The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-09-18
speedily as possible, whether this ar
rangement can be carried out.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,

ttdQ5HSSe0 communication 10 MAJ.
Gen. +. A. Hitchcock, United States
Commissioner of Exchange, covering a
copy of the foregoing letter to Gen.
Mulford, and requesting an acceptance
of my propositions.
No answer was ever received to eth
er of these letters. Gen. Mulford, on
the 3lst of August, 1864, informed me
in writing that he had no communica-
ton on the subject from the United
States authorities, and that he was not
at that time authorized to make any
answer.
This offer, which would have instant
" restored to freedom thousands of suf-
fering captives-Which would have re-
leased every Federal soldier in confine-
ment in Confederate prisOns-was not
even noticed. Was that because the
Federal officials did not deem it wor
thy of a reply or that they feared to
make one? As the Federal authori-
ties at that time had a large excess of
prisoners, the effect Of the proposal
which | had made, if carried out,
would have been to release all Union
prisoners, while q large number of the
Confederates would have remained in
prison, awaiting the chances Of the
capture Of their equivalents.
IL.
In January, 1864, and, indeed, some
time earlier, it became very manifest,
that in consequence of the cOmpIica-
tiOn in relation to exchanges, the large
bulk of prisoners on both sides would
remain in captivity for many long and
weary months, if not for the duration
of the war. Prompted by an earnest
desire to alleviate the hardships of con-
finement on both sides, | addressed
the following communication TO Gen.
l.. y. Hitchcock, L. S. Commissioner
Of Exchange, and on or about the day
of its date, delivered the same 70 the
Federal authority:
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AgERICA, J
WAR DEPARTMENT,
RICHMOND, Va, January a 1854.
lIqj0r General T.. 4. Hitchcock, 1qe,R
Of Exchange.
SIR In view Of the present difficult
ties attending the exchange and release
of prisoners, | propose that all such on
each side shall be attended by a proper
number Of their own surgeons, who,
under rules to be established, shall be
permitted TO take charge oftheir health
and comfort.
| also propose that these surgeons
shall act as cOmmissarieS, with power
to receive and distribute such contribu-
tons Of money, food, clothing and
as may be forwarded for the
relief Of prisoners. | further propose
that these surgeons be selected by their
own Governments, and that they shall
have full liberty ut any and All times,
the agents of exchange, TO
make reports not only Of their own
acts. but Of any matters relating TO the
welfare of prisoners.
Respectfully, your obd't serv't,
RO. OULD, Ag't of Exchange.
To this communication no reply of
any kind was ever made. | need not
state how much suffering would have
been prevented if this offer had been
met in the spirit in which it was die
tated. In addition, the world would
have had truthful accounts of the treat
ment of prisoners Oh 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 case of Wirz would have had diff
erent witnesses, with a different story.
1t will be borne in mind that nearly
ali Of the suffering endured by Federal
prisoners happened after January, 1861.
The acceptance of the proposition made
by me, on behalf of the Confederate
would not only have
furnished TO the sick medicines and
but TO the we'll an abun-
dance of food and clothing from the
ample stores Of the United States.
The good faith of the Confederate
in making this offer can
not be successfully questioned, for food
and clothing without the surgeons
were sent in 1865, and were allowed
to be distributed by Federal officers to
Federal prisoners.
Why could not the more humane
Of January, 1864, have been
accepted?
When it was ascertained that eX-
changes could not be made either on
the basis Of the cartel or officer for
officer and man for man, | was in
structed by the Confederate authOri-
ties to offer to the United States Gov
their sick and wounded, with
out requiring any equivalents. Accor-
dinghy, in the summer of 1861, | did
offer to deliver from ten to fifteen
thousand of the sick and wounded at
the mouth of the Savannah River with
out requiring any equivalents, assur-
ing at the same time the agent of the
United States, General Mulford, that If
the number for which he might send
could not readily be
made up from sick aud wounded, /
would supply the difference with well
men. Although this offer was made
in the summer Of 1864, transportation
was not sent to the Savannah River
until about the middle or last Of No
vember, and then | delivered as many
prisoners as could be transported
some thirteen thousand in number,
whom were more than five
thousand well men.
More than once / urged the NOR
-ality at Andersonville as a reason for
haste on the part Of the United States
know, personally, that
It was the purpose of the Confederate
to send off from all its
prisons all the sick and wounded, and
to continue to do the same, from time
10 time, without requiring any equiv
llents for them. 1t was because the
sick and wounded at points distant
from Georgia could not be brought to
Savannah within a reasonable time
that the five thousand well men were
Although the terms Of my offer did
not require the Federal authorities to
deliver any for the ten or fifteen thous-
md which | promised, yet some three
thousand sick and wounded were deliv-
cred by them at the mouth ofthe Savan-
nah River. l call upon every Federal
and Confederate officer and man who
saw the cargo of living death, and who
IS familiar with the character of the
deliveries made by the Confederate
to bear witness that none
such was ever made by the latter, even
n hon thp very sick and dpSnprat tply