Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-09-25

think the Horny Hands Id better 90 in.
toftbs ' Real Estate businssj '-fJoSrnaI.
Z, ss' The Exchange Of P1|soners.
IarsO afi syssl o------ - sssfisad =
| A sEyMoUR REBEL ANswEH GENERAL
.,ie,,M ,MEREDiTH IN RELRy 70 oULD. ~,
The Seymour Blair p>pers Of the
country have spread before their readers
the charge of Confederate Commissioner
Ould, that General Grant wa responsible
or,the. non. exchsnee 81 ners during
the war, and for much Of tiY5|suffering ex-
perienced By our men. General Meredith,
who was the Commissioner on the part OF
the United States Government, now ex.
poses the falsehoods of 0uld. in the fol-
lowing statement, which we clip from the
Buffalo Adrertiser, of the 26th: asa $ .
- GENERAL MEREDITH's STATEMENT.
Editors Buffalo Adroeiser: sxsi taa
My attention hiss been called to a sem
sation story published In the New York
lTWofld, entitled "a Terrible Revelation, y
purporting to be a statement of Robert
Ould concerning the7exchange Of prison
ers. Were the matter not SO serious, the
reasons given by this noble patriot fol
publishing his romance might be consid-
cred the best joke of the season, 10 wit:
ITO correctithe rnsuy misrepresentation
oil, the'.lato Confederate authorities in re.
lation to prisoners" and 'sthat he feels il
duelto.ths truth Of history to bring the
facts set forth to the attention Of the coun.
tryPsd 5@FpJsd ~ ena hes .aaHsfpea
j. When an unrepentant traitor like Rob
ert 0uid has the unbiushing impudcnce
to- attempts.t TO impose on northern free
me his sindlcation of the s'truth Of his
tory; as connected with the late rebellion
or the treatment of our soldiers, inten.
fionall starved and slaughtered in rebel
pens, l also feel il incumbent on me (ashe
remarks) ,tosmake q statement. e4os
The first interruption of the cartel was
caused by JEFF Davis message to- o the
Rebel Congress, January l2, 1863, where,
in he announced his denomination s'to
deliyer.o all officers of5jibe United
States. ptured after that date Of the State
authorities, to be dealt with according to
the laws OF those States, providing fol
the punishment Z Of criminals engaged in
incitiug servile Instruction That is
our officers captured in battle were TO bs
handed over to the State authorities to- bs
hung. ID igsrigf f Afe-ee.iris
The second difficulty occurred in rela-
ton TO ,uegro troops, aud the officers
commaHding them, whom the rebel auth.
critics promised TO treat in the ,sam,
manner, but WITHOUT taking the trouble
to deliver them to the State authorities
In many Instances no quarter was gran
ted to that class Of troops, or to the officers
commanding them. Some were executed
| without trial, though that mere form
would not have benefited them in the
slightest degree. -
When, in August, 1868, I demanded
that uegrb troops, and theirofficers, should
be treated as other prisoners Of war, auc
exchanged, this ''yindieator of the truth
pereiDptorily declined with this remark.
I'VE (the rebels) will die in the las
ditch bcforo'g giving up the right to seuC
slaves back to slavery" oer sit q"
Another cause OF the suspension Of the
cartel was its constant violation by the
rebels, in making illegal declarations ol
lexchange, for the purpose Of putting mer
into the field; and there is no doubt whit
ever that all prisoners paroled by the
United States authorities were immedia
tely returned t0active duty in the rcbe
ARMY Many officers aud men captured a
iNicksburg werein the battle Of Chieamau.
"a. Thustho rebels were making use o
our weIl-eonducted prisons as Recruiting
depots for their army. klDui ieI
Another insuperable obstacle TO return
ing exchanges was in the matterrof pa
roles Mr.. Ould had some eighteen OF
twenty thousand which he claimed al
valid. Most. if not all these parolesiworc
taken by gnerrillas, hwhuckers, ant
detached commands in the Ncet No pos
session was cyer had, no delivery was ever
made, aud no roles were ever furnishrd. Ga
Itho capture Of a'town by rebel cnvalr,
raid the eommandiemainel long enonghot,
tako the paroles OF unarmed citizens there
aud then deoamped. leaving the parolct
men behind and forwarding tho parole
10 Richmond. And then tho rebels ha,
the assurance 10 fequireihe United State
doysrnment 10 exchange prisoners logiti
maidly captured IN batilolior such paroles
as these. .el9 900 iuis "a shi.
li Ondihoi s25ih of November. lsG3,
offered iossad inmed a,ely TO City Poio
hl2,O 900 OF moro suouindarato prisonors 4
be EXCHANGED for Union soldiers eoulne'
10 tho South. This proportion wasadis'
tinetly aud unequivocally refused by Mr.
Ould, And why2 Because the damnabl'
plans of the febol government 10 rolailol
10 our poor captured soldiers had not beef
fully carried cut.
Lot Mr.. Ould leave tho truth Of hisior
10 take care Of itself, and yindicaio, ii h
can, the intentional, premedilaied an,
balbarous treatment Of our soldiors by llh
rebel authorities, IN ihe.febcl prison pon'
+ Whom, In 1864, aho hellish plan was nj
most consummated and they held q
prisoners thousands of loathsouie skdle
tons, lot him confess tint then his Gums
culated government was willing to lot ih
, United State government bury he deud, !
exchange for a fresh aud healthy army o
900 men, TO bo Immediately put la tn
/ field against General Grant.
To conclude, Mesnrs. Editors, these IN
/ these alone wore tho causes which pre-
vented the exchange OF prisoners, an
! ihose oausos were inaoperation until Oh
. close Of the,war. The difficulties IN th
way were inaurmouniable, aud we're look
! cd upon by tho unihcd staics au'horitiel