Litchfield enquirer., 1868-09-10

|"
 one orthern soldier, or one friend of such soldier, disposed to vote for Seymour and
 Blair, We advise such soldier and such
 friend to read those hundred pages, and
 then think Of Andersonville! MEREDITH cs. GUILD.
 We s1bjoin the letter of Gen. Meredith referred to in the foregoing communica- tion, together with the remarks of the Ad- 1 peytiser:-
 eve are fortunately able to interpose @ 1 prompt and absolute denial of all MT. Ould's material statements of facts, coming from source at once disinterested and un-
 questionable Brig. Gen. s. A Meredith,
 whose military record during the war stands deservedly high, and who is now soiourn- ing in this city, was for many months on duty near Richmond as United States Commissioner for the exchange of prison CTS. He was in constant communication
 with MT. Ould in regard to this very busi-
 ness. The official correspondence between them is now before us and fully corrober-
 ates what Gen. Meredith says. Up to the
 time when he sJ ys bBeeeeEeq bX G6e4p 64 JBFtsg JBBasg ] .sA4 'oitadtssfedith speaks of his own personal knowledge. Since that time he has had Q
 very natural interest in the subject, and kept himself thoroughly posted. He vol untarIly furnishes us with the following
 statement which, to our mind, very effec-
 tualty demojishes Mir. Ould's statement.
 and convlcts him of partisan duplicity, if not Of absolute Justification:
 GLt'. MEREDlTHs STATEMENT
 Editors Bafalo Coanmerciaz Adce,tisey: My attention has been called to sensa- ton story published in the New York
 World, entitled "A Terrible Revelation" purportlng to be q statement of Robert Ould concerning the exchange of prison CTS. Were the matters not so serious, the ] reasons given by this noble patriot for publishing his romance might considered the best joke of the season, to wit: 'To correct the many misrepresentations of the 1 late Confederate authorities in relation to prisoners, and that he feels it due to the truth of history to bring the facts set forth to the attention of thel country
 'When an unrepentant traitor like Rob- ert Ould, has the unblushing impudence to attempt to impose on Northern freemen, | his vindication of the truth of history
 as connected with the late rebellion, or the
 treatment of our soldiers, intentionally
 starved and slaughtered in rebel pens, ai- l so feel 1t incumbent on me las he remarks) to. make statement.'
 ''The first interruption of the cartel was caused by Jeff. Davis message to the rebel Congress, Jan. F, 1863, wherein he an- nounced his determination to deliver all officers of the United States captured after that date to the State authorities, to be dealt with according to the laws of those States, providing for the punishment of of criminals engaged in melting servile in-
 surrection." That is, our officers captured in battle were to be handed over to the State authorities to be hanged.
 ''The second difficulty occurred in rela- tion to negro troops, and the officers con- l manding them, whom the rebel authori- 1 ties promised to treat in the same manner,
 but without taking the trouble to deliver them to the State authorities. In many
 instances no quarter acds qrosated to tsat class cf troops,o'' 10 hbe g6feers commanding them. Some were executed without trial, though
 that mere form would not have benefited them Tn the slightest degree.
 l ''When in August 1863, T demanded that 1 negro troops, and their officers should be l treated as other prisoners of war and ex- | changed, this 'vindicator of the truth
 prenspto,lty declined, with this remark: We l tthe rebeis) soiU die 5n tue hsst ditch before
 giri'ag ID ase right to send slaces back to szts- 0ery.' "Aaother cause of the suspension of the
 cartel was ats coasta'at violation 6y he rebels l Ill making illegal declarations of exchange for the purpose of putting men into the 1 field; and there Is no doubt, whatever.
 that all prisoners paroled by the United States authorities were immediately return- ed to active duty in the rebel army. Many officers and men captured at Vicksburg ] were in the battle of Chickamauga. Thus l the rebels were making use of our we'll
 conducted prisons as recruiting depots for their army.
 Another insuperable obstacle to return lug exchanges was in the matter of paroles. Mr. Ould had some eighteen or twenty
 thousand which he claimed as valid. Most, If not all, of these paroles were taken by guerrilias, buskw hackers and detached commands ln the Vest No possession was ever had, no delivery was ever made, and no rolls were eyer furnished. On the capture of town by a cavalry raid, the command remained long enough to take the paroles of unarmed citizens there. and then decamped, leaving the paroled men
 behind, and forwarding the paroles to Richmond. And the rebels had the as- surance to require the United States gov ernment to exchange prisoners legitimate ly captured in battle for such paroles as these.
 On the 24th of November 1863, I offered
 to send immediately to City Point 12,OOO or more confederate prisoners to be ex- changed for Union soldiers confined in the South. This proposition was distinct ly and unequivocally refused by Mir. Ould. And why? Because the damnable plans of the rebel Government in relation to our poor captured soldiers had not Men been fa1- g carried out Let MT. Ould leave the truth of history to take care of itself, and Vindicate, if he can, the intentional, pre- meditated, and barbarous treatment by the rebel authorities of our soldiers in the reb- el prison pens. When in 1864 the hellish plan was almost consummated, and they held as prisoners thousands of loathsome skeletons, let him confess that then his emasculated Government was willing to let the United States authorities bury it's dead, In exchange for fresh and healthy army of 60,OOO men, to be immediately put Tn the field against Gen. Grant.
 e |. c1L e51 aoz a2 ].