The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-09-02
I'm. rrc,,wc,,o of Federal Prisoners.

the Treat m ont OF Federal Prisoners.
In their anxiety to defeat General Grant
and to aid Seymour the Copperheads havenot
scrupled 10 use any means in their power;
hence they have sought all sorts OF rebel aid
One Of their last lodges was to call upon the
stand Robert ould, the. 4 glorious rebel COM
missioner for exchange OF prisoners. They
brought him on the stand, and have got his
testimony and published It, Now mark how
General Meredith annihilates this tool OF sey.
mour's. The following Is the Generals letter.
EDiToRs BuFFALo CoNNERcIAL ADvER.
rIsER: My attention has been called TO a SEN
uation story published in the New YORK
\ World, entitled "a Terrible Revelation, pur-
porting to be q statement Of Robert ould con.
m latter not so serious, the reasons given by
this noble patriot Tor publishing ms romance
might be considered the best Joke oil the seq
son to wit; "To correct the many misrepre-
scntations OF the late confederate anthorities
| In relation to prisoners" aud THAT ne ieels ~
due to the truth Of history TO bring the ,ae'S
When an unrepentant traitor, like Robert
| ould, has the unblushing impudenee TO attempt
to impose on northern ifeemen ms ninut,sa,
| with the late rebellion, or the treatment OIL
| our soldiers, Intentionally starved and slaugh-
tered IN rebel pens also feel u tnea@oen. on
The first interruption OF the cartel was
/ caused by JEFF Dsvis's message to the rebel
Congress January III lss2 wherein i ne an an
GERS Of the United States captured after that
date to the State authorities, to be dealt with
L according to the laws OF those states, provi;
| ding for the punishment Of criminals engaged
| in melting servile insurrection." That Is, our
| officers captured In battle were to be handed
| over to tins state authorities TO be hanged.
The second difficulty occurred In relation TO
| negro troops, and the officers commanding
/ them, whom the rebel authorities promised to
treat in the same manner, but without taking
Il Il I.Is NFaN hA a ~.
| thorities. In many instances no quarter was
| granted to that class of troops, or to the ON
| GERS commanding them. Some were executed
without trial, though that mere form would
not have benefited them In the slightest de-
gree.
gro troops and their officers should be treated
as other prisoners OF war, and exchanged, this
| " yindicator of the truth" peremptorily dc
clined with this remark ave tthe rebels
will die in the last ditch before giving up the
| right to send slaves back to slavery"
| Another cause OF the suspension OF fhe cartel
was Its constant violation by the rebels, In max
ing illegal declarations OF exchange, ior the
purpose OF putting nen into the Held, anu there
| Is no doubt whatever that all prisoners paroled
by the United States authorities were imme,
diatcly returned to active duty In me rene,
| Nicksburg were In the battle Of OhAckamauga
Thus the rebels were making use of our well
conducted prisons as recruiting depots Tor thell
Another Insuperable obstacle TO returninr
exchanges was In the matter Of paroles. Mr.
opld had some eighteen or twenty thSu san
these paroles were taken by guerrillas, bush
whackers, and detached commands in th'
| West. No possession was ever had no DEW
cry was ever made, and no rolls were ever FUR
| nished. On the capture of a town by rebe
cavalry raid, the command remained lonl
enough to take the paroles OF unarmed citizen
| there, and then decamped, leaving the paroleI
men behind, and forwarding the paroles Il
| Richmond And the rebels had the assurance
to require the United States Government :,
exchange prisoners legitimately captured II
battle for such paroles as these.
on the 25th or November, 1863, l offered t.
send Immediately to City Point 1900 or NOR
% !, o thS San,S Th
| proposition was distinctly and unequiyocall!
refused by Mr.. Ould. And why1 Because thu
damnable plans OF the rebel government In re
lstion to our poor captured soldiers had no
then been fully carried oW. Let Mr.. Ould lesV'
the truth OF history to take care OF Itself, ant
lated, and barSsrous treatment by the rebe
authorities OF our soldiers in the rebel prison
pens. When, in 1861, the hellish plan wal
almost contaminated, and they held as prison
ers thousands OF loathsome skeletons, let hin
| confess that then his emasculated government
was willing TO let the United states authori
ties bury its dead in exchange for lresh az, an;
put In the field against Gen. Grant.
To conclude, Messrs. Editors, these ant
these alone were the causes which prevented
the exchange OF prisoners, and these cause
were in operation until the close Of the war
The difficulties in the way were insurmount
able, and were SO looked upon by the unite
States authorities. Gen. Grant had no NOR
power to overcome them than any officer VIII,
: preceded him. lie took the only means in hi
, power to effect the release OF our prisoner.
! | and in lsCJ succeeded in accomplishing hi
purpose, much 10 the disgust, no doubt. G
9 such patriotic yindicators of the truth c
c history" as Mr.. Robert Ould.
!. Yours, very truly, 5. A. MEREDITH,
Late Brigadier General and United State
Z commissioner for exchange OF prisoners.
Buffalo, Aug. %, 1865.