The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-01
REBEL : TREATMENT OF UNION
PRISONERS. ~

6
for the exchange of prisoners, has
lately published a'1etter by which he
designs to fix upon Mr.. Lincoln's Ad-
ministration, the responsibility for the
horrible tortures which our Union sol;
diers had to endure in the prison pens
of the South.
"a. According to Mr.. ouIds the Gonfeder<
ate authorities were always ready to
exchange prisoners, and In every man
ner mitigate their suferings, but Mr..
Lincoln and Mr.. Stanton defeated their
beneyolencel That we may not be
accused OF misrepresenting Mr.. Guilds
statements, we subjoin the following
summary of them, prepared by the
World, ajonrnal then and now in the
Confederate interest -, 81
Il. That SO long as the excess OF pri-
sOners WIS in the hands OIL. the Sonteu-
crate authorities the cartel of July y,
1862, whereby all prisoners on either
side were 10 be discharged within ten.
days after capture upon parole, was
strictly observed; but upon the excess
falling to the part of the United States
this arrangement was so far rendered
nugatory that on the 10th of August,
1864, The Confederate authorities offer
ed to deliver man for man and othcer
for officer, those longest in confinement
to be delivered first. No answer hav-
ing been receiveds>to this communlca-
ton, second of like tenor was for
waIded twelve days thereafter. No
answer was ever received to either of
these proders beyond a line from Gen.
Multord, dated August 81, 1884 stating
he had nothing on the part of the Unlt-
feEJo fyNhnRfkIoa nnninltp.
III. That on the oath of January,
1864, a proposition was made on the
part of the Confederate authorities that
surgeons of the respective services then
in hostilities should be allowed to at
tend their own men, with power 10 re.
ceive and distribute any supplies OF
money, food. clothing, medicine. or the
like, for snch use furnished. To this
communication no reply of any kind
was ever made.
iii. That in The summer OF 1864 the
Confederate authorities offered TO sur
render all the sick and wounded pris-
oners then in. their possession without
'euuiyalent; that II was not until No
Vem Der in that year that transportation
thereof was furnished by the authorizes
ofthe United States; and that at the
time of delivering up 500 sick and
wounded as stipulated, 5000 well men
were added, eT grdtiG. i,.5l--,f...
"IV. That in the summer of 1854 the
authorities offered to pur.
chase medicines, then contraband of
war by action OF the authorities of
the United States, from said authorities,
purchase to be paid for in gold, cotton,
or tobacco, at three fines. II asked, the
then market price North, and said arti-
Giles, under the disbursement of United
States surgeons, 10 be exclusively ap.
piled 10 the sick and wounded OF that
10 Nup
f.tt, ri
The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser
prints the following reply by Gen. s.
A. Meredith, who was for much of the
time covered by Mr.. Guilds statement
Commissioner for the Exchange of PEis-
toner's on the part of the United States
Government. Gen. Meredlth's letter,
shows that, SO far from the blame rest
ing on the shoulders of our authorities,
it was exclusively the work OF Jeffrson
Davis and his officers that exchanges.
were not constantly mnde of the pris.:
onera taken on both sides.
,. "a EN-. INGREDIENTS STATEMENT.
NV attention has been called to
sensation story published in tile New.
York World. entitled "a Terrible Rev
eIatiOn," puTPOrting to be a statement
of Robert Ould concerning the ex-
change OF prisoners. Were the matter
not so serious, the reason given by this
noble patriot for publishing his ro"
nance might be considered the best
Joke OF The season, 10 wit: ITO cor
rect the many misrepresentation of
the lele Confederate authorities in re-
Iation to prisoners, nland "Ihat he feels
it due 10 the truth of history to bring
the facts get forth to the aLtentionaof
the country" -a
When an unrepented traitor like
Robert 0uld has the unblushing impu-
dence to impose upon Northern free
men his vindIcatiOn OF the, i"truth ioG
bisIOry,' aE connected with the late re-
bellioD, or the treatment of our soldiers.
Intentionally starved and slaughtered
in rebel pens, / also feel 1t incumbent
on me las he renarks) to f"make a
statement" EyaagE
The first interruption of the cartel |
was caused by JEFF. Davis's message to
the rebel Congress. Jan. IL 1853. where
in he announces his determination TO
deliver all officers OF the United States
captured after that date to the State au-
thorities, TO be dealt with according TO |
the laws of those States providing for |
the punishment OF criminals engaged |
In melting servlle instruction" That |
is, our officers captured in battle were |
to be handed over to the State authori-
ties TO be hanged. rf..u.....s ~
The second dihcplty occurred In re-
latiou TO negro troops and the officers
commanding them, whom the rebel au-
thorities promised to treat In the same |
manner, but without taking the trouble |
to deliver them to the State authorities.
In many instances 9I0 quarter IOdS /
granted to that class of troops OF. to the
officers commanding them. Some were |