The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-07-01
RETALIATION BEGUN.
A Game Two Can Play at Before
Charleston.

NEW YORK, June Z5.-lNe feOel GenGral
Gardner. who was taken prisoner at Port Hud-
son and has been confined at Fort Lafayette for
some months. was taken from the Fort at an
early hour yesterday morning and SENT as is
supposed to the headquarters of Gen. Foster,
in front of Charleston. 1t will be remembered
that the rebels boast of daily exposing five of
our Generals. prisoners in their hands, to our
fire on the ely. 1t is game two can play at,
as they will find.
.WAsHINGrON June 21.-The following is the
correspondence between Generals Foster and
Jones:
LETTER FROM GEN. JONES TO GEN. FOSTER.
Headquarters DEBT OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
GEORGIA AND FLORIDA,
CHARLESTON June 49, 1864.
GENERAL: Five generals and forty-fve field
officers of the United States army-all of them
prisoners of war-haye been sent to this CITY
for safe keeping. They have been turned
over to Brig. Gen. Ripley, commanding the
first military district, who will see that they
are provided with cOmmodious quarters in
part of the city occupied by nOn-combatants,
the majority of whom are women and children.
1t is proper however, that l should inform
you that 1t is part of the city which has for
many mouths been exposed, day and night, to
the fire OF your guns.
Very res oecttully, your obt serv't,
SAM. JONES,
Major General Commanding.
Maj. Gen. j. G. Foster, commanding U. 8.
Forces on Coast of South Carolina, Confed-
crate States.
GEN. FOSTERS REPLY.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARrM'r OF THE Sourn,(
HILTON HEAD, s. c., June 16, 1864.
4Najor General Sam. Jones, Commanding Con-
tederdte Forces Department Of South Caro-
Ina, Georgia and Florida:
GENERAL-I acknowledge the receipt this
day of your communication of the 18th inst,
informing me that five Generals and forty-five
field officers of the United States army, pris-
Oners of war, i've been turned over to you by
Brigadier General Ripley, with instructions to
see that they are provided with quarters in a
part OF the city occupied by non-cOmbatants,
the majority of which latter you state are
woman and children. You add that you deem
it proper to inform me that it is part of the
city which has for many months been exposed
to the fire of our guns. Many months since,
Major General Gilmore, United States army,
notified General Beauregcrd, then command
ing at Charleston. that the city would be bonn
barded. This notice was given that non-com-
battants might be removed, and thus women
and children saved from harm. Gen. Beaure-
gard, in a communication to Gen Gilmore,
dated August %, 1868, informed him that the
non-combatant population OF Charleston
would be removed with all possible celebrity
That women and children have been retained
by you in part of the city which has been
for many months exposed to fire is matter
decided by your own sense of humanity.
must, however, protest against your action
in thus placing defenceless prisoners of war in
position exposed to constant commandment
1t is an indefensibe act of cruelty and can be
designed only to prevent a continuance of our
fire upon Charleston. 1t contains not merely
arsenas, but also foundries and factories for
the manufacture of munitions of war; In the
shipyards several armed irOn-clads have been
completed, while others are still upon stocks
in course of construction. Its wharves and
the banks of the river on both sides of the city
are lined with batteries To destroy these
means of continuing the war is, therefore, our
object and duty. You seek to defeat this eff
fort, and by means not known to honorable
warfare, but by placing unarmed and helpless
prisoners under fire. l have forwarded your
communication to the President with request
that he place in my custody an equal number
of prisoners of like grade to be kept by me in
positions exposed to the fire of your guns so
long as you continue the couse stated in your
communication Ihave the honor to be. very
respectfully, your obedent servant.
}. Eos TER,
Major General Commanding.
ID. G. WAGER, A. A. G.
a REBEL ACCOUNT.
From The Charleston Mercury, June Ii.
For the first time during several weeks there
was an intermission of the commandment last
Monday. This was doubtless owing to the
bad weather During Sunday night seven
shells were thrown into the city. The enc
my's troops seem actively engaged repairing
the damages which the rains have caused to
their works. Our Secessionville correspondent
writes us that greetings from the Yankee ba.-
teries. in the shape of Shells still inconve-
niently plentiful. On Saturday they threw
eleven shells from Light House Inlet, and ten
from Long Island. Yesterday they threw
twenty-one from the former and twenty-three
from the latter. Our batteries replied as usual.
For some time past it has been known that a
batch of Yankee prisoners, comprising the
highest in rank now in our hands. were soon
to be brought hither to share the pleasures of
! the Commandment; they accordingly arrived