The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-09-25

were " De ndnucu over W tne Otale
authorities to be hung. - zzv
Tie second diHculd oecured ID
relation tO neg9 troops. anl The
efHeefs eonshandihg them, whom the
rebel authorities promised to treat in
the same manner, but without taking
the trouble to deliver them to the
State authorities. In many instances
no quarter was granted to that class
troops, or to the officers commanding
them. Some were executed without
trial, though that mere form eWOuld
| nat hav xbeasatrea a,en iA4he Chg Atl
est degree.
When, in August, 1868, demand
ed that negro troops and their officers
should be treated as other prisoners
of war, and exchanged, this "vindi-
Gator of the truth peremp Orily
declined, With this remark: "We
(tke rebels will dle in the hst ditch
before giving mp the right to send
slaves back To slavery
Another cause of the suspension
of the cartel was its constant viola
ton by the rebels, in making illegal
declarations of exchanges, for the
purpose of putting men into the field;
and there is no doubt whatever that
lall prisoners paroled by the United
States authorities were Immediately
returned to active duty in the rebel
arpou Manu- nfftaorc and man oon
ltured at Vicksbnrg were in the battle
of Chickamauga. Thus the rebels
were making use of our well conduct
ed prisons as recuiting depOts for
their army. -
Another insuperable obstacle TO
returning exchanges was in the mat
ter of paroles. Mr.. Ould had some
eighteen or twenty thousand which
he clsimed as valid. Most, if not all
these paroles, were taken by guer.
rillas, bushw hackers, and detached
commands lp the West. No posses
sion was ever had, no delivery was
ever made, and no rolls were ever
furnished. On the capture of town
by rebel cavalry raid, the command
remained long enough to take the
parole of unarmed citizens there and
then decamped, leaving the parol0d
men behind, and forwarding the
paroles to Richmond. And then the
rebels had the assurance to require
the United States Government to ex-
change prisoners legitimately cap
tursd iP ~ls for such p;rsl% Is
On the 25th of November, 1863, 1
offered to send Immediately to City
Point 1900 or more Confederate
prisoners to be exchanged for Union
soldiers confined in the South. This
proposition was distinctly and une-
quivocally refused by Mr.. Ould.-
And why? Because the damnable
plans of the rebel government in
relation to our poor csptured soldiers
had not then -heeri fully carried out.
Let Mr.. Ould leave the truth of his
tory to take care of itself, and vindi
cate, If he can, the intentional, pre-
meditated and barbarous treatment
by the rebel authorities of our SOL
diers in the rebel prison pens. When
in 1864, the hellish plan was almost
.consummated, and they held as pris-
Oners thousands 6f lOathsOme skele-
tons, let him .eonfess ~that then his
emasculated government was willing
TO let the United States authorities
bury its dead, in exchange for a
fresh and healthy army of 10000
men, to be immediately put in the
field against Gen. Grant.
To conclude, Messrs. Editors,
these and these alone were Tire causes
which prevented the exchange ofI
prisoners, and these causes we're in
operation uatil the close of the war.
The difficulties in the way were in
surmOuntable, and were SO looked
upon by elUnitedi States authOri
ties. General Grant had no more
power TO overcome them any officer
who preceded him. He took the
emily means in his power to effect the
release of our prisoners, and In 1865 |
succeeded in accomplishing his pur-
poses, much to the disgust, no doubt,
of such patriotic vindicat@sL Of the
truth of history" as Mr.. Robert
0uld.
Yours, very truly,
S. A. MKREDITH,
Late Brigadier General and u. s
Commissioner for Exchange OF
Prisoners. ~. e-r..tlsE