The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-09-05

L
ROBT. GUILD, Agent of Exchage.
To this communication no reply of any kind
was ever made. l need not state how much suff-
erine would have been prevented if this offer
had been met in the spirit in which it was die
tated. In addition, the world have had truthful
accounts of the treatment of prisoners on both
sides by officers of character, and thus much of
that Misrepresentation which has flooded the
country would never have been poured FORTH
The jury box in the of Writ would have
| had different witnesses, with different story.
| 1t will be borne in mind that nearly all of the
suffering endured by Federal prisoners happen
ed after January, 1864. The acceptance of the
proposition made by me, on behalf of the Con-
federate Government, would not only have fur
nlshed to the sick medicines and physicians, but
to the well an abundance of food and clothing
| from the ample stores of the United States
| The good faith of the Confederate Govern
ment in making this offer cannot be successfully
questioned, for food and clothing without sur
| geons) were sent in 1860, and were allowed to be
distributed by Federal officers to Federal pris-
| oners.
| Why could not the more humane proposal of
JAM, 1864, have been accepted
| III.
When it was asceytained that exchanges could
not be made either on the basis of the cartel or
| officer for officer, and man for man, l was in
structed by the Confederate authorities to offer
| to the United States Government their sick and
| wounded. without requiring any equivalents.
| Accordingly, in the summer of 1864 l did offer
to deliver from ten to fifteen thousand of the sick
and wounded at the mouth of the Savannah riv-
er, without any equivalents assuring at the same
| the agent of the United States, Gen. Mulford,
| that if the number for which he might send tran
| sportation coald not readily be made up from
sick and wounded, L would supply the difference
with we'll men. Although the offer was made in
| the summer OF 1864, transportation was not sent
to the Savannah river until about the middle or
| last OF November, and then l delivered as many
prisoners rs could be transported thirteen
thousand IN number, amongst whom were moro
| than five thousand well men.
More than once ! urged the mortality at An.
| Jacksonville as reason for haste on the part OF
| the United States authorities. / know, person.
| ally, that it was the purpose of the Confederate
Government to send off from all its prisons all
| the sick and wounded, and to continue to do the
same from time to time, without requiring any
equivalents for them. 1t was because the sick
and wounded, at points distant from Georgia
could not be brought to Savannah within a rea-
| sonable time that the five thousand well men
| were substituted.
Although the terms OF nv offer did not require
the Federal authorities to deliver any for the ten
or fifteen thousand which promised yet some
| three thousand sick and wounded were delivered
by them at the mouth of the Savannah river. l
called upon every Federal and Confederate Off
| Ger and man who saw the cargo of living death,
and who is familiar with the character of theide-
liveries made by the Confederate authorities, to
| bear witness that none such was ever made by
the latter, even when the very sick and desperate
| ly wounded were alone requested. For, on two
occasions at least, such were specially asked for
| and particular request was made for those who
were so desperately sick that it would be doubt
full whether they would survive q removal few
miles down James river. Accordingly the hos
pltals were searched for the worst cases, and af-
ter they were delivered they taken to An
nspOlis, and there photographed as specimen prs-
oners. The photographs at Annapolis were ter
rible, indeed but the misery they portrayed
was surpassed at Savannah.
The original rolls showed that some thirty.fve
hundred had started from northern prisons, and
that death had reduced the number during the
transit to'about three thousand. The mortality
among those who were delivered alive during tho
following three months was equally frightful.
But why was there this delay between the
| summer and November in sending transportation
for sick and wounded, for whom ne equivalents
were asked? Were Union prisoners made to suf-
fer in order to aid the photographs Gin firing the
popular heart of the North 7"
Il ".
In the summer Of 1864, in consequence Of GER
tain information communicated to me by the
Surgeon General of the Confederate States as to
| the deficiency of medicines offered to make
: purchases of medicines from the United States
authorities to be used exclusively for the relief
OF Federal prisoners offered to pay gold, cot
| ton or tobacco for them, and even two or three
prices, if required. At the same time gave as
surance that the medicines would be used exclu-
sively in the treatment of Federal prisoners;
and moreover agreed, on behalf of the Confed-
crate States, if il insisted ON, that such med
ioines might be brought into the Confederate
lines by the United States surgeons, and dis
tributed by them. To this offer l never received
reply. Incredible as this appears, it is strict
; ly true.
Y,
Gen. John E. Milford is personally cognizailt
OF the truth of most, if not all the facts which 1
have narrated. He was connected with the car.
tel from its date until the close of the war. Du-
ring portion of the time he was Assistant Agent
OF Exchange on the part Of the United States.
| always found him to be an honorable and truth
| full gentleman. While he discharged his duties
with great fidelity 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 connect
ed, he is, Of course, familiar He is equally so
with the delivery made at Savannah, and iss at
tending circumstances, and with the offer made
: as to the purchase Of medicines for the Federal
SICK and wounded. appeal to him for the truth
, OF what have written. There are other Fed
ersl corroborations to portions of my statements.
lhey are found in the report of Mai. B. Z. But
Ter to the COMMITTEE on the Conduct of the
War" About the last of March, 1864, had sew
: eral conferences with General Butler at Fortress
Monroe in relation to the difficulties attending
the exchange of prisoners and we reanbed hat