The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1867-07-31
THE EXCHANGE OF PRlsONRRs.
Letter fiUm the Rebel CousDissaoncr OF
Exchange. lI ft

Letter fi-onl the Rebel C0MDls1eOncr Of
In debate in the House Of Repre-
sentatiyes on the 14th inst, pending
resolution offered by Mr.. Mungen of
Ohio, inquiring into the treatment of
prisoners captured by the Union Ar
my, Mr.. Eldridge stated that in con-
versation which he had with Gen.
Ould, who had charge of the exchange
of prisoners on the part of the Con-
federate Government, he had been
informed that an offer was made by
Gen. Ould to the Union officer having
the matter in charge Gen. Butler } and
he thought Gen. Grant also, that he
would give them 10000 Union pris-
oners, sick and wounded, making up
the number, if deficient, with able
bodied men, without any equivalent,
as the Confederate Government was
unable to feed and take care Of them
properly, and that the offer was refused.
In reply, Gen. Butler reminded Mr..
Ellridge that all the correspondence
on the subject had been laid before
Congress in January, 1865. In the
Fall of 1864, after the exchange of
prisoners had been stopped, PROPOSE
ton was made by the Rebels to give
up the sick priseness held by them at
Savannah and Millen, Ga. As soon
as transportation could be got, the
proposition was accepted, and six
steamboats, were sent to Savannah, and
took off over 1000 men. There had
been some unavoidable delay in it,
consequent on the operations of the
army ; and the offer had been made to
the Rebels to let them send cotton to
New York, sell it through our agents,
and with the proceeds procure what
was necessary for their prisoners.
We find the following letter from
Gen. Ould in a Washington paper:
RICHMOND. July 19, 1867.
Hon. CHARLES a. ELDRIDGE-My
Dear Sir: | have seen your remarks
as published. They are substantially
correct. Every word that | said to
you in Richmond is not only true, but
can be proved by Federal officers. |
did offer in August to deliver the Fed
eral sick and wounded, without requir-
ing equivalents, and urged the necessity
of haste in sending for them, as the
mortality was terrible. I did offer to
deliver from 10000 to $4,000 at
Savannah without delay. Although
this offer was made in August, trans
portation was not sent for them until
December, and during the interval the
mortality was perhaps at its greatest
height. If had not made the offer,
why did the Federal authorities send
transportation to Savannah for 10000
or $4,000 men? If / made the offer
based only on equivalents, why did
the same transportation carry down
for delivery only 5000 men? Butler
says the offer was made in the Fall
according to the newspaper report
and that 1000 were delivered. The
offer was made in August, and they
We're sent for in December. | then
delivered more than 10000, and would
have gone to the $4,000, if the Fed
eral transportation had been sufficient.
My instructions to my agents were to
deliver $1,000 sick and wounded, and
if that number of that class were not
on hand, to make up the number by
well men. The offer was made by me
in pursuance of instructions from the
Confederate Secretary of War. was
ready to keep up the arrangement
until every sick and wounded man
had been returned. The 5000 men
sent to Savannah by the Federals were
in as wrctchcd a condition as any de-
tachment of prisoners ever sent from
Confederate prison. All these things
are susceptible of proof, and | am much
mistaken if cannot prove them by
Federal authority. l am quite sure
that Gen. Multord will sustain every
allegation here made. Yours, truly,
r. OULD.
P.S.-Gen. Buffers correspondence
is all on one side, as was instructed
at the date of his letters to hold no
correspondence with him. | cores
ponded with Mulford or Gen. Hitch
cock. r. OULD.