The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-09-11
The Exchange Of Prisoners.
A Seymour Rebel Answered,
General AIerediIh in Reply to
Ould.

LULU I eisA uACA CNANAA ~ A%C kAS
Ould.
The Seymour-Blsir papers of the
country have spread before their read
ers the charge of Confederate Commis-
sioner Ould,, that General Grant was
for the non-exchange of
prisoners during the war, and for
much of the suffering experienced |
by our men. General Meredith, who
was the Commissioner on the part Of
the o. S. Government now exposes
the falsehoods OF Ould, in the follow
ing statement which we clip from the
Buffalo Advertiser, of the 26th:
GENERAL. MEREDIrH's STATEMENT.
Editors Buffalo Commercial Adusr-
tser::
Ny attention has been called to
sensation story published in the New
York World, entitled ga Terrible Rev
elation," purporting to be a statement
of Robert Ould concerning the ex-
change of prisoners. Were the mat
ter not so serious, the reasons given
by this noble patriot for publishing
his romance might be considered the
best Joke Of the season, to wit:
ITO correct the many misrepresent-
ations of the late Confederate authori-
ties in relation to prisoners" and "that
he feels it due to the truth of history
to bring the facts set forth to the at
tentiou of the country"
When an unrepentant traitor, like
Robert Ould, has the uublushing i'm
pudence to attempt to impose on
Northern freemen his vindication of
the ''truth of history" as connected
with the late rebellion, or the treat
ment of our soldiers, Intentionally
starved and slaughtered in rebel pens,
1 also feel it incumbent on me (as he
remarks) to ''make statement"
The first interruption of the cartel,
was caused by JEFF. Davis message to
1.-THE rebel Congress, January Il,
lIa63. wberju he announces his deter
mination ''to deliver all officers of the
United States captured after that date
to the State authorities, to be dealt
with according to the laws Of those
States, providing for the punishment
of criminals engaged in melting sur.
vile insurrection." That is our officers
captured in battle were to be handed
over to the State authorities to bt
hung.
The second difficulty occurred in re-
latiou to negro troops, and the Oficer'
commanding them, whom the rebe
lauthorities promised to treat in tbs
same manner, but without taking the
trouble to deliver them to the Stat'
authorities. In many instances NJ
quarter was granted to that class o
troops, or to the officers commanding
them. Some were executed withOu
trial, though that mere form woulC
not have benefited them in Che slight
| est degree.
When, in August 1868, 1 demanded
, that negro troops and their officer
, should be treated as other prisoners Q
war, and exchanged, this "gindicatO
of the truth" peremptorily declined
with this remark; ave (the rebels
will die in the last ditch before givinj
up the right to send slaves back t,
slavery"
) Another cause of suspension of tn
, cartel was its constant violation by tn
: rebels, in making illegal declaration
3 of exchange, for the purpose of puttiDt
5 men into the field; and there is n
doubt whatever that all prisoner parole'
+: by the United States authorities wer
. Immediately returned to active dut
, lin the rebel army. Many officers. ant
$ men captured at Vicksburg were in tn
: battle of Chickamauga Thus th
5 rebels were making use of our well cor
/; Quoted prisons as recruiting depots 70
: their army.
f Another iusuperable obstacle to re
}. turning exchanges was in the manne
7 of paroles. Mr.. Ould had some eight
9 cen or twenty thousand which b
S claimed as valid. Most, if not a
It these paroles, were taken by guerrils'
4 lbushwhackers, and detached command
o lin the West. No possession was eve
e had, no delivery was ever made, an
/. no rolls were ever furnished. On th
It capture of town by rebel cavalr
a raid, the command remained lon
: enough to take the paroles Of unarme
e citienzs there, and then decampe'
1t leaving the paroied men behind, au
e forwarding the paroles to Richmon'
1t And then the rebels had the assuran'
e to require the United States Cover
|; ment to exchange prisoners legitimatel
1t captured in battle for such paroles
e these.
s. On the 25th of November, 1868,
'e offered to send Immediately 10 Ci
20 Point $4,000 or more Confederate pri
IT oners to be exchanged for Union SC
4 diers confined in the South. Th
y proposition was distinctly and uneqr
K yocally refused by Mr.. Ould. Al
is whyG Because the dsmnable plans
IS the rebel government in relation to o
poor captured soldiers had not th,
been fully carried out Let Mr. Ou
ar leave the truth of history to take ca
ofIof itself, and vindicate, if he can, Il
sr Intentional premeditated and bsrbs
n. GUS treatment by the rebel anthoriti
l. Iof our soldiers in the rebel prison-peT
or When, in 1864, the hellish plan W
l. almost consummated, and they held
ofIprisoners thousands of loathsome ske
70 tons, let him confess that then
n Iemasculated government was willing
"a let the United States authorities bu
its dead, in exchange for a fresh al
healthy army of 10000 men, to
Immediately put in the field agaiI
Gen. Grant.
IRE To conclude, Messrs. Editors, the
ior and these alone were the causes whi
en- prevented the exchange Of Prisone
IT, and these causes were in operation
n til the close of the war. The difficult
we in the way were iusurmountable, a
r were SO looked upon by the Unit
1t States authorities. General Grant b