Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-08-28
were confined to cases the results of special
aoreement Judge Ould SAYS:

were confined to cases the results of special
agreement. Judge Ould says:
"The Confederate authorities adhered
| 1864 when, moved by the sufferings OF the
men in the prisons OF each belligerent,
they determined to abate their just de-
mand Accordingly, on the last named
day addressed the following communica-
ton to Brigadier- General John E. Null
ford, (then Major Assistant Agent of Ex-
change:
"'RIcHMoND, August 10, 1864
IS Major JOHN E Mdford, assistant Agent Of
| Exchange:
sir-You have several tunes proposed to me
! to exchange the prisoners respectively held by
the two belligerente-ofic for officer aud man
for MAJ The same offer has also been made by
other officials having charge ofmatters connected
with the exchange of prisoners.
This proposai has heretofore been decilt ed by
the Confederate authorities, they lnsistlng nron
the terms of the cartel which required the delIE-
ery Of the either eide on parole In
view. however. oil the very large number OF Prie-
unGrs now held by each party, aud the suffering
I CONSEQUENT u. on their continued confinement.
now consent to the above proposal. 8nd agree to
deliver to you the prisoners held IN captivity by
the Confedei ate authorities, provided you agree
to deliver an equal plumber of Confederate officers
AMI men As equal numbers are delivered from
| time to time they will be declared exchanged -
| Thl. proposal Is made with the understanding
that the officers and men on both sides who have
been longest in captivity VIII be tlrst de lyered
where it Is practicable
~ shall be happy to hear FROM you as speed-
lily as possible whether this arrangement can be
carried out.
80 Respectfully, your ohedent servant,
SO ROBERT OULD,
agent of Exchange.
THE delivery Of this letter was accom-
panied with statement of the mortality
which was hurrying so many Federal pris-
oners at Andersonville 70 the grave.
''On the Odd day of August, 1864, not
having heard anything in response, L adj
dressed a communication to Major General
E., A. Hitchcock, United States Commits
sioner Of Exchange, covering a copy of the
foregoing letter to General Milford and
requesting all acceptance Of my PROPOSE
tiOns.
"No aastcc1 araS ere,' yeceired to eUhe' Of
these letters General milford, on the 31st
of August, 1864, informed me in writing
that he had no communication on the sub
iect from the United States authorities,
and that he was not at that time authorized
to make any answer.
"This offer, which would have INSTANTLY
restored to freedom thousands of suffering
captiyes,-which would have released every
Federal soldier in confinement in Confede
rate prisons--was not even noticed"
In January, 1864. Judge Ould. desiring
to alleviate the sufferings of the prisoners,
who seemed destined to many weary
months of confinement, addressed the fol-
lowing letter to General E. a. Hitchcock,
United States Commissioner of Exchange.
and delivered the same to the Federal au
thority.
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMEK1cA,l
"WAR DEPARTMENT.,
"R1CHMoND. VA, January q. 1861. J
" Major GenraL Z. 4. Hitchcock,
''Ageut of Exchange:
"Sir,-In view of tho present difficulties attend
ing the exchange and release of prisoners, pro
pose that all such each side shall be attended
by proper number of their own surgeons who,
under rules TO be established. shall be permitted
TO take charge of their health and comfort.
II also propose that these surgeons shall act
as commissaries, with roWer to receive and dis
tribute such contributions of money, food, cloth
ing and medicines, as may be forwarded Tor the
relef of prisoners. further propose that these
surgeons be selected by their own governments,
and that they shall have full liberty a: any and
all times through the agents of exchange, to
make reports not only tor their own acts but of
any matters relstlug to the welfare of prisoners.
'Respecifuiiy, your obedicnt eerVant.
"RORERT GUILD,
Agent of Exch anGe.
" 10 this communication no reply Of dny
kind ,cas ecer ma1e. I need not state how
much suffering would have been prevented
which it was Dictated Besides, there
would have been truthful statements of the
treatment of prisoners from officers of char
acter and the jury-box in the case of Wirz
would have had different witnesses.
Though this reasonable and humane pro-
position was declined i'll ga, the Federal
government in '65 sent food and clothing.
which was distributed.
In the summer of '6l, when it was ascer-
tanned that exchanges could not be made,
the Confederate government, through
Judge Ould, proposed to surrender the
Federal sick and wounded asHl0m requiring
an eQ1tir0Ient, and did deliver that summer
from ten to fifteen thousand of such pris-
oners at the mouth of the Savannah river.
On one occasion, not being able to bring
up the sick and wounded in proper time,
five thousand WeU men lcere substituted
Judge Ould frequently urged the condition
of the prisoners at Andersonvllle az reason
for haste in transporting them away, and
the Confederate government Intended TO
send the whole of them off.
Although the terms of proposal from the
Confederate Government did not require
to deliver prisoners in return for those
sent, yet some three thousand sick and
wounded were delivered by the Federal
authorities at the mouth Of the Savannah
river. OF these poor fellows the Judge
says:
II call upon Every Federal anu Confed-
crate officer and man who saw the cargo of
living death (the $1,000, who is familiar
with the character of the deliveries made
by the Confederate authorities, to bear wit
ness that none such was ever made by the
latter, even when the very sick ar desper-
ately wounded were alone requested. For,
on two occasions at least such were spe-
cially asked for, and particular request was
made for those who were SO desperately
sick that it would be doubtful whether they
would survive a removal a few miles down
James river. Accordingly, the hospitals
were searched for the worst cases, and after
they were delivered they were taken to An
napolis, and there photographed as speci-
men prisoners. The photographs at An
nopolis were terrible indeed; but the mise
ry they portrayed was surpassed at Savan-
nah.
OF 4, 500 poor Confedefstes started from
the Northern prisons l,50O died on the
route
Judge Ould next, in behalf of the Con
fecerate Government, offered to purchase,
with gold, of tho United States Govern
ment. medicines to ba uSel exclusively nv