New-York daily tribune., 1865-09-27

tai While almost simultaneously the fall OF Nlcksburg
and Port Hudson gave TO enemies large prepon'
derance in the number of prisoners The authorities
at Washington Immediately issued generai ORDERS re-
fusng to receive from Gen. Lee the prisoners held oy
him unt they should be reduced TO possession III VIZ
ginia thus subjccting their own men 10 Tue eIIlpe
suferings glanced at by Col Fremanfe in order 10 en-
barra:s Cen Lees movement az n,,sone. held by them
after having received for nearly or quite year the
benefit Of the special provisions OF the carter whea II
operated in their favor and during the enre war lne
never once consented 10 delivery 10 us OF any prison
ers in excess of the number for which We were pre-
pared TO return an immediate equivalent
Ii requires sagacty to perceive that every mouVe
of interest as well as Of humanity. operated TO induce
us 10 facilitate the exchange OF prisoners and TO submit
even to unjust and unequal terms in order TO recover
soldiers whom we could replace from no other source
On the other hand interest and humanity were at war
in their influence the Federal officials Others must
Judge of the humanity and justice OF the policy "nen
captivity apparently hopeless but can TESTIFY unnes
tatngy TO ts sagacity and efficacy and TO the piess
sternncss with which IL executed. Indeed, tins re-
fsa 10 exchange was one Of the most fatal blows dealt
us during the war and contributed TO our overthrow
more perhaps. than any other single measure lWrte
not 70 make complaint OF. Of + Sq, 'py % ns
consequences Of their own conduct as 10 thro" On us
the odum attached TO cruelty plainly injurious to u.s.
obviously beneficial 10 themselves.
The schse OF duty which prompts this letter would be
but imperfectly satisfied were TO Withhold at thlt
juncture the testimony which none so Wen as myself
can offer in relation 10 the charge Of inhumany made
against President Davis. For the four years durlng
which have been Of his most trusted adviser the
recipient of his confidence the sbarer 10 the best OF my
abililies in his abors and responsibilities, have
learned 10 know him better perhaps than he is Known
by any other living man. Neither IN private cohFersa
ton nor In Cabinet counsel have ever heard him utter
one unworthy thought one ungenerous sentiment On
repeated occasions when the savage atrocities o such
men as Butler TurchiD. NNeill and others were the
subject of anxious consideration, aud when II was
urged upon Jefferson Davis. not only by friends In
private letters, hut 10y members OF bis CablBet
in council. that 1t was bis duty to the peopie
and 10 the army, 20 endeavor 20 reprcss such
outrages by retaliation. he was immoyaole IN
his resistance 10 such counsels. insisting tha. II
was rcpugnant 10 every sentiment of justice ana
humanity L at the innocent should be made victims for
the crimes Of such monsters. Without betraying the
confidence Of official intercourse u may he permitted
10 say that when the notorious expedition o' Dahl
gen against the city Of Richmond had been defeated
aud tie leader killed In bis fight, the papers iound
upon lis body slowed that be had been engaged 10 an
attempt TO assassinate the President snd the heads o
the Cabinet to release the Federal prisoners confined
In Richmond set fire TO the city. and To let loose his
men and the released prisoners with fnl ioence 10
crafty their passions on the helpless inhabitants
The instructions TO his men had been elaborately
prepared and his designs communicated 10 them 10
address, the incendiary materials for firing the town
formed part Of his equipment. Tie proof was complete
and undeniable In the action In which Dahlgren fcl,
some Of his men were taken prisoners They were
brought TO Richmond, and public opinion unnnl
nous that they not entitled 20 be considered as
prisoners OF war that they ought 20 be put on trial as
hrganls and assassns and executed as such II found
guilty. In Cabinet Council, the conviction was ex-
pressed that these Esfn had acquired
punishment for their crimes n guilty, by the fact On
their having been admitted TO surrender hy their
captors, before knowledge o their Oncnses discus
sion ontued which became heated almost to Greats
upfrcndIy feeling BY reason Of the nnshaken frmuess
Of Mr.. Davis In maintaining that although these
men nerited refusal 10 grant them quarter In
the heat Of battle they had been received 70 mercy
by their captors prisoners Of and such were
sntred; and that should be dishonOred harm
shhu,d overiakc them after their surrender. the ao'
ceptanco Of which constituted in his Judgment pledge
rhoull receive the treatment OF prisoners OF
war To jefferson Davis alone aud Ia his consiancy of
purpose aid these men owe their safety spite Of hos
tile public opinion and In opposition TO twothrds Of the
Cabinet
forbear from further trespsss or your space
although am in possession Of numerous other facts
bearing on the subject that could not fail TO Interest oil
who are desr0us OF seeing Justice done To the Illus
trous Of whose present condition VIII not trust
myself 10 speak. remain, SIT your oeedient servant
REPLY TO Mr.. BENJAMIN FROM CAPT. WISE, L.
5. NAVY.
To the Editor Of The London Tiue's
SIR: In Mr.. Benjamin's attempted defense OF
the cruel and atrocous treatment Of Federal prisoners
published in Tie T Of today he has omitted o state
that for long time the exchange ceased because the
Coufederntes refused TO comply with the carter IN g'
ing up captured negro soldiers as man fcr man a
theory which the Federal Government on the score OF
justice and humanity 10 the soldiers OF the Republic re-
fused TO accedc 10. But let this pass ana 10 quote tbe
wurds Of Mr.. Benjamin. without betrnymg the conn
dence Of official intercourse. permit me to make posl
tive denial Of the charges ho has revamped against
young Col Dahgren. who fell in midnight ambush near
Richmond brutslv butchered stripped not only OF his
clothing and his wooden leg the memento from bullet
in battle but his finger hacked Of FOX the ring held
Yes BIS own servant, who in the early morning re-
moved the naked bloody and mutilated remains from
the roadside to the shade Of hedge told me of these
facts; and perhaps Mr. Benjamin himself may have
seen the cacase when Il publicly exhibited IN the
shambles Of Richmond before being thrown, as the pa
pers SAID Ito dungheap FOR the dogs 10 feast upon"
and thus add his testimony TO the story
But with reference 10 the papers found upon the
body can il be possible yr. Benjamn is not aware
that the document which u presumed he had htho
graphed In fac sinie and distributed abroad WAS
forgery, and 30 clumsily executed that II scarcely
rescmbod the writing Of Dahlgrcn and even the sigma
ture was misspelt, This forgery exposed With
hitter indgnalon by Admiral Dablgren the father OF
the dead colonel published far and wide In the United
States and never 20 my knowledge was the miserable
unmanly trick Ia defnme the reputation OF gallant
soldier palliated by the press or people oi Ich
m0nd.
The sole object Of DahlTeh's expedition was the
release Of our suffering soldiers from tie dens OF the
Libby Prison as he told me parting expecting ana
prepared sacrifice youth hopes and life IN that noble
attempt and doubt, had be succeeded In rcaching
the ground for operations he would have made bis
saber felt ny he had before IN many dashng charge
all who stood in his path but NOT 10 assasslnhte
the President and the heads Of the Cabinet as MI
Benjamin asserts. No; such thought never en-
tered the brain reached the heart O that brave
boy and Mr. BENJAMIN will have 10 produce more OF
his numerous facts bearing tho subject before ne
cite similar ease that Of Dahigren In Jusfhca'
tion Of the cruees peretra,ed upon Federal prison
ers. am, sir, your obedient servant,
ii. A. Wise United States Navy.
London Sept. IL.
The Peninn Movement.
NUMEROUS ARTISTS.
The recent alray at Dangan between the con-
stabuary and crowd OF alleged Fenians, inD which