Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-03
Another Letter from Hon. R0bsrt ould.

To the Editors of the National Intelligencer:
GENTLEMEN The Chronicle OF the 9th
instant has the following letter of mine,
without date, addressed to Gen. Winder
"Crr PoNr.
"SIR: A aag-o truce boat has just ar
rived with three hundred and twenty po-
litical prisoners, Gen. Barrow, and seve-
raj other prominent men, among them.
wish you to send me, at four o'clock
Wednesday morning, all the military
prisoners Except officers) and all the po-
litical prisoners you have. If any of the
political prisoners have on hand proof
enough to convict them of being spies, or
of having committed other offenses which
should subject them to punishment,
so state opposite their names. Also state
whether you think, under the circum-
stances, they should be released.
1.-THE arrangement have made works
largely in our favor. We get rid of
set of miserable wretches, aud receive
some of the best material ever saw.
ROBERT OULD,
"Agent of Exchange.
"To Brig. Gen. Winder."
The letter is genuine. 1t was written,
I believe, in the spring of 1868. The
Chronicle, following in the track of
Chapman, who introduced the letter on
the Wirz trial, parades it as evidence of
purpose on the part of the late Confed-
crate authorities to starve Union prison.
ers of war. If any fair man will care
fully read the letter, he will see in
moment that the latter paragraph,
,,,h;oh tbo nbnoos,Io hoe tal;oiaad dnao
not refer to soldiers at all, but to politi-
cal prisoners. Some time before the
date of the letter, / had entered into an
agreement with the Federal agent of ex-
change for the release of all political
prisoners on both sides. Some three
hundred and fifty of that class had
arrived at City Point. and being anxious
not to detain the Federal steamer /
wrote to General Winder to send all the
political prisoners he had in his charge,
as we'll as soldiers. 1t was as TO these
political prisoners that wrote the latter
paragraph in this letter. That mani
testify appears from the context. Every
word OF that paragraph was true, both as
to the class received and those sent of.
Not one Confederate soldier in service
was received at that time Scarcely any
one of the three hundred and fifty had
been in prison month. All had been
recently arrested as sympathizers with |
the Confederate cause. Those sent off |
we're miserable wretches, indeed. They |
were mostly robbers and incendiaries |
from Western Virginia, who were Con-
federate when Confederate armies occu-
pied their country, and Union when Fed
eral troops held it; and in turn they |
preyed upon one side and the other, and
pillaged that portion of the country uHtil
it was almost given over to desolation.
They were men without character or
principle, who we're ready to take any
oath, or engage in any work of plunder.
Aud here reiterate what wrote then
they were "a set of miserable wretches."
The Federal soldiers who passed through
my hands, hope, know well that would
not have applied any such phrase to
them, and especially so, if the calamitiss
of prison life had prostrated them.
Moreover, speak of this as IAN ar
which / had made, and, there.
fore must have referred TO the exchange
Of political prisoners, which / had just
negotiated, and not to the exchange of
prisoners, which was negotia-
ted by the cartel.
The Chronicle is wrong in supposing
that have alternately charged "the re-
sponsibility for the starvation of Union
prisoners" upon Secretary Stanton, Gen.
Butler, and Gen. Grant. No previous
statement Of mine varies in any particu-
lar from the publication in the IRteli.
gencer, Of the Goth inst; nor did any
one Of them relate to several matters
which are contained in that publication.
re the facts therein detailed implicste
Secretary Stanton, Gen. Butler, aud Gen.
Grant or either Of them, it is not because
charge them jointly or severally, but
because facts are stubborn things.
have refrained from charges or epithets
against individuals, and only brought to
Ihe attention Of the country the humane
pndeavors Of the Confederate authorities
Nv purpose was to vindicate the truth Of
history, and not TO ssperse, or even make
In assault upon the fame or pretensions
Of any man.
The Chronicle says Gen. Hitchcock
y has completely overthrow, by the pro-
iuction Of proofs, every charge and every
nsiuuatiun Of the rebel Commissioner
Ould." Neither Gen. Hitchcock nor any
,ther person has ever refused the ma
erial facts, or any material fact stated
n the publication nor has Gen. Hitch !
:ock or any other person even attempted (
o do 20, az to most Of the matters therein |
has Gen. Hitchcock said {
anything about the Confederate offer 70 ! {