The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-02-19
THE EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS.
Judge Guild Proposes to Allow Our
Surgeons to Visit the Prisoners.
No Attention is Paid to his COmmu-
nicatiOn.
Statement of Mr.. c. c. Fulton, Proprietor Baltimore
American

Statement of Mr.. c. c. Fulton, Proprietor Baltimore
American.
At 10 O'Clock on Monday morning.
Commissioner Ould, accompanied by Capt
Hatch, visited Major milford on board the
steamer New York, for the purpose of re-
ceiving DR.. Eitchie and the two Overseers,
taken during the raid on Brandon last
week. There were also several gentle
men on board who had come down to have
a personal interview With Judge Ould,
among whom was Mr. Montfort, the COM
missioner of the State of Indiana; and
your correspondent, &C. G. F." On hear.
ing that was on board, Judge Ould imme.
diately expressed desire to see me. The
time of both Of US being limited, I pro-
ceeded direct to the business on which
had sought the interview-the devising of
some feasible means of relieving the suffer-
ings of our prisoners at Richmond. l re.
marked to him that the purpose of my
visit to City Point was to obtain a personal
interview with J. @ Cowardin, Esq, pro-
prietor of the Richmond Dispatch, with
the hope that we might, in our capacity as
private citizens, having no official connec-
ton with either government, effect some
arrangement that would be satisfactory to
the friends of the prisoners on both sides
He replied that in the present condition of
affairs it would be impracticable to have
such an interview. Finding that an inter-
view with Mr.. Cowardin was not practical
BILE, then stated to Judge Ould that the
proposition l had to make to Mr. Cow
ardin l would make to him, which was
that l would agree to give my time and
services to the aneioratiOn OF the cOndi-
ton of the Confederate prisoners in Our
hands, and promptly and faithfully attend
to any commission that might be intrusted
to me by Mr.. Cowardin, reporting direct
to him, provided that he would act in the
same capacity toward our prisoners in
their hands. That would undertake to
deliver to them whatever our government
permitted to come through the lines, pro-
vided he would take charge of and deliver
such articles as his government would con-
sent to receive from us by fag-of-truce.
Judge Ould replied, that he was now,
and always had been, ready and anxious
to do all in his mower to amelo. ate the
condition of the prisoners on both sides,
and to make concessions to the cause of
humanity that might not be advisable un
der other circumstances. With this view
he had, some two weeks since, made a
proposition tc our Government which he
thought, if accepted, would accomplish
the same purpose as that proposed, in a
more extended and satisfactory manner.
This proposition, he said, was to allow a
lumber of our surgeons, selected by our
Government for the purpose, to pass
through their lines, and to visit and remain
with our prisoners wherever they might
be, having full liberty of 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
as they mi ht deem necessary, and to receive
and distribute them. He presumed that
not less than fifty would be required, and
he had contemplated receiving at least that
number. All that he had asked in return
was that they should alse be permitted to
send such number of their surgeons within
our lines as might be deemed necessary,
with similar powers. To this proposition
he expressed great surprise that he had
not yet received any reply from our Gov
eminent. So long as this proposition was
under consideration he could not consent
to entertain any other. THE reason why
this proposition of Commissioner Ould has
not been entertained, is presumed to be
that he persists in refusing to acknowledge
General Butler as the commissioner of
exchange, and directs his communications
to the authorities at Washington, although
officially informed that the whole subject
is in the hands of General Butler ] l urged
upon him that the cause of humanity and
justice to the people of his section required
that something should be done immedi-
ately to prove that the charges against
them were, as he alleged, false-that tech
nicalities and etiquette nigh defeat or
delay the contamination of such an agree
ment-whilst an arrangement that would
accomplish the same purpose, such as