The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-06-21
R&eigh News and Observer.l
EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS DU.
RING THE WAR

The Atlanta Consultation contains some
further extracts of Mr.. Davis book, and
we are glad to note that upon one point,
involving the humanity Of the war, Mr.
Davis N axes the fullest and completest
defence of the South-the exchange OF
prisoners.
He shows that the South was impelled
by every sentiment of policy and human
ity to insist upon an exchange. We had
no food for prisoners-no troops to guard
them-a nd in many cases our troops re-
leased prisoners taken, for these and man y
reasons. Being largely outnumbered by
the enemy, it was clear that every time
we exchanged man for man it was to oul
gain-a nd that our government would
naturally insist upon such exchange.
On this point General Grant wrote te
General Butler, who had the matter Of
exchange in hand:
On the subject of exchange, however,
differ from General Hitchcock. 1t is hard
on our men held in Southern prisons not to
exchange them, but it is humanity to those
left in the ranks to fight our battles
Every man released on parole or other
wise, becomes an active soldier against us
at once, either directly or indirectly. II
we com mence system of exchange which
lberates all prisoners taken, We will have
to fight on until the whole South is exter-
minated. If we hold those caught they
amount to no more than dead men At
this time to release all rebel soldiers
North would insure Sherman's defeat, and
would compromise our safety here.
This shows very plainly that the safety
of the Federal cause required that prison
ers should not be exchanged, and that the
Northet tn people had determined that they
should not be-
The author then condenses the history
Of the attempts at exchange as follows
and We submit that the argument is q
conclusive one:
We now proposed to the government OF
the United States to exchange the prison
ers res pectively held. officer for officer,
and man for man. We had previously
declined this proposal, and insisted on
the ter ms of the cartel, which required
the delivery of the excess on either side
on par ole. At the same time we sent q
statement of the mortality prevailing
among the prisoners at Andersonville.
This offer, which would have released
every soldier Of the United States con-
fined il our prisons, was not even noticed
indeed, the United States government
had at that time large excess of prison
era, and the effect of the proposal, if car
ried ont, would have been TO release AL
the prisoners belonging to it, while .
large number of ours would have re-
NAMED in prison awaiting the chances Of
the cspture sf their equivalents. Tins
having ascertained that exchange could
not Be made either on the basis of the
cartel, or officer for officer and man for
man, Ve offered to the United States gov.
eminent their sick and wounded without
requiring any equivalents. On those terms
We agreed to deliver from ten to fifteen
thousand at the mouth of the Savannah
river, aud We further added that If the
number for which transportation might
be sent could not be readily made up from
sick and wounded, the difference should
Be supplied with well men Although
tha ofsr was made In the summer, the
transportation did not arrive until Ne
vember, and N the sick and wounded
were at points distant from Georgia and
could NOT be brought to Savannah within
. reaSonAhls time, Eve thousand wen meE
were Substituted. In return SONS threl
thousand siek and wounded were de
fversd - N 1t the same place. Theerig
fnal rolls showed that SEINE thirty Ave
hundred had started from the EorthefI
psisons. cd that death had redaced shs
| number during the passags 70 shout thre,
| Thousand. On two occasions we special,
| asksd 70 ssnd The very sick and despeI
atelI wounded prisoners, and o paEtiealE
reqaest w. mads for men wko were D
| seridusly niCk that is Wa doubefa
| wke{her they could snrviys . rezAovai
/ feW nil@ aewn James RiFeE. Accord
| inglJ some of the wurst easssy eunlzaR,
= t8e judgen e surNsens, ut u CON
| plia3cs with ths pieeons xppeaIs Of q
/ sIek psisenszs were ssnt aWaY, snd ale
hsinE dn1ipauna they were lnkan 90 An
ns NsrYIsn1, 81 tkess photE
gySe - specinen ptisonesA Iks41n
fe1SIs - Is Annap1lis were tessiblE 3
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