The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-09-04

nv me October 2, 1863, to him, pointed
oyt eleven instances in which his prede-
cessor, Lieutenant Colonel Ludlow, had
done the same thing, and one Mt least where
Sullv had himself made similar declara-
ton of exchange. In the same letter also
informed him that would only claim such
paroles as were in accordance with the
General Orders of the United States War
Department. No one knows better than
Sully that my declarations of exchange
were limited to cases where had either
furnished equivalents in prisoners or proper
paroles.
If, however, he wants IN instance when
men under parole were ordered to duty
without exchange, he will find it in the List
Of General Schenck's remarkable military
achievements. That distinguished COM
mander, by General Order No. Is, dated
March 9, 1868, required all the officers and
men who had been captured in his depart
ment and released on parole to return TO
service, on penalty Of being considered de-
serters. No equivalents, not even paroles,
had been furnished. If Sully will come
down to a latter period, he will find that the
same thing was done with the prisoners
who were captured and paroled by General
Lee and his subordinate officers IN the 3et-
tysburg campaign. Two of the officers who
we're ordered to duty refused On the ground
of their paroles, and were court martlaled:
Both Of these dates were anterior to that OF
Chickamauga, as was Sully's declaration OF
exchange before mentioned. lie 10 not
more fortunate in his reference to Mr.. Da-
yis's message and negro soldiers. AS no
officers we're "handed over to the State au-
thorities," the message made no practical
difficulty Federal prisoners, white and
black, were under the exclusive control OF
the Confederate Government during the
whole of the war.
Sully is inaccurate again in his state
ment about negro troops. The Confede-
rate authorities did not refuse to exchange
free negro troops. 1t is true that they did
not agree to treat negro slaves as the sub
jects of exchange. They did not 80 consent,
because their Constitutions, Confederate
and State, recognized slaves IS property,
and therefore on recapture they followed
the rule of all property, and reverted to
their former condition. They held that an
edict of emancipation declared by hostile
Power did not defeat their rights or the rights
of their citizens when the slave came again
into their possession. 1fthe principles of the
jals post lminii are to govern the case, | do
not see how that view can be answered. In
this matter I have no concealments to
make, and have therefore frankly stated
the position taken by the Confederate Gov
eminent. But be that as it may; why
should q difficulty about the release OF
slaves, who did not form one-tiftieth of the
number of the prisoners, prevent the eX-
change Of the others? When Streight's
men were detained under grave charges
preferred by the Governor of Alabama,
other exchanges went on. So, when
Morcan's men were put in 6 peni-
tertiary, or Missouri soldiers we're kept
in iails, exchanges were not stopped.
Was there to be one rule for the white man
and another and more favorable one for
the black? General Butler thought the
case of negro soldiers strong enough to
stand upon its own merits, especially as the
Federal Government, after all the Union
prisoners were exchanged, would have had
q large excess of Confederates on hand, who
could be held as hostages but it seems that
Sully thinks otherwise.
Sully is right in one thing. The matters
he sets forth were difficulties in the way of
exchange, but only because they were made
80 by himself and his prompters. | be-
lieved at the time, and now believe, that he
was sent to Fortress Monroe for the pur-
pose of preventing exchanges. General
Butler, in his Massachusetts speech of jan
uary, 1865, frankly confessed that he was
reluctantly engaged in that sort of business
at q later date. He had a willing forerun-
ner in Sully. Moreover, he was coarse,
rude, arrogant, and SO inexpressibly stupid,
that it was difficult to transact any business
with him. With some reason he might have
urged these personal peculiarities as an OBJ
struction to exchanges. A tolerably fair
specimen of his style Of correspondence as
Agent of Exchange is found in this Buffalo
letter.
In the preparation of my letter of the
10th ultimo | studiously avoided anything
in the way Of epithet or denunciation, and
confined myself to simple array OF facts,
with an appeal in each case either to the
record or to the testimony of Federal off,
GERS. we'll knew that the sluices of abuse
would be open. If had thought Of Sully,
| would have felt assured that his little
hood-gate would be the first. This style of
attack has, however, no terrors for me. L
have buffetted many time with worse
calamities.
Sully says that the difficulties which he
enumerates "alone were the causes which
prevented the exchange Of prisoners, and
these causes we're in operation until the close
of the war" Suliy retired from the position
oh LET nf
January, 1864 for what reason | do not
know. He was not breyetted for distin-
guished services in that capacity. But IS
it to be supposed that he knows as much
about the reasons which prevented the ex-
change as General Grant, who had control
of the matter? The Lieutenant General
gives very different reason. In his tele-
gram of August Is, 1864, he says /" If we
commence 8 system Of exchange which
liberates all prisoners taken we will have
to fight Oh until the whole South is extermi-
mated. If we hold those men caught, they
amount to no more than dead men. At
this particular time, to release all rebel
prisoners North would insure Sherman's
defeat, aud would compromise our safety
here" Who is to be believed, Sully or
General Grant
But why has Sully confined himself to
that portion of my letter which relates to
the stoppage Of exchange! There were
several other matters brought to light in
that paper. Has he nothing to say about
the offer made as early as January, 1864,
before Andersonyille was established, 10
admit Federal surgeons, food, raiment, and
medicines Has he nothing to say about
the offer in the summer of 1864 10 release