Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-13

iiIAe w fOlu TiaTOlGS ne
tween certain dates, which were ;'not IN con-
formity with the stipnlatiuns of the cartel >
was an implication that paroles liable to tic
same objection before the first named date and
after the last skonld be regarded. rs valid.
and was, therefore, necessarily vicious on its
very face. also told you that another reason
for declinino your proposition, was the one
which caused you make it, to-wit: That the
paroles which had been given to us were be-
fmeen the dates embraced in your proposition;
while those given to you were before and
after. When | made the objection to your
proposal, that IL intimated that paroles mot
in conformity with the stipulations of the
cartel " before the 23d of May, and after
the sd Of July of this year, We're to he
regarded as valid, asked you to state,
in writing, that no such intimaton was
conveyed. This you declined to do, saying,
somewhat brusqucly, that you did not wish to
have any discussion about tho matter. Upon
my pressing the subject, however, you put Il
memorandum at the foot of the proposition,
saying that the proposal was in reply to my
letter of August 5th, 1868. and in lieu of the
l,p1oposition therein made bv me- You would
not, did not discaim tho Implication which
your proposition contained, nor have you done
demanded, in compliance with your own Gen
eral Order No: lO0 that if you rejected the
paroles the parties should be delivered to us.
You informed me that you would transmit
my proposition to Washington. and give me
speedy answer in person or by letter.
On the'7th of September, | complained that
no reply had been returned, although two
weeks had elapsed, and two boats had been
despatched to City Point since the date Of our
interview. At the same time | informed yon
that the Confederate authorities would consid-
or themselves cntirclya liberty t. pursue aI.y
course with reference to my proposition which
they might deem right and proper under all
the circumstances Of the case.
Accordingly on the llth of September. in
pursuance of this plain intimation, I Notified
YOU that on the follo wing day THAT bcin. the
time when the notice would reach yuu,) |
would declare exchanged portion OF the
Vickshurg captures. gave you the divisions,
hrigades, regiments and batteries. I also in
formed you that had in my possession more
valid paroles of your officers and men rhan
would be an equivalent for the exchang"
then declared that; in addition. | had de-
livcred at City Point some ten or twelve thou
sand men since tho last declaration e ey
change that. as it had been the practice
however, ofthe agents of exchange, whenever
one of them declared 4 special exchange to-
allow the other to select the equivalents. |
gave you that privilege, and il YOU did not
avail Yourself of it, would name the Feicra
officers and men who were discharged from
their parole BY reason Of the declaration of
exchange then made. Thsnotifcation to you
was not only in acsurdance with former prac-
tcc, but was sanctioned, if not demanded hy
the fifth article Of the Cartel, which, after
providing for the manner in wh"h each par
ty' may discharge "their" officers and men
from parole says. "thus enabling each marty
to relieve from parole such of their o,rp fiiccrs
and men as the party may choose" | hav"
said this course was in accordance with for
mer practice, and. for proof. refer you to the
letters of Licnt. Col. Lull w. former agent oi
exchange, OF the following dates Of this year
to-wit April 9th, Sth. 18th, 18th and eth ::
May 9th. 2Gth and Both: June jth. 9th and
18th, wherein, he declared the exchange IF
Federal officers and men.
In one .rf Lieutenant Colonel Ludlow's COM
muncations of May 30th, 1863. he SAYS: II
have declared exchanged the Holly Springs
capture. the 9lst Regiment Illinois volunteers
captured at Elzabethtown, Ky, December
9th, 1862, and the captures at Mount Steri
ing, on the 22d and 23d of March, lSG3-alSo
the officers and men of the Indianoa The
exact numbers have not on hand, but they
foot up some hundreds less than the balance
due. l will furnish you with the exact num-
bers as soon as received" The same boat that
conveyed that communication brought another
written subsequently, but dated the same day,
as follows: 81 have declared exchanged the
Fifty-irst (5lst) Regiment Indiana volun-
teers. Seventy-third Regiment Indiana yolun-
rcrs, and Third Regiment Ohio volunteers
These number each less than three hundred
men. and compose a part Of Streight's brigade.
Twill add to the above declaration the Eightielh
Regiment Illinois volunteers, and fifty-cigh,
members of the First Tennessee Cavalry"
The enlisted men alone, designated in either
one of the communications exceeded the ''bal-
ance" due to Lieutenant Colonel Ludlow
The excess in both Communications was 300,
without taking into account "the captures at
Mount Sterling on the 22d and 2sd Of March,
1863"
You will observe that Lieuteuant-Co Colonel
Ludlow, in these two communications, ''did
not furnish me with any list, or even give me
the number of men, by which could declare
equivalents nor did he give me any time to
prepare my announcement" l quote from
your letter of the Oath of September to me-
Not only was that the case, but he made Il
wholesale e&hangc of the Mount Sterling
captures, by u simple reference to it as being
| made "on the 22d and 23d day o. March, 1862 =
| without any designation Of corps, division
| brigade, regiment or company. Further than
! that have, never to this day, been fur
nshed with a list of those captured at Noun;
Sterling, or even with the aggregate number.
Suchi then, were the circumstances, and
such the precedents under which declared
the exchanges of September l2. 1863. l have
purposely gone into minute and faithful detail
! IN consequence of the extraordinary character
# your letter Of the 2Ith of September 80
You state that you consider my course To
| he deliberate breach of good faith on IT,,
part of the authorities under whom act H.
i bungling sort OF way you have used lah-
guage which casts an offensive aspcrsion both
| upon nv .elf and the Gorernmentf represent.
| If there had not been subjects of very grave
import to both people referred to in o'her pnr
| tions of your communication l would hav
| treated it with the silent contempt it deserved
and returned it to you without comment. For
| the first time in the correspondence Of the
| agents of exchange has any such diseourtesy
| occurred. regret it very much. Hereto
| fore l have had occasion to complain Of
the action Of your Government, bus
it has always been done with deco
! rum have never written word
personally offensive to the Federal agent OF
exchange, or insulted his Government with a
charge Of "dcliGerate breach of good fai'h."-
It is matter of very little moment to me
what may he your opinion of "my coursc."-
There are some people connected with this
war who, either from ignorance or passion.
Seem to have no clear ideas on any subject
The opinion of such, even if uttered in the
language Of courtesy, is but of little avail,
hut, if expressed with intemperance, only
"exalts their folly" There has been no
breach of faith on the part OF the Confederate
States, deliberate" or otherwise. You were
importuned to agree to some fair principle