Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-01-02
THE EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS.
Letter from General Hitchcoc,

WASHINGTON CITY. d. g., Dec 80, 1863
To the Editor OF the New York Times:
In my letter to You, published in the Times
OF the I'd inst, / recited from New York
paper what purported to be an extract from a
letter dated Port Hudson, November 3. said to
ment, addressed to his father, setting forth that
Lieut.. Geo. B. Coleman, Jr., OF New York,
having been captured by the rebels, had been
hanged within twenty-four hours afterwards
together with some twenty privates, (colored,)
who were taken with him.
/ stated at the time that such publications
afforded indirect evidence OF the manner of
disposing of captured members of the Corps
GAfriQue determined upon by the rebels, and
that 1t was not to be expected that we should
hear OF the destruction Of that class OF troops by
the rebels from Confederate authorities.
am happy now TO state that have received
note dated at Libby Prison, Richmond, Va,
Lieutenant George b. Coleman, in the follow
ing words-doubtless all that he was permitted
to wIite-to wit:
"Having seen statement in the New York
Times, that had been executed, deem it my
duty to inform you that l am occupant of
this prison, and ana receiving treatment in COM
mon with other prisoners here"
This is the whole Of the note; and while it
happily furnishes the most acceptable eyl.
dence that Lieut.. Coleman was not murdered,
ss reported by he writer from Port Hudson,
the circumstances under which 1t was writ
TENN the Libby Prison, under the surveil-
lance Of rebel ofhcers-and its entire silence as
to the fate OF the twenty colored privates who
ference unavoidable, that the privates were
murdered, as stated in the letter from Port
Hudson.
The rebel authorities in Richmond were no
doubt anxious TO show that Lieut. Coleman
himself had not been murdered, and therefore
permitted him to contradict the report con.
cerning himself; but they would not permit
him to say word as to the disposition made
OF the privRtes who were captured with him,
whose fate was reported IN the very same let
ter, publis he'd in the Times, where Lieut. Cole
man saw the account of his cwn destruction.
/ regard this note from Lieut. Coleman as
proof that the Port Hudson letter is true in
precisely that portion Of it about which Lieut..
Coleman maintains q deathIike silence.
stated in my letter of the I'd inst, speaking
Of Mr.. Ould, the rebel agent of exchanges, that
sshe might say, and with verbal truth, speaking
individually, that he would deliver them (pri-
soners for exchange) under certain conditions,
all prisoners (of eurs) In his hands, without
intending to include this class of (colored)
Il oops; because, by the action OF the Confederate
au,horitiee, not q single man, officer or soldier
belonging to the Corps 'd'Afrique has been or
will be permittedto come into kis hands They
have, on the contrary, when captured, been
either murdered, cast into prison or sold into
slavery. They are not recognized in the South
as SC ldiers." ys - y
That vas in the man justified in using the
above language has been since suficiently
evinced by the shocking and unblushiug stats-
ment OF the Richmond Enquirer OF the 18th
inst, ayowing, almost in direc. terms, that the