Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-02-17
The Prisoner Questien----Human
Proposition by the Rebeis-No At
tention Paid TO &c by the Federal
Authorities

statement OF Mr.. c. c. Fulton Proprietor q the hlt
more American
At 10 O'Clock on Monday morning. Commits /
sioner Ould, accompanied by Capt Hatch, visited |
Maj. Milford on board the steamer New York |
for the purpose of receiving DR. Richie aud the /
two overseers taken during the raid on Brindon /
last week. There were also several gentlemen 4
on board who had come down to have personal
interview with Judge 0uld, among whom was
Mr. Monfort, the Commissioner of the State OF
Indiana, and your correspondent, &C c. "
On hearing that was on board. Judge Ould i'm |
mediately expressed desire to see me- The /
time of both of US being limited. proceeded di
rectly to the business on which had sought the
,interview--the deviSing of some feasible means
OF relieving the suferngs OF our prisoners at
Richmond / remarked to him that the purpose
of my visit to City Point was obtain person
al interview with j G. Cowardin, Esq, proprietor
of the Richmond Dispatch, with the hepe that we
might, in our capacity private citizens, having
no official connection with either government, ct
feet some arrangement that would be satisfactory
to the friends of the prisoners on both sides He
replied that in the present condition OF affairs II
would be impracticsble, to have such an inter
view. Finding that an interview with Mr.. Cow
ardin was not practicable. then stated 10 Judge
Ould that the proposition had 10 make 10 Mr..
COwariin | would make 10 him, which was that
| would agree to give my time and service to the
afneilOTatlO0 OF the CONDITION Oh TIE
prisoners in our hands. and promptly and faith
fully attend To any commission that might be in
trusted to me by Mr.. Cowardin, reporting direct
to bin, provided that he would act in-Ihe same
capacity toward our prisoners in their hands
That ! would undertake to deliver TO them what
ever our government permitted to come through
the lines, provided he would take charge of and
deliver such articles "a his government would
consent TO receive from us by flag of truce.
n u
ways had been ready and anxious TO do all in his
power TO ameliorate the condition of the prisoners
on both sides, and to make concessions TO the
cause of humanity that might not he advisable
under other circumstances. With this view he
had some two weeks since, made proposition
to our government which he thought. if accepted,
would accomplish the same purpose that |
proposed, in more extended and satisfactory
manner. This proposition he said. was TO allow
a number of our Surgeons. selected by our gov
ernment for the purpose. TO pass through their
lines and TO visit and remain with our prisoners,
wherever they might be, having full liberty o.
the city, and To pass from point TO point as they
might deem necessary in the Performance of
their duties They would even be allowed to
act as Commissaries for our prisoners. and to
order through the lines such stores they might
deem necessary. and 10 receive and distribute
them He presumed that not less than fifty
revng at least that number. All that lie had
asked in return was, that they should also be
permitted To send such number of their Surgeons
within our lines might be deemed necessary.
with similar powers. To this proposition he
expressed great surprise that he had not vet re-
ceived any reply from government So long
as the proposition under consideration he could
not consent TO entertain any other The reason
why this proposition of Commissioner Onld has
not aQu aurprfanpI i prp-nmei a he that he
refuses TO acknowledge Gen. Butler CommiS-
sioner OF Exchange, and directs his communici-
tons 10 the authorities at Washington, although
officially Informed that the whole subject is in the
hands of Gen Butler
| urged upon him that the cause of humanity
aud Justice 10 the people of his section required
that something should be done Immediately to
prove that the charges against them were, as he
alleged, falSe-that techncaliIies and etiquette
might defeat delay the cons,.mmatiOn OF such
an arrangement-whilSt an arrangement that
would accomplish The same purpose, such as !
proposed between two private citizens could be
perfected in twenty minutes. also urged upon
him that the prompt and thorough manner in
which Mr.. Cowardin had performed the commits
sion | had imposed upon him had placed him
high i'm the estimation of our people rs a man of
honor and integrity; and that if he would under
take the general supervision of orr prisoners at
Richmond that | felt authorized TO become re
sponsible to him for all the expense he might be
under in SO doing That wagons aud mules to
provide him with transportation could bc for
warded--that. as an agent IN the cause OF hu
manitv he might be enabled to accomplish his
mission withou, the DELAYS incident to govern
ment transportation. Such an arrangement
would at once ameliorate the condition of iher
prisoners in cur hands and that all deficiencies in
supplies for them from Richmond would be made
up by own people and associations.
In the course of our conversation | was as
sured that the most unfounde1 statements had
been made against the people and authorities of
Richmond in the northern papers, especially by
the returned clergymen, who he asserted had
each endeavored to excel the other in malignant
falsehood OF all men he thought that the truth
might have been looked for from them. Ga the
contrary, they had misTepre>ented ever thing,
and never told truth when talsehOod could be
substituted No true soldier who bad gone North,
he asserted had corroborated or substituted
their slanderous statements. To put stop to
the INTERPRETATIONS he had made the prupo
sition To our government for the reception of
Surgeons whom we mutually treated
non combaiauts, and lie still bad hopes that SO
reasonable and feasible a proposition would be
accepted Warfare has enough horrors inseoa
rably connected with j; without uSees>ly mait
plying them by provoking the most embltiered
anmositv between the people of the Two coun
tries" ms TO The condition OF their prisoners of
war He admitted that there had also .een reat
Interpretations on this score BY some of their
returned prisoners was assured that nothing
could be more erroneous than the statements that
these men we're exposed To the weather and bru
tally treated He would far prefer to take their
places than be confined in any of the tobacco
warehouses. They were all. he said. provided
with tents. and as well sheltered as the soldiers
vino guarded them In addition whi,h they
enOyed the free air. less trouble by YER
min. had room for exercise, and were hot sub
iected to the confined atmosphere inseparabe
from hospital or prison life He did not alude
to the character or extent OF their ratOnS. or to
the character of the shelter provided them With
regard 10 fuel he assured me that an abundance
of it supplied To the men on Belle Isle and
that they were not crowded there without regard
to shelter; that when any number had been Ia
ken away similar number added. and that
the island covered TO its full capacity with
tents. and no more than could be accommodated
in those tents were at any time placed there The
health OF those on the island was better than that
of those in the prisons, and they Jared well as
their own soldiers in the field