The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-09-03
THE EXCHANGE OF PRIs.
~ ONERS.
Gen. Meredith in Reply to OuId.

country htve spread before their
readers the charge Of Confederate
Commissioner Ould, that General
Grant was responsible for the non.
exchange of prisoners during the
war, and for much Of the suffering
experienced by our men. General
Meredith, who was the Commits.
sloncr on the part Of tho U. s. Gov
ernmons now exposes the falsebood-
Of Ould, in the following statement
which We clip from the Buffalo Ad-
Uertiser, Of tho Goth;
GENERAL MEREDITn's STATEMENT.
Editors Buffalo Commercial Adver.
fiser:.
My attention has been called 10 q
sensation story published IN the
Now York World, entitled "a Ter.
rible Revelation" purporling to
bo q statement Of Robert Ould con.
corning tho exchange of prisoners
Were tho matter not SO serious, the
reasons given by this noblo patriot
TOR publishing ibis romsnce might
DO considered The best joke Of the
season, 10 wit: "To correct tho
many misrepresentation of tho
late Confederate authorities In rela.
tion to prisoners" and that ho
feelsit duo to the'truth of history
to bring the facts set forth to the
attention Of tho country" R.fa !
When an unrcpentant traitor,
like Robert Ould, has tho unblush.
Ing impudence to attempt to i'm pose
on Northern frecmen his vindica.
.tion of tho truth Of history" as
connected with tho late rebellion,
or tho treatment of our soldiers,
Intentionally starved and slaugh.
tered in rebel pens, Ialso feel it in.
cumbent on mo Gas no romarks) TO
make statement"
The first interruption of the car.
lol was caused by jeff. Davis mes.
sage to tho rebel Congress, Janual
ry ~, 1868, wherein ho announced
his determination ITO deliver all
officers Of fthe United States captur.
cd aftor that date TO the State au.
thoritics, to be doalt with accord.
ing to the laws OF those States, pro.
viding for tho punishment OF Grim.
lnals engaged in inciting seryile
insurrection." That is, our officers
captured in battle were to bc hand.
cd over to the State authorities 70
DO hung.
The second difficulty occurred in
relation to negro troops, and the
officers commanding them, whom
tho rebel authorities promised to
treat In the same manner, but
without taking the trouble to do.
liver them to the State authorities.
In many instances no quarter was
granted to that class of troops, or
TO the officers commanding them.
Some were executed without trial,
though that moro form would not
have benefited them in the slight.
ost degree.
When, in August, 1868, | do.
manded that negro troops and their
officers should be treated as other
prisoners Of war, and exchanged,
this "virdicator Of tho truth" per.
emptorily declined, with this re.
mark: "Wo (tho rebols) will die
in the lust ditch before giving up
tho right to sord slaves back 70
slavery"
Another cause Of tho suspension
OF tho cartel was its CONSTANT viola.
tion by the rebels, In making ille-
gal declarations of exchange, for
tho purpose Of putting men into the
field; and thero 10 no doubt what.
ever that all prisoners paroled by
tho United States authorities were
Immediately returned to active du-
" in the rebel army, Many Off,
GERS and men captured o. Vicks.
burg wero in the battle Of Chicka-
mauga. Thus the rebels were ma.
king use Of our well conducted
prisons as recruiting depots for
their army.
Another insuperqbls obstacle to