The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-26

Commission. headed by DR.. Valentino
| Mcit. shows its pa rtisanry and worthless!
mess as history. when it declares the
Confederate authorities guilty OF "delib-
erately withholding necessary food from
their prisoners of war. and furnishing
them with what was indigestible and!
loathsome. when their own army was
supplied with good and wholesome food.
''of depriving their prisoners Of
their own clothing, and also OF with
holding the issue OF sufficient clothing
to keep them warm when the soldiers Of
their own Amy were well equipped and
weil-protected from exposure to the wet
and cold. : The world now knows,
that at the very time when these false
charges were being formulated, the
Confederate soldiers in the field were al
most naked and starving, and that near
ly8 80 per cent. Of the scarcity Of equip
ment had been captured from their enc
my in battle.
EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS
From the very beginning the Confedc-
rate authorities were anxious to make
an arrangement for the exchange Of
prisoners and. indeed, that the war
should be conducted In all Of its &fea lures
I'll Lie hi541SSlS dliu
known to civilized nations. TO that end
a1r. Davis wrote Mr. Lincoln on July
s. 1851, as follows:
st is the desire Of this government
SO to conduct the war now existing as
to mitigate it's horrors as far as pos
sible: and with this intent, its treatment
OF the prisoners captured by its forces
has been marked by the greatest fl,1-
manity e1d leniencys consistent with
public obligation. Some have been per-
mitted to return home on parole, others
to remain at large under similar condi-
| tons within this Confederacy, and all
have been furnished with rations for
their subsistence, such as are allowed to
our own troops
III This letter was sent to Washington by
special messenger Colonel Taylor,
but he was refused an audience with
Mr.. Lincoln, and was forced to content
himself with a verbal reply from Cen
eral Scott to the effect that the letter
had been delivered to Mr.. Lincoln and
that he would reply to it in writing as
soon as possible. But no answer ever
came.
For nearly year after the war be-
gan. although many prisoners were cap
tured and released on parole, the Fede-
raj authorities refused to enter into any
arrangement for the exchange OF prison
ers. taking the absurd position that they
would not treat with rebels in any
way which would recognize them as
"bell:gerents.'' The English government
had already recognized US as "belli-
gerents,'' as early as May, 1851. AS the
Earl Of Derby tersely said in the House
Of Lords:
The Northern States cannot claim
the rights of belligerents for themselves.
and. On the other hand, deal with other
parties, not as belligerents, but as
rehels.f'
YIELDED TO PRESSURE.
After a while the pressure on the
Federal authorities by friends of the
prisoners was so great, that they were
change of prisoners, on the very basis
offered by the Confederates in the be-
ginning These negotiations were COM
menced on the 18th OF February. 1862
General John E. Wood representing the
Federals and George Howell Cobb the
Confederat es-the only unsettled point
at that time being that General Wool
was unwilling that each party should
agree to pay the expenses of transport
ing their prisoners to the frontier; and
this he promised to refer to his govern
n,ent. At a second interview on March
l. 1862 General Wool informed General
Cobb that his government would not con-
sent to pay these expenses, and there
upon General Cobb promptly receded
from this demand. and agreed to accept
the terms offered by General Wool.
General Wool had stated in the begin
ring that he alone vas clothed with full
power to effect this arrangement. but
he now stated that his government had
changed his instructions. And so these
negotiations were broken off and matters
left as before they were begun.
The REAL REASON.
The real reason for this change was
thar in the meantime the capture of
Forts Henry and Donaldson had given the
Federals a preponderanca in the number
Of prisoners. Soon. however. Jacksons
Valley campaign, the battles around
Richmond. and other Confederate sue
cesses. gave the Confederates the pre-
ponderance. and this change of condi-
tons induced the F'ederals to consent to
terms. to which the Confederates had al
WAYS been ready to accede.
And so, on July %, 1862, General John
A. Dix. representing the Federals. ana
General D. II. Hill. the Confederates, at
Haxall's landing. on James river, N
Charles City county, entered into the
cartel which thereafter formed the pasls
for the exchange Of prisoners during th n