The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1868-10-03
From the Macon (Ga9 Telegraph, 9th,
More OF the Exchange Busl-
NESS

Willie the subject Of the exchange
of prisoners is being discussed by the
papers, wish to furnish you with an
interesting chapter.
Soon after Sherman captured
Atlanta, cartel for the exchange Of
two thousand prisoners was agreed
upon by him and Gen. Hood, then in
command of the army. Pending the
negotiation President Davis tele-
graphed to Gen. Hood, placing the
whole number of prisoners at Ander-
sonvilleat his disposal and instructing
him to offer to exchange them, man
for man, with Gen, Sherman.
Hood at once made the offer to
Sherman, when that General replied
he had no authority to exchange more
than the two thousand agreed upon,
land, moreover, he had only two thou.
Isaud prisoners in his department
Hood was tbereupon instructed to try
| to exact a promise from Sherman that
he would at some futur time send an
equal number Of prisoners to us If we
would then release every man at
IAUdersonyille' This he peremptorily
refused to do.
The exchange of the two thousand
then commenced, and was conducted
lin my presence at a point on the Ma
con and Western railroad called
Rough-and Ready, a short distance
from Atlanta. Colonel G. A. Henry
and Major Edward Austin, of Genera
Hoods staff, and Willard (the new
carpet-bag Senator from Alabama), o.
Sherman's staff, representing th'
opposing forces.
We met at Rough -and- Ready three
or four times, each time exchanging
from four to eight hundred. WheI
the number exchanged had reached
eighteen hundred, in our anxiety t.
get rid of Andersonville prisoners
and get back to our own men, w
purposely took six hundred to tn
point for exchange. This added t,
The eighteen hundred, made four hun
dred in excess Of the number agree
D upon.
When we met Warren he vebe
: meutly protested against receivin
this extra four hundred, and ou
officers as earnestly insisted upon hi
taking them. Colonel Henry tol
e him plainly the Confederate govern
d ment had no f. cd or medicine to spar
e for prisoners, or but little, and that
:, these men we're sent back and died
It would be his fault. After prayin
Ie for three hours, Warren agreed
Ie take them, but we never got any r,
10 turn
OF During the interview Warren PLAN
" stated his reason for not Waiting
IS, exchange our men for Andersonvil
:" prisoners. These prisoners you hol
m said he, are al, or nearly all, nj
or whose terms of enlistment have e
I'd pired, and if they come into our lin
IN they will go home and not be
ut service to us any more, Your M
l. are enlisted for the war, aud If '
4. release our prisoners to-day they "
h. fight us tomorrow. So you see t
is Andersonville prisoners are renderl
y; US service, although their time is o.
he and they are prisoners. But Z
it Henry protested that they We
be rapidly dying for want of food, r
IRE ment. and medicine, which we did
ip, have to give them. Warren cal
IN nothing for that.
of Every man of sense knows that
or was the policy Of the Confederi
he government, from the beginning
of the close of the war, to exchar
ow prisoners as rapidly as possible
he sides getting back our own men,
it again putting them into service,
les, would get rid of feeding Fede
les soldiers, and thereby husband
lid, scauty supply of provisions. W
ver earthly interest would it be to US
the keep them 2 It required, in addit
.ter a large force to guard them, when
ball needed every man in the fr'
the Therefore, upon Grant and Star
the the whole blame rests.
at a Respectfully, H. G. STEVENSON
is a Macon, Ca, August 26, 1866.