Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-08-21
Another Eesfcr from EA.CGNN-
missioner Ou.G.

h'ssbehPf OetsG.
General Robert Oull has written the fo!!-
lowing letter to one Of the editors Of the
National Mtcligcncr:
RlcIIMoND, July IS, 1867.
Ny DEAR Sir: have read the remark
able discussion in the House. Mr.. El-
bridge is substantially right in what he said
| offered early in August to deliver all The
sick and wounded prisoners VIC had without
requiring equivalents for them. l would
have made the offer earlier, but for the fact
that some considerable time before { had
made an offer Of exchange, man for man,
to which / could get no response. waited
for esponse until ca ly in August, and fail.
ing to receive one, then made the offer
above named, at the same time urging haste
on the part of the United States govern.
ment, as the mortality among the Federal
prisoners was very great. During the fall l
again and again urged haste, giving the
same reason. | informed the Federal au.
thorities that if they would send transporta.
ton for Is, 200 men to the mouth OF the Sa.
vannah River would furnish that number
of sick and wounded, and that l would fill
up any deficiency with well prisoners. l
did not require a corresponding delivery Of
our prisoners, though | expressed the desire
that they might be sent From early in
August we were not only ready, but anxious
to make this delivery. 1t was our purpose
as well as our offer, to continue the delivery
Of the sick and wounded at all the depots Of
prisoners, and upon the terms mentioned !;
that is, without requiring equivalents.
Transportation was not sent until December.
The United States authorities brought in
that month some 1900 prisoners to the
mouth of the Savannah River, and recciv-
ed overl3, 900 in return many Of whom were
well men. The 5000 delivered presented
as melancholy spectacle as Andersonville ev-
er disclosed. Most, il not all of them, had
been brought from Elmira. Some died be-
tween Elmira and Baltimore, many between
Baltimore aud Savannah, | do not believe
ten per cent. of the number are now alive.
All these facts are known to Federal officers.
Rebels, may lie, but yet the fact is fully es-
tablished by other evidence that the Fedora
authorities sent 5000 and received $4,000.
They would have received more if there
had been accommodations. Whywas trans
portation sent to Savannah for the prison
ers unless had agreed to deliver them
Why were 1900 delivered and only 5000
received if l insisted on receiving equiva-
lents? There is nothing in the published
correspondence referred to by General But
Ter which, in any manner, contests any one
of the facts l have mentioned. General
Milford will sustain everything | have here
in written. He is a man of honor and
courage, and, I do not think, will hesitate
to tell the truth. | think it would be well
for you to make an appeal to him, as it has
become a question of yeracity. General
Butler says the proposition was made in the
fall, and that 1000 prisoners were delivered
It was in August, and over $4,000 were de-
livered. If you will get Pollard's "Lost
Cause" and refer to the chapter on exchange
there you will find the whole question accu-
rately stated. Every word of the chapter
is true, so far as it pertends to give facts.
You can make public any portion Of this let
ter. defy contradiction as to any state
ment l have made, and challenge scrutiny
l will prove every word by Federal testi-
mony. Who, then, is responsible for the
suffering Of Andersonville during the peri
cd of its most deadly mortality, from Au-
gust to January? Yours truly,
II. OULD.