Smyrna times., 1867-08-14
Gen. Buffers Report.

Gen. Buffers report to the Committee of
Congress i'll regard to the exchange OF prison, |
ers during the war Is document Of UNUSUAL
interest. We find that i'll 1863 the Rebels |
held 1900 of our men who were dying OF cold
and starvation, while the 26, 900 Rebels held
by the United States were well taken care of.
Gen. Butler and the Secretary of war prUp0o-
ed to treat the Rebel officers in our hands pre-
cisely as our men were treated III Libby; but
this plan was abandoned after consultation
with Gen. Grant. Cen Butler, i'll December,
was appointed Commissioner Of Exchange,
and found the Confederate Generals anxious
to exchange, man for man, but that the Con
tederate Government refused to treat with
Gen. Butler, on the ground that he comman-
ded negro troops Notification to that effect
was sent to our Government, which refused,
of course, to admit the right of the Contede
rate authorities to outlaw our officers. EX
changes continued till March, 1864, when Gen.
! Butler had an interview with Mr.. Ould, which
convinced him that retaliation would compel
! the Rebels to abandon their refusal to ex-
change colored soldiers. The Government, in
formed of these facts, referred the matter to
Gen. Grant, who, in April, directed Gen. But
ler to decline, until otherwise ordered, all fur
ther negotiations, and shortly afterward in
structed him to consider the determination of
the Rebels to make distinction between white
and coored prisoners, as a refusal on their
part to agree to further exchange. Gen. But
Ter was also instructed to receive all the sick
? and wounded the Rcbels would give up, but tC
send no more in exchange. In August the
Rebels offered to renew the exchange, man fol
man; Gen. Grant then teegraphed the follow
ing important order 8 1t is hard on our mel
held in Southern prisons not to exchange them
but it is humanity to those left i'll the ranks t.
/ fight our battles Every man released on pa
} role or otherwise becomes an active sOldle
: against US at once, either directly or indirect
: ly. If zee commence a system Of e1chGng
. which Iiberates oil prisoners taken, we will hav
v to fight on until the whole South is extermina
e ted. Ii we hold those caught, they amount t
v no more than dead men. At this particula
/, time, to release all Rebel prisoners Mort
:, would insure Sherman defeat, and would con
% promise our safety here" In the meanwhile
il Gen. Butler, learning that cOlOred prlsOne
d We're employed as labOrers by the Ke"els, not
il fed their Commissioner that an equal or grea
or number of their men should be so empiO
:, ed ln our service, and this action wa approx,
a. by Gen. Grant. In October, 1864, Gen. Blu
nj Ter directed Col. Multord to proceed to Sava
ia nah with fleet to carry the Rebel sick, al
4 bring back our Own-an exchange OF ahn
!, $4,000 OF our men. In November, Col. Nj
= ford informed Gen. Butler that he was
-, tanned at Fortress Monroe by the want OF tran
M' 49, portatiun, and that the suicrinsS OF our III
20 at Savannah were icarinlly Increased by t
!, delay. Gen. Butler in reply ordered him
= start an once, tn yield to no subordinate int
~ tcTrnce-tO yield to nothing but armed for
" q. and not TO that 1t lie could meet 1t. These
.. the main facts which the report presents
ct regard to the responsibility Of the failure
,, exchange prisoners, aud they will certainly &C
>. maud no ordinary attention.