Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-08-26

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out, would have been to release all Un-
ion prisoners, while a large number of
the Confederates would have remained
in prison, awaiting the chances of the
capture of their equivalents. i'f . %
II. 90 80 '''1So'
In Jannry, 1864, and, indeed, some
time earlier, it became very manifest that
in consequences of the complication in re-
lation to, exchanges, the large bulk of
prisoners on both sides would remain in
captivity for many long and weary weary
months, if not for the duration of the. war.
Prompted by an earnest desire to alleSvii-
ate the hardships Of confinement on, both
sides, I addressed the following { commu- ON rtI
nication to General 3. "A. Hitchcock,
United States Commissioner Of Ex-
change, and on or about the day Of its
date, delivered the same to the Federal
authority: Als'' s''i 'Ai'' 'o''','es '.'' '''iA
coSFEDERATE M sTATEs OF AMERICA, NE RI bis
RICHMOND. VA, January "a, 1854
Major General E. Il. Hitchcock, Agent of
sErchange :'soqsai 9dj : t=iI guo'1L
. SIR: In view Of the present difficult
ties attending the exchange and release
of prisoners, l propose that all such on
each side shall be attended by proper
number of their own surgeons, who, under
rules to be established, shall be permit
ted to take charge of their health and
comfort. or ssU ea uodT tilH .eTei.]o e5
- I also propose that these surgeons
-,
receive and distribute such contributions
of money, food, clothing and medicines,
as may be forwarded for the relief of
prisoners. i further propose that these
surgeons be selected by their own Gov
ernments, and that they shall have full
liberty at any and all times, through the
agents of exchange, to make reports not
only of their own acts, but of any mat
ters relating to the welfare of prisoners.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
Ro. OULD, Agent of Exchange 1al
To this communication no reply of any
kind sods euer made. Ineed not state how
much sufferingwould have been prevented
if this offer had been met in the same
spirit in which it was dictated. In ad-
dition, the world have had truthful ac-
counts of the treatment of prisoners on
both sides by officers of character, and
thus much ofthatmisrepresentationwhich
has flooded the country would never
have been poured forth. The jury box
in the case of Wirz would have had diff.
ferent witnesses with different story.
1t will be borne in mind that nearly all
the suffering endured by Federal prison
ers happened after January, 1864. The
acceptance of the proposition made by
me on behalf of the Confederate Gov
ernment would not only have furnished
to the sick medicines and physicians
but to the well an abundance of food and
clothing from the ample stores of the
United States, The good faith of the
Confederate Government in making this
offer cannot be successfully questioned,
for food and clothing (without the sur
geons) were sent in 1865, and were al
lowed to be distributed by Federal Off
GERS to Federal prisoners. -.,-u -..-t Il
Why could not the more humane pro-
posal of January, 1864, have been ac-
cepted ..-,.,.G +d..s5. 5.,fa5...e q
T. .la5- 3-- H LII. T5t a.4o9s eaf Il
When it was ascertainedI that ex-
changes could not be made either on the
basis of the cartel, or officer for officer,
and man for man, I was instructed by
the Confederate authorities to offer to |
the United States Government their,
sick and wounded, Dithout regxiri.g any
eqmioolents. Accordingly, in the eusum-
mer of 1864, / did offer to deliver from
ten to fifteen thousand of the sick and
wounded at the mouth of the Savannah
river, without requiring any equivalents,
assuring. at the same time, the agent of
the United States, General Mulford,
that if the number for which he might
send transportation could not readily be |
made up from sick and wounded, /
would supply the difference with we'll
men. Although this offer was made in
the summer of 1864, transportation was
not sent to the Savannah river until
about the middle or las. of November,
and then I delivereed as many prison
ers as could be transported - some
thirteen thousand in number,
amongst whom were more than five
thousand well men. More than once l
urged the mortality at Andersonville as
as reason for haste on the part of the
United States authorities. / know,
personally, that it was the purpose of
the Confederate Government to send off
from all its prisons all the sick and
wounded, and to continue to do the same.
from time to time, without requiring any
equivalents for them. 1t was because |
the sick and wounded at points distant
from Georgia could not be brought to
Savannah within reasonable time that
the five thousand well men were substi-
tuted. Although the terms of my offer
did not require the Federal authorities
to deliver any for the ten or fifteen thou
sand which 1 promised, yet some three
thousand sick and wounded were de-
livered by them at the mouth of the Sa-
vannah river. I call upon every Fed
eral and Confederate officer and man
who saw the cargo of living death, and
who is familiar with the character of the
deliveries made by the Confederate au-
thorities, to bear witness that none such
was ever made by the latter, even when
the very sick and desperately wounded
were alone requested. For, on two oc-
casions at least, such were specially ask
ed for, and particular request was made
for those who were SO desperately sick
that it would be doubtful whether they
would survive a removal few miles
down James River. Accordingly, the
hospitals were searched for the worst
cases, and after they were delivered
they were taken to Annapolis, and there
photographed as specimen prisoners.
The photographs at Annapolis were ter