The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-10-31
Beast Butler Defends Himself and
Blarnes Gen. Grant in The Matter
of the Exchange Of Prisoners.

Of the Exchange OF PrlS0ners'
Gen. Butler said at Hamilton, Ohio,
the other day, that while he never an
awered anonymous newspapers attacks,
he felt it his duty here at Hamilton to
refnte Islander which had been circu-
lated from this platform few days ago
nv gentleman of standing in adgoca-
ting the election of the Democratic can
didate.
He has chosen to say that am re-
sponsible for the starvation OF our prls-
ofers at Belle Isle and Andersonvllie,
by refusing to exchange soldiers be-
cause the rebels did not recognize the
negroes in our service as regular SOL
diers.
I don't propose to criticise anybody,
or to say who was right or WHO was
wrong, but propose to state the exact
facts, because it has been widely charg-
ed against me that in order to rescue
the negro soldiers preferred that 3d.
600 of our men should starve rather
than agree that the negro should not
be exchanged.
Whatever I might have thought it
best to have done, I am only here to-
day to say that did not do it. The
duties of Commissioner of Exchange
were put in my hands. made an ar
rangement 60 have an exchange effect
ed-Iman for man, officer for officer. /
communicated my plan to Gen. Streight,
of Indiana, who is here to-day, and
who had just escaped from the Libby.
I told him how proposed to get our
negro soldiers ont of the rebel hands.
We had 10000 or thereabouts Of
their prisoners. They had $4,000 Of
ours, or thereahout. I don't give the
exact numbers, as I quote from memo
ry; but these are the approximate
Numbers.
proposed to 60 on and exchange
with the rebels, man for man, officer
for officer, until / got $4,000 of our
men, andthe I would still have had
10000 of theirs left in my hands. And
then ! proposed to twist these 10000
until got the negroes out Of therebels.
[Applause.] made this arrangement
with the Confederate COMMISSIONER
This was on the lst Of April, before we
commenced to move on that campaign
of 1864, from the Rapid Ann to the
James, around Richmond.s At that
time the Northumberland visited
my headquarters, and / told him what
] had done. He gave me certain verbal
/. directions. What they were / shall
not say, because have his instructions
in writing. But sent my proposition
for exchange to the Government of the
United States. 1t was referred to the
Lieutenant General. He ordered me
not to give the Confederates another
man in exchange. fy
telegraphed back to him in these
words: o 40
"Your order shall be obeyed, but I
assume that you do not mean to inter-
fere with the exchange Of the sick and
wounded7n
He replied: "Take all the sick and
wounded you can get, but don't give
them another man."
You can see that even with the sick
and wounded men this system would
soon cause all exchanges to stop.
It did stop. 1t stopped right there,
in April, 1864. and was not resumed
until August, 1864, when Mr.. Ould, the
Rebel Commissioner, again wrote to
me eve viii exchange man for man,
officer for officer, and say nothing about
colored troops.
laid this dispatch before the Lieu
tenant General. His answer in writing
was substantially: eff you give the
rebels the 10000 men whom we hold,
it will ensure the defeat of Gen. Sher-
man and endanger our safety here
around Richmond. l wrote an argu-
ment, Extensively put, to the Confede-
rate Commissioners, so that they should
stop all further offers of exchange.
I say nothing about the policy of this
course I offer no criticism of it what
ever; | say only that, whether it he a
good or bad policy, it was not mine,
and that my part in it was wholly in
obedience to orders from my command.
lug officer, the Lieutenant General.
p NJ L. e IL