;
that United States officers IN command of
cllored troops, if captured by his forces,
would not be considered prisoners of war,
but be given over 10 the rebel STATE authori-
ties to be treated as criminals engaged in in
citing negro insurrections-ha been actual
ly carried out, and that some such officers
have been condemned as criminals to incar-
oeration, and some men taken with them
have been hung or shot after capture. In
other instances. the colored soldiers have
bcen sold into slavery; and in not a single
instance has there been an officer or man Of
that class accounted for as prisoner of war
by the rebel authorities That the government
Of the United States Will acquiesce in or to-
leraJe IN the least degree this Infamous con-
duct, is not to be thought of for a moment.
Says Gen Hitchcock
The Government Of the United States, in au
ihorlrng the employment Of colored troops for
the suppression Of the rebellion bound itself, and
is undoubtedly under the most solemn obligation
TO use its utmost power to throw over that class
af troop. the protection Of the laws of war; and
stands engaged before the world to make no
compromise whatever which shall jeopariize the
clam Of tins class Of troops, when captured, to
be treated with that humanity which is due to
all other troops IN like circumstances, according
10 the laws Of civilized warflre.
But the treatment Of colOred soldiers and
their officers is not the only item in the case:
Il has been supposed, even in many parts Of
the North, that the proposition Of Mr.. Ould, If
the 10Th Of October, for an exchange Of prisoners
fair. and ought To be accepted; but it doe. not
appear 10 be considered that Mr. Ould has not
proposed 10 yield to certain number of pris-
oners Of war aud receive like number In return
which would be a most happy contamination
that would be At once accepted by this Govern
ment. But his proposition is that that we shall
deliver 10 him all Of the prisoners in our possess
ion, amounting now 10 about 10000 men, and
receive in return about 13 900 men. leaving
about . 900 who might, for a few DAYS, be con-
sidered On parole not to take up arms unless
duly exchanged; and then what would Mr. Ould
do with those men,
Juiglng by what he has actually recently done,
he would undoubtedly assume TO discharge those
men from all obligations under parole, and put
them into the field TO fight against the national
troops, standing under an unstained national
hag-the very troops who gallantly captured
those men upon bloody battle-felis, within the
past few months.
To show the extreme probability Of this il is
only necessary to refer to a few facts beginning
with the statement Of Mr.. Ould to Gen. Mere
dth, officially communicated to me, that he, Mr..
ould, would proceed to make declarations of
Ichanges whenever he conscientiously felt the
sight to do so, for the purpose Of putting men
10 the fields" thus openly setting aside the car
sand the laws AMI uslyes of IT in IA sor OF his
individual sense Of right-Which sense of right
in Mr.. 0uld, is 90 obtuse and wild as to Justify
him in making use Of ''tabular statement Of
alleged captures, principally in the Western
Statee, amounting TO over Il, 900 men, a consid-
cradle portion of whom were undoubtedly cap
tured BY guerrilla parties and were not soldiers,
but for the most part, peaceable citizens of the
country, probably known as friends 10 the Union,
Who for that reason were seized and compelled
to take an oath not to take arms against the
Southern Confederacy; and this class Of persons
Mr., Ould expects US to accept in exchange for
rebel troops, captured mostly at Vicksburg, who,
having been paroled in the South, were ''declar-
ed - exchanged by Mr.. Ouh, without any con-
ference or understanding with our agent, in vio-
laon Of the provisions of the cartel, and in vio-
lstion Of the usages Of war.
Gen. Hitchcock proceeds to discuss at
length the repeated violation Of the usages
Of war by the rebel authorities. and Of
their own agreements IN regard to parole and
exchange since the capture Of Nicksburg
gave us large prcponderance of prisoners.
That the rebel prisoners released on parole
by Gen. Banks at Port Hudson and at Yicks-
burgh by Gen. Grant. have been declared by
~ NAAAf AAAS AtA'NA NpuAuAtTNiAhtEs lItt lIpln
their parole obligations, without any equiva-
lent rendered and in violation Of the en-
gagement entered into by the commanders,
Gen. Hitchcock puts beyond doubt and
that many Of them have been put again into
the field against the Union troops which CAP
tured them few months before, is unques-
tionahly true Gen. Hitchcock proceeds to
say
SinceNTritng the above, have received an
Official report from Gen Meredith, one point in
which viii be here stated, TO wit: that Gen.
Meredith, for the purpose Of Withdrawing our
suffering prisoners from Richmond, distinctly
proposed TO Mr.. Ould that he would send him
1900 or more Confederate prisoners, many
as he might hold Of our men, and receive
IA return our prisoners held in the south
Nhich proposition, Mr.. Ould refused TO accept,
but SAID he wonld agree 10 a general exchange;
Tue efect Of which undoubtedly would be to can
ol the excess Of prisoners IN cur hands by de-
livery Of about 10000 for about 1900; to
lea'e The reOel authorities the entire disposition
vi suon csiJred troops and their white officers as
they might capture; 10 expose Cspts. Sawyer
anu Flynn 10 their fate under orders IN Rich
mond, which hare Rerer been c0uHfeTmaaded;
% turn loose again certain notorious guerilas to
renew their ravags in Kentucky and Missouri,
tneither of which States have ever united with
the so-callei Southern Confederacy); TO put into
the held fresh army Of rebels, to be recap
tured; and, in short, We should deliberately
neutralize or throw away a chief part Of the
Government al this time, through which there
may be some hope, by measures yet to be de-
cldel upon, Of controlling the action of the su-
thorities IN Richmond in their treatment Of
prisoners Of war, and compelling them to res
Iect the laws Of war, if they are deaf to those
If humanity.
Ten. Hitchcock adds that the Government
Is sending supplies through the rebel lines
Tor the relief Of our suffering men at Rich
mond, trusting to the honor and humanity
OF those who have the command there, that
TIE supplies will be applied Tor the purposes
Tor which they are sent He adds no
Meantime II is well for the country to under