Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-06-27
aen.ral auIl.r Rzani.lns Rebel PTl..

General AufIer Rxamiaing Rebel Pris.
oners.
The correspondent Of the New York
Times gives the following interesting 60
count sf- General ButIer's examination Of
rebel prisoners. We commend to our
democratic readers that part Of the article
where the General sho +s up III, anti
dsmocratiO principles Of the rebels In
refuting to give up OOlOred soldiers,
(whom they consider to bs ohsttels) In
eKohange for white rebel soldiers, thereby
putting white men beleW the negroes In
point Of value: 1-i - @
Twas moving listlessIy BY General Bat
ler's tent this, afternoon, when he called
me, snPposing / would be glad to listen 70
his examination Of large number OF
rebel piisOn rs, who had just : cen selected
from recent captures. or course was
grateful, and for an hour Of 81 forgot sl-
together that Nas sick and under treat:
menL being rendered obiFious Of persen-
5 ills BY the interest Of the proceedings
A large number Of prisoners were ''oor.
rSfied', on the grass, conveniently near
the Generals tent, where they were
msrehed up, one at time, to be 4ues-
toned. ~
The Inns Of iutsrreg gstion WAS almost ex.
clusiyely to se.infornation respecting the
strength and organisation OF the enemy In
front Of us, particularly on tbs 10Th inst /,
when Gilmore failed to carry out his or,
ders to attack Petersburg. As each man
sppesred, heWas requested 10 sit down on
6 camp stool, Just inside the tent door, op.
posite the General, who reoliued eesily on
/ 6 carpet-bottomsd seat, with his legs and
feet ct riF int giles to his body. Lieut.. Da
yenport Gen Butler's private Secretary,
sat ST 3 aide table, and toek in short hand
he Il plies, jadioiousiy fsts ming the wheat
] and rsieating the ehsf GenaButlet's FAME
as q lsEyer Is too we'll known TO need
I msniion but il had never kesrd of Il,
should, after yesterday, have elssssd hIu
among thoserrSrsc cPersons who cause othl
truth 10 faW freely from the most IN will
ing. Those peculiar glAnoes Of 9, which
,sppesr TO fash heir Are into the conceal
td depths Of the mind CT the witness, ss
surfing him that he is read through an6
alluB8A hLG GAtGEbLBo VI NHG Ao4Ns
In spite Of al the determina-i0uto the con.
trsry. There ives no tToHbes'iDE no. loud
information, but Questions we're quietly pul
and forced home 70 the understanding o.
the dullest witness, ~ penetrating look
establishing between tAeDs as il seemed, {
magnetic chain ever which the, truth hal
free passaqe Gince Gen. ButtleT'B cGnT
hes beenlfxed ~ this place, probably no
less than three huadFed prisapsre have
undergone thorough sxsm1nstlon By hin
and y this way be has been sole to Oh,
Is In very full and oaTFeet Information re.
spacting the organization Of the Febel
army. He can tell now the troops com.
posing every corps, the number Rnd
ct e9gih Of the regiments, the names oi
the igadelend division, and even the Te
gimental commanders, sHd vast quaint
ty Of Details which is very useful not only
70 himseifbut to Gen. Grant in keeping
informed Of the enemy S movements.
A large number Of The prisoners exam
Iped .belenged to. the 48ih Virginia Reei
ment an oreani9 lton not moro than SOC
str ne, which held the P tersbuFg fortiH
estions in eUpjanction with aboui $50 nj
lite men en- tie day when General Gill
hore refused to fight. Geperal Battle,
knew before ths exp diC6n set cut almost
the preeise strength Of the force viii
Wbish ailimpre Hast ToonteId, and thesI
men we're examised merely ID WORTHY Wha
tWAs Hlresdy known. Scarcely one oi
them did not hesitate 10 say that II Gener
81 Gilmore had pressed on vith his f9uI
thousand men, he might have walked oVeI
| ell cppositioa. snd taken possession Of the
! town he did not en- feel the streDgtl
Of the Notifications which Smith 50 gel
lanily carried Ave days sfterWsrd, Un
Ger IheH5 5oirsy.-ot~AsssI - -~ASsa -sSo-lt
the odilm attach for the fearful destruc
ton OF life which has already happened
and for the streams ef blood which mus
yet foR. before Pstersburgh can be taksE
Among the prisoners we're men frou
Alabama, Tennessee and Geersis, IS vel
ss the Virginisns. remarked that tht
Southwestern men carried themselves mor'
boldly than tne others. They did not sssH
4 ct all perturbed at being in conversation
with 80 high an officer as General Butter
and kept their hats on during the inter
view. Oecasionslly, one Of them, WhC
seemed more intelligent than therest would
saeked Well, my man, can you tell NE
i what you're fighting forf The reply
would, as it is, am told, in::ninetseR OSsel
j Of twenty; 81 don't knoWj IWouldn't
SIGHT minute If I wssn't obliged 10. We
we're satisfied in the Union, but when the
| South went out We were forced to 60 too. u
One OF those yesterday e1sniHed was 6
Gsorgisn, evidently good soldier and 6
| frank spoken man; Eaid thst he Was tight
Il = 1ra -,
He hGd been satisfied to live in the Unioni
bat when the leading nen. Of the south
deereed secession, he had enlisted to fight
and would 6ght now and forever. EVi-
| IDENTIFY no was one Of the "last ditoh' fel-
lows. Another was sn old man from AL
bemarle, Virginia, bost builder, and q
man above the ordinary intelligence. HC
said his time wss out in q day or two
The three years for which he enlisted
having expired. BE did not expect
however, 10 be discharged. The
Confederate Congress had passed q
! law keeping him and all others in the
ranks General Butlsr Animsdyerted upon
such want o faith, bat Was silenced ct Ihe
prisoners remark that u poor ma gene.
| rally speaking, would steel rather than
starve to death, and on that principle the
Confederate Government had aeted."r Gen.
eral Butler told this old man that be nor
his comrades need not expect 70 be ex-
changed until Mr.. Davis chose to reply f.
Vorably to the demand for the exchange Of
negro soldiers. "Thsy lefuss teexobange,
said the General, Hon the ground that Il
would be eleTauDg negro TO The level Of
8 Ehile, man. Singular reason II the
negro Ii inferior to the white man, and
you geta white man for every negro, don't
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