The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-09-09
Revelations in Regard to the Rx.
49, -, change Of Prisoners i''

tnh9tne, y atlonais Int llIgencer of the 20tl
is a. q statement Of Robert Ould, Esq, VIII,
Q acted during the war as Confederate Com
; missioner Of Exchange, giving a public his
: tory Of the action Of the late Confederat.
authorities in relation to the exchange o
prisoners of war. Mr.. ould begins by {
reference to the cartel of exchange O
July %, 1862, by which it was provided
that all prisoners should be discharged on
parole in ten days after their capture
f From that date till the summer me Of 1868
the Confederate authorities had the ex.
cess ofprisoners, and during that Interval
/ made prompt deliveries of them. though
| the terms'of the cartel were not, as he al
leges. adhered to by the Federal authcri-
ties. But in the summer ofle63. the Fed
eral authorities insisted upon limiting ex
change to such as were held in confinement
on either side, which Mr.. Ould resisted as
not only keeping in confinement the ex-
cess on either, side, but ignoring allthe par
oles which were held by the, Confederate
lNo'eioieu1S.f }tPs8 G,flssi}if 3a .f.ta nj ffs
This position Mr.. Ould adhered to until
the 10th of August 1864 when, moved by.
the sufferings Of prisoners on both sides he
addressed a letter to Gen. Jno. +. Milford !,
assistant ant United States agent of exchange.
consenting to exchange man for man, and
on t the 22d Of August having received no
response, addressed communication to-
Gen, Hitchcock, United States Commits
sioner of exchange, enclosing copy of the
letter to Gen. Milford, requesting ansac,.
ceptance ;ofhis propositions. No ans wer
at all was received to either of these letters
the effect Of whichif accepted would have
been to release all Union prisoners. On,
January "a, 1864, Mr. ould wrote to Gen.
Hitchcock, proposing that prisoners 5on
each side should be. attended by their own
surgeon, withpower tolreceive and distrib-
Ente such contributions of money, food,
clothing and medicines as might be for
warded to their relief. No reply was made
to this communication, the acceptance. Of
which would have obviated the suffer
ings. of Federal prisoners, ! ! which !
chiefly occurred afterwards at Anderson
vile. In the summer of 1864 Mr.. Ould Of
fered to buy of the United States medicine
for the use of the Federal prisoners, to
which also hereceived no reply. He states
it thus:
af"In consequences of certain information
communicated to me by the Surgeon Gen
eral ofthe Confederate States as to the de-
ficiency of medicines, l offered to make
purchases of medicines from the.s United
States authorities, to be used exclusively
for the relief of Federal prisoners. l offer
ed pay gold, cotton. or tobacco for them
and even two or three prices. if required.
At the, same time gave assurances that
the medicines would be used exclusively in
the treatment Of Federal prisoners; and
moreover agreed on behalf Of the Confed-
crate States, if it was insisted on, that such ,
medicines might be brought into the Con.
federate lines by the United States sura
geons, and dispensed by them. To this
offer I never received anyreply. Ibcredi-
BILE as this appears, it is strictly true.", l.
Mr. lOuld was born and raised in the
District Of Columbia, where his character
for truth and integrity has never been
questioned, He appeals to Gen; Mulford,
the Federal agent.of exchange, who is now
United States collector at Richmond, for
the tutl'fof what he has written. He
adds: ''ifaafIs'A ~ n r. /,
"Tbere arc other Federal corroborations
to portions of my statements. They are
the report of Gen. B. f Butler to
the Committee on the conduct Of the war
About the last Of March ga, had several
conferences with Gen. Butler, sat Fortress
Monroe, in, relation to the difficulties at
tending the exchange of prisoners and we
reached what we both thought q tolerable
satisfactory basis. q sr.4,b .s.,tyI 81,
ei"The day that left there Gen. Grant,
arrived, Gen. Butler says he commupica-
ted to him the state Of the negotiations,
and most emphatic verbal directions were
received from tho Lieut.. General not to
lake any step by which another abie-bodied
man should be exchanged until further or +,
lers from him; and that on April 80, 1864
ne received telegram from Gen. Grant to ,
receive all the sick and wotfnded the Con- I
ederate authorities may send you, but send s
10 more in exchange Unless my recol- I
ection fails me Gen, Butler also, in an ad- t
lress to his constituents, substantially de- I
Jared that he was directed with the Con-
ederate authoritiesto put the matter Of.
ensesiyelys forthe purpose of preventing
~ exchange, s,li .aaHo3 8d1xt agA
"I'he facts which have stated are also j
veil known to the officers connected with E
he Confederate Stateso bureau of ex-1
hange. <s,.-,a .-- i,
''"At one time l thought an excellent op- n
'ortunfty was afforded Of bringing some Of
hem to the attention OF the country. L f.
'as named BY poor Wirz as witness in Ia
lis behalf. The summons was issued by r
lhipman, tina Judge Advocate Of. the mill it
airy court. I obeyed the summons, and o
'as IN attendance upon the cour. for [