Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-06-28

was sick and under treatment, being rem
dered ObliVious of personal ills by the in
terest of the proceedings A large number
of prisoners wers 'scotralled" on the grass,
conveniently near the Generals tent, where
they were marched up, one at a time, to be
questioned. The line of interrogation was
almost exclusiyelY8 TO get information re-
specting the strength and organization 'oi
the enemy in front Ofus, particularly on the
10th inst, when Gilmore failed to carry
out his orders to attack Petersburgh. AS
each man appeared, he was requested to
sit down on camp stool, just inside the
tent door. opposite the General, who re-
c'tned easily on q carpet bottomed seat,
with his feet and legs raised at right angles
to his body. Lieut.. Davenport, General
Butlers private secretary. sat at q side
table, and took in short hand the replies,
.judiciously retaining the wheat and reject.
ing the ohaf. Gen. Butler's fame as lawyer
is too we'll known to need mention; bntif
had never heard Off l should, after yester-
'day,haVe classRd himl6mong those rare per-
sons who cause the truth to fow freely from
the most unwilling Those peculiar glances
of his, which appear to flash their fire into
the concealed depths of the mind of the
Witness assuring him that he is read
through and through, compel the ttterance
of the facts, in spite of all determination
to the contrary. There was no brow
beating, no loud intonation, but questions
were quietly put and forced home to the
understanding Of the dullest witness, by
a penetrating look, establishing between
them, as it seemed, a magnetic chain over
which the truth has free passage. Since
Gen. Buffers camp has been fixed at this
place, probably not less than three hun,
dredprisoners have undergone thorough
examination by him, and in this way he
has been able to obtain very fpllTaud cor
rect information respecting the organizs-
ton of the rebel army. He can tell now
the troops composing every corps, the
number and strength of the regiments, the
names of the brigade and division, and
even the regimental Commanders, aud
vast quantity of details, which is very use
full not only to himself but to Gen. Grant
in keeping informed Of the enemy's move
ments.s 4Ilse rg
A large number of the prisoners exam
ined belonged to the Forty sixth Virginia
regiment, an organization not more than
500 strong, which held the Petersburg for
ifications in conjunction with about 100
hilitiRmen on the day when Gem Gilmore
refused Ito fight. Gen. Butler knew
before the expedition set out almost
the precise strength Of the force with
which Gilmore must contend, and these
men were examined merely to verify what
was already known. Scarcely one ofthem
did not hesitate to say that if Gen. Gill;
more had PRESSED on with his four thou.
sand men, he might have walked over all
oppositiou,s and taken possession of the
town. He did not even feel the strength
of the fortifications which Smith so gall
lsntly carried Eve days sfterward. Under=
these circumstances, TO whom should the
odihm attach for the fearful destruction Of
life6Which has already happened and for
the streams of blood which must yet foW
before Petersburg can Be taken.
Among the prisoners were men firm AL
ALBANIA, Tennessee and Georgia, as well as
the Virginians. remarked that the South
western men carried themselvesm more bold
ly than the others. They did not seem at
all perturbed at being in conversation with
SO high an officer as Gen. Butler, and kept
their hats on during the interview. Ocea-
sionally, one Of them who seemed more
Intelligent than the rest would be asked
swell my man, can you tell me what you're
fighing for2" The reply would be, as tits
am told, in nineteen cases out of twenty:
"I don't know; wouldn't fight minute
if | wasn't obliged to. We were satisfied
ont we were forced to go too" One of
those yesternay examined was a Georgian,
evidently good soldier and frank spo-
ken man, said that he was fighting for his
home and southern institutions. He had.
been satisfied to live 10 the Union, but
Whent the leading men ofthe South decreed
secession, he had elected to fight, aud
would fight now aud forever. Evidently
he WIS one of the 'last ditch" fellows,
Another was an old mau,from Albemarle,
Virginia, boat builder, and man above
the ordinary intelligence. He said his time
was out in a day or two, the three years
for which he enlisted having expired. He
did not expect, however, to be discharged.
The Confederate Congress had passed q
law keeping him and all others in the
ranks. Gen. Butler animadVerted upon
such want of faith, but was silenced at the
Tprisoner's remark that ''a poor man, gen.
orally speaking, would steal rather than
starve to death, and on that principle the
Confederate Government had acted" Gen.
Butler told this old man that he nor his
comrades need not expect to be exchanged
until Mr.. Davis choose, to reply fsyorably
to the demand for the exchange of negro
soldiers. "They refuse to exchange" said
the General. ION the ground that it would
be elevating negro to the level of a white
man. Singular feasonl If the negro is
inferior to the white man, and you get a
white man for every, negro, don't you gain
and l lose BY the exchapge2'' AT this view
the man opened his eyes. "Again," said
the General, tIyour authorities refuse to
exchange for negroes because negroes are
property. Well, mules are property. Sup.
pose train brigade of mules to charge
upon your works at the sound Of trum.
pet, and they advance to the assault and
kick out your brainsI You capture some
of them. Because they are property would
yop refuse TO exchange them for men
1 Who would get the best OF the bargaln, you
or II" This was another "sockdotoger,' q
and the Yirgiuisn went off to unfold ,thil
novel view of exchanges to his comrades
Au incident occurred in connection with
some of these prisoners the other day
which ahnvn hnw Gan R1flaH Ia ra1aPd al