Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-26
THE TRUTH Laid BARE
CONTINUED rRoM PAGE FIFTEEN,


.Noth,nS is nearer to my heart thar
IN nrcvcnt on either side resort to re
ta,sat.on, Even Il made necessary %.
tho course Of events, II is much TO b
senlored. These are not only my owl
norsooal views, but those Of my govern
nent.
!, Is almost unnecessary to say that
ot course these complaints and threat'
trd appeals would not have been mace
al the zine and In the manner 'he!
wnr, made. had not just cause eN
listed therefor. and that the Federal au
thorfties were solely responsible for the
condition Of affairs then existing. (see
another letter Of the same Date on the
sarno page as 10 political prisonersD
This being The condition Of things, or
Nav q. 1868 lie following order was is
sued by the Federais:
War Department. Washington. D. C.,
May 8. 1853
General Schofeld:
NO Confederate officers will be pa
rolled or exchanged till further orders.
They will be kept in close confinement,
and be strongly guarded. Those already
paroled will be confined.
n w. H.iLLECK.
'.Cscneral-in-Chcf."
IRIS of Federal forces throughout the coun-
try I'd. D. 6a6.. See also p. 1851, 122)
1t is surely unnecessary then. after
reading these letters. and this order, to
say which side was responsible Tor F1o-
Iations of the cartel while II remained
In operation, and for the suspension Of
its operation. as well as for the first NAL
treatment of prisoners.
WHAT Mr. DAVIS WROTE
With the exception of exchanges in in
dividual cases. this suspension Of the
cartel continued So that on July :, 1853.
Mr.. Davis addressed a letter to Mr..
Lincoln (Which we have never seen be-
fore. in which he said. among other
things after referring to the differences
that had arisen between the commissioners
in carrying out the cartel. and the hard
ships incurred by reason Of its suspension,
as follows:
II believe that have just ground for
complaint againt the officers and forces
under your command fc~ breach of trust
o: the cartel and being myself ready
90 execute Il ut all times and in good
Faith, ] am not justified in doubling the
existence of the same disposition on your
part. In addition to this matter / have
TO complain of the conduct Of your Of
acers and troops in many parts of the
country, who violate all the rules Of
Hnr by carrying on hostiities. not only
against armed foes, but against nom
"or0 batants. aged men. women, and chill
1ren. while others not only seize such
property as is required for the use Of
your troops but destroy all private prop
erty with in their reach. even agricultural
implements. and openly ayow the pur-
pose of seeking to Subdue the population
Of the districts where they are opera ting
by the starvation that must result from
the destruction Of standing crops and
agricultural tools. Sill again. others oi
your officers in different districts have
recently taken the lives Of prisoners wt,o
Iell into their power. and Justify their
act by asserting right to treat as
spies the military officers and enlisted
:i,r:: under my G. nl,Is-.ld who NAV pere
trate into States recognized BY us as our
allies in the warfare now waged against
the United States. but claimed by the
latter having refused to engage in
such warfare. / have. therefore, on diff
ferert occasions been forced to make
complaints Of these outrages. and to
ask from you that you either avow or
discfaim having authorized them; and
have failed TO obtain such answer as
the usages Of civilized warfare reduire
TO be given in such cases. THESE usages
Justify. and indeed require redress by
retaliation is the proper means Of re-
pressing such cruelties as are not per-
mitted in warfare between Christian
people. I have. notwithstanding, re-
Trained from the exercise of such retail
alton because Of its obvious tendency to
iesf: to war of il discriminate massacre
on both sides, which would be a specta-
Gle SO shocking to humanity. and so
disgraceful to the age in which we live
and the religion which we profess. that /
cannot contemplate it without a feeling Of
h r'r That + am C;sinclned to d. lht ,ru
would share. With the view then, Of
making our last solemn attempt to avert
such calamities and to attest nv ear
nest desire to prevent them. if possible
[ have selected the bearer Of this let
ter. the Honorable Alexander H Stepll-
ems. as a military commissioner. to pro-
coed to your headquarters. under flag
Of truce, there TO confer and agree on
the subjects above mentioned: and / do
hereby authorize the said Alexander n
Stephens to arrange and settle all diff
ferences and disputes which have arisen
may arise in the execution Of the
cartel for the exchange of prisoners Of
war heretofore agreed upon between our
respective land and naval forces; also. to
prevent further r1lisundersta nGines as to
the terms of said cartel. and finally to
enter into such arrangement and under
standing about the mode of CARRYING on
host!Hties between the beligerents as
shSil confine the seventies OF the war
within such limits are rightfully i'm
posed, not only by modern civilization
hut by our common Christianity Reb
Rec. Series II. Vol. VI. p. 1910
HELD UP MR.. STEPHENS.
On the 9TH of July, 1863, Mr. Stephens
accompanied by Judge Ould took the
foregoing and proceeded down the James
river under flag Of truce, for the pur-
pose Of delivering the letter and OF con-
ferring with Mr.. Lincoln. They were
stopped by the hlockadng. squadron un-
der the cof.mand Of Acting Rear-Admiral
y 7. Lee. near Newport News and Mr.
Etephens then communicated to Admiral
Lee the nature of his mission. This com
munication to Admiral Lee was reported
to the Secretary Of the Navy, Mr. Gideon
Wells, and by the latter to the Secre-
tary Of War Mr.. Edwin NJ Stanton
After Mr.. stephens had been kept for
two days awaiting reply. he was in
formed that the Secretary Of War re-
fused to permit him to proceed further
on the ground that "the customary
agents and channels are considered AIDE.
quate to all needful communication ana
conferences" (See Mir. Stephens report
I'd. p. SIP
Between the date of Mr. Davis letter
and the 9Th Of July when the refusal
came to allow Mr.. Stephens to procee5
further on his mission of attemntel |
mercy and justice, Gettysburg had been
fought, and Ficksburg had fallen, and |
these disasters to the Confederates had |
not only made the Federals arrogant