Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-09-10

federate States, If it was insisted on,
that such medicine might be brought
into the Confederate lines by the Uni
ted States surgeons, and dispensed by
them To this offer | never received
any reply. Incredible as this appears,
it is strictly true.
V. General John K. Mulford is per.
sonally cognizant OF the truth of most
if not all the facts which i have mar
rated. He was connected with the
cartel from its date until the close OF
the war. During a portion of the time
he was Assistant Agent Of Exchange
on the part of the United States. !
always found him 10 bo an honorable
and truthful gentleman. While he
discharged his duties with great fidel-
ity to his own Government, he was
kind, and, ] might almost say, tender
to Confederate prisoners. With that
portion Of the correspondence with
which his name is connected, he ie, of
course, familiar. Heis equally so with
the delivery at Savannah, and its at
tending circumstances, and with the
offer / made as 10 the purchase of
medicines for the Federal sick and
wounded appeal to him for the
truth Of what ! have written. There
are other Federal corroborations TO
portions OF my statements. They are
found in the report of Major General
b. f. Butler 10 the "Committee on the
Conduct of the War" About the LIST
Of March, 1864, ] had several confer
ences with General Butler at Fortress
Monroe, in relation TO the difficulties
attending the exchange of prisoners,
and we reached what we both thought
tolerably satisfactory basis.
The day that left there Gen. Gran.
arrived Gen. Butler communicated
TO him the state Of the negotiations,
and "most emphatic verbal directions
were received from the Lieutenant
General not to take any step by which
another able-bodied man should be
exchanged until further orders from
him." and that on April 30, 1854,
he received telegram from Gen. Grant
"to receive all the sick and wounded
the Confederate authorities may send
you, but send no more in exchange"
Unless my recollection fails me, Gen.
Butler also, in an address 10 his con-
stinuents, substantially declared that
he was directed in his management of
the question of exchange with the
Confederate authorities, to put the
matter Extensively, for The purpose Of
preventing an exchange Of prisoners.
The facts which | have stated are
also we'll kpoYn to the ofncers con-
nected with the Confederate Bureau
of Exchange.
At one time / thought an excellent
opportunity was afforded of bringing
some Of them to the attention of tho
country. / was named by poor Wirz
as witness in his behalf The sum-
mons was issued by Chapman, the
Judge Advocate of the military court.
/ obeyed the summons, and was in at
tendance upon the court for some ten
days. The investigation had taken a
wide range as to the conduct of the
Confederate and Federal Governments
in the matter OF the treatment of
prisoners, and / thought the time had
come when | could put before the
world the humane offers of the Con-
federate authorities, and the manner
in which they had been treated. so
expressed myselfmore than once--per-
haps too publicly. But IL was vain
thought. Early in the morning of the
day on which l expected TO give my
testimony, / received note from
Chipman, the Judge Advocate, requi-
ring me to surrender my subpoena.
/ refused, as it was my protection in
Washington. Without it the doors
of the old Capitol might have opened
and closed upon me. | engaged, how
ever, TO appear before the court, and
| did so the same morning. still
refused to surrender my subpoena and
thereupon the Judge Advocate en-
dorsed on it those words "The
within subpoena is hereby revoked
the person named is discharged from
further attendance" have got the
curious document with me now, signed
with the name of "N. P. Chipman,
colonel" &c. / intend to keep Il, if i
can, as the evidence of the first case
in any court, Of any sort, where a
witness who was summoned for the
defence was dismissed by the prose
cution. hastend to depart, confident
that Richmond was a safer place for
me than the metropolis.
Some time ago committee was ap-
pointed by the House of Representa-
tives to investigate the treatment of
Union prisoners in Southern prisons.
After the appointment of the COM
mittee--the Hon. Mr. Shanks, of lndi-
ana, being its chairman wrote to
the Hon. Charles A. Eldridge and the
Hon. Mr.. Mungen (the latter a men,
ber OF the committee) some of the
facts herein detailed. Both of these
men made an effort to extend the au-
tbority of the committee, 80 that il
might inquire into. the treatmomt of
prisoners North as we'll as South, and
especially that it might inquire into
the truth Of the matters which | had
alleged. All these attempts were
frustrated by the Radical majority,
although several Of tho party voted to
extend the inquiry. AS several thou
sand dollars of the money ofthe peo-
pie have been spent by this committee,
will not they demand that the inves-
tigation shall be through and impartial I
The House Of Representatives have
declined the inquiry; let the people