The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-07-11

KicaN,sD. 2 Joiy, l3(;
Hon Il H. Stepheas, k,ctno,d, IA
S'R- Having accepted your patriotic .ii4fto
procesd as !. Mistary Commissioner. under
tag Ct truce. To Washington, you will receive
herewith yo0r letter ei authority to the Com
uiandeF -iii-Chiei OF tbe Array and Navy Of the
United Sia,sa
This letter ia signed by me. "a Comu,andsr
a-Gh!ef Of the Confederate laad and Eayai
TO ces.
Ysu will perceive fron1 the tero,s of the let
sar .bst 1t Is go wurded AZ ta avoid any ,s0ifai-
cal dsiBcgl,ice IL iss reception. IA,erded eX-
c'usiyely as ons Of those communications be
tween asisssI ents p hicb yupiic law recognizes
rs necessary aud proper hetweea hostile forces,
care has been tak ten to give no p.sseAt Tor re-
fugjaQ to recsive it on the ground that ii wouh
iayolye taeit cc1gniion OF tho independence
Of tie Con!eteraey-
Your m;aaion s aiaspiy one Of humanity, and
has iso political aspect, ,
III ctiectioU e a. rds 10 re csiviBc your fs.tef,
on the ground ttIat it ia n0s ediressat TO Abya-
ham Lincoln, 81 Presfdent, instead of Com.
rnauder-in Chief, II >, then yea will present
the da,l cate lester watch is addressed to hiGi
aa President, and sgaed by ne, az Pres'deut,
To this latter, objection niay be made on the
yrould that 1 an rot recognlz:d ii 10 be presi-
dsat Of the Confederacy. IL this event, you
Will cline any further atteWp. 10 confer on
the sabl scs of your mission, aa such conference
Ia admissabls only on the footing or perfsc.
equality,
My recen, Interviews with yon have put you
go iuiiy IN possession of ICY views that II i5
fcarcely necessary to give you any detailed in
e'ructona, even were l, at this moment well
enoug1 20 attsm2t il.
Sly whole purpose IL, in ore word, to pace
this war OH tee footing Of such as are sa.oi
by civilized people III modern times. and TO
divest it OF the savage character ~h 5h has
teen Impress d on it by enemies, in fpi,o
Of ali oar efforts aud protests. War is full
enough of unavoidable horrors, uUisr :Ii *
sgp8Gis, i Justify, aud even TO demand of any
Cbrlstia2 fuisr9 Wlo Iuay ba nuiiappily ga
gexed ~ carrying 1t on, 10 GEEK 10 restrict its
SInltice, aIii 10 ciyest it OF i.li ubuecessary
geveiltias. You viii ento1VOr II establish tie
cartel for the exchange of ptitoner5 ou sIsetla
blsia 10 avoid the const;tIt diii icutias aud
complaints which aiis9, aud to prevent, FOR
tho future, what we deem The unfair contiuaE
u tnT enemies ia cyadira the delivery CT tho
prieouess who fail III . their LaIljg in ret,sd-
inI il by sending theui kn GircuioNs loutas,
end ,'y OBTAINING them, retime5 for months
IL camps aid t'i os, ssid IA poFs.st;Dg ii tax
iuY captIvea Nou cUmbdiauta-
Your attenlion il slso called 30 the unheRr,i
of cOndrc Of tedertl officers ia dsi, * from
their homes entire communities OF women
AID chlldsen, a5 Well IS tf men, whom they
Eni IN dittlcis occupied by their troopa for
40 other reason than becuuse these unfOrin.
pa!ee are f.i-bful TO tbs allegiance due to THAR
S'e:es a;d re .uso to take al oath CT Hteity 10
lii. enemies.
Iue'p putting tn death OF unarnlai pris 5negs
has Oeen ground of just comp!, at IN uor0
tlian one iGHtalce, aud the recevt exGeu.
ton If oiiice,s OF our army i'll Kentucky
for ll9 sole cause that they were engaged ia
Iecrti tx service jn u S.,at0 which is claimed
as st.ii one Il lie United S;alta, bat i, also
claim ~ by Us 80 one cf the Confederate SiAief,
maSt Do repre- asoi hy retaliation il not unc0ll-
tAiun.iiy abandoned, ueoaase i wcnld isti:y
the like execution IN every either Stats cf tae
corteteTacT, and the practice is bas barou,.
useleesiy cruel, and CaI only lead t1 the
slaughter If prisoners On both eide3;l result
too horrible TO contemplate wlth0u. making
every effort t4 avUi L..
De ihese and ali kindred sul iects You will
CONSIDER your authority full and ample 10 make
suc! arrangements as Will temper the present
cruel character Of the c0H;est, and full copii
Ceuee is placed III your judgment, patriotism,
.rd discretion, that whilo carrying GU. tba Oh
cts # your mission, you will take care that
ide equal nights OF the Coniedelacy tie always
preserveI- Very respectfully,
iS'gaed) JEFFERso. DAVIS.
kicnmoRD, 6.h Jay, 1868.
lis E.cceifeRcy JeUerS0n Daui@:
S!R--UudeF tno authority 4ud in6tEucti6ns
Cd on the mission ther5iD ;,a>isucd, without
delay. The steamer Torpedo, commanded ug
Lieut.. Hunter DaVlGeon, Uf tue navy, Was
Iut III readiness as aeon IN posalbfe, by or fer
q; the Secretary of tho Navy, ana 'ondored
for the service. Al noon, on tho 81,
she started DOWN jGnles river, h0istinr
sud hearing iisg Of truce after passir :;
City point. The iiext day lthe lth) at about
one o'clrck Y. NJ , wheu within few nile1 Of
Newport Newa, we were met by Il small boat
OF The enemy, carrying toso gHuP, which asD
yasea Il white Il 4e bei)ro approaching us. The
oihcer IN command Informed Lieut.. Davidson
fiat hs had orders frouI A5mjia Lea, cil beard
tie United States iiaE ship MInneS"ta, J. .ox
b~iav, and tleD III VIEW, not TO allow amy
boat or veas.l 10 pass .h= point near which he
W ~ stationed without bi3 permission. By this
oil ;er sen. 10 Admiral L. q note Stating iny
lIects and wisaea, il coy OF which Ia hereto
;-l.nexed, marked a. L also sent 10 the A1nii-
raj 10 b3 forwarded another III the came iAn-
cu4l5e addgaescts To tbs 9Th ,er in command OF
the United S:a,sl forces at ForB III anrGe The
.uut0at Proceeded Immediately TO the Miaue-
Gotta with theee disp;.'c he's Whiia the Torpedo
rc cnla .ed at anchor. B5twseu 3 and o clock
L. b. another boat came up 10 us, bearing
the Admifai's answer, winch Is hegaunto an
u-yet, marked Is
We remaiuoi at or about this poins il tha
river until the G.h iBst whep, having heard
NJ. ca that day, directed Liaut. Davidson
agaia to epsak the Yunboat Oh guard, and 10
hand 10 the officer IN command another note
t. this Admiral. This Hia done. 4 copy OF
the mote is appended, marked Z. At half past
. . clock L. nj. two boats approached Cs from
l. iDw enc teGn X al anawsr from the Adnii-
. Il io NY is0ie to aim of the ith. This answer
ia annexed, marked - 1'na other boa. bore
the answers Of Lt.-Coi w ii Lldlo,c 10 nay note
of the ! IL, addressed 10 tie officer III com
laaaa at Fort VI Monroe. A copy of this is all
uexed, marked l.. Li8ut.- Col. Ludlow also
came up il peison IL the boat tia, brought hls
siayeer to me an9 conferred with Col. Oali,
OH boaTd The ItTseto uPoa some matters he
dsaifti ID res bin Absnt IN counection with
tde exchaDve Of rsi1oners. feoIa ,hs papers
aplca led euara,ing the correspondence re-
fzrrci TO, 1t vii lie seen that The nlseion fIlIi
ifvEa the reIas II OF the euemy 10 receive or
.s:ettaiu it, holding the proposition for su;a u
4 Inference Inadmissia,-.
Che Influences aud views that led to this de-
[ 5f,ninA;iou alter 20 long consideration Of The
snbi set, must he iSft u conjecture The reas 1n
ixuet Cor tile ru!us;.l by The United States
Secretary OF War, TO wit thAt ''the customary
agents and channels are e0usitsred adequate
for all III eisul military Communications anu
to one &C luasn!ed With tho facts,
sesgis not only asatistaetory, but very siogu
isr al unaceountab'e; fer IL is certainly known
10 bim tha. thess very agents, TO whom he evi-
dsntly ailu.ies, heretofore agreed upon in IA
f,,usr conference in reference to tie ex-
change of prisoners, tons of the subjects EN-
bsacei in your letter to rne,) ar5 now aud have
b ,en for s3ina time, disti3etly a. Issue on sew
eral Important poinis Tho existing cartel,
oyging to these sagfeements, il virtually sns.
pended, SO far as the exchange of cilieers On
stther eiis ia concerned. Notices of retalia
ti,a have been given on both sides.
The effort, therefore. for The very many and
cogent reasons SGT forth in yonr letter OF in-