The National tribune., 1908-01-23
THE PRISONERS OF WAR.

may De interesting.
The Government was from the frs
|greatly embarrassed by the treatmen
to be extended to prisoners of wal
There was danger that in exchange
there would be such recognition o
1.-THE National character of the Souther1
Confederacy as would justify the Ma
tions of Europe in extending recogni
ton to the Southern Confederacy. I
will be remembered that they were ex
ceedingly prompt to give the Confeder
|ates a certain standing by recognizin:
them as belligerents, and the question
of further recognition was one of in
tense anxiety. Our Government dreaded
it above all things, and the Confeder
ates hoped for it with hope that would
not die until the end of the war.
| In the early part of the war the mat,
ter of exchanges was left to the discre-
| ton of the officers in command, and in
this way the prisoners taken on both
sides at Belmont. Wilson's Creek, Lex
ington and elsewhere were disposed of.
Those captured at Bull Run. Balls Bluff
and elsewhere in the East were kept in
confinement by the Confederates, and
also those whom our forces captured in
various operations, particularly at Fort
Donelson. After protracted negotia-
tions. in which the cartel agreed upon
in 1913 between the United States and
Great Britain formed the basis, the fol-
lowing cartel was agreed upon between
Maj aj.-Gen. John A. Dix, commanding
the Department of Virginia, with head
quarters at Fortress Monroe, and Maj
Gen. D. H. Hill, of the Confederate
army:
'Haxall's Landing, James River, Va,
July %, 1862.
''The undersigned having been COM
missioned by the authorities they re-
spectively represent to make arrange
ments for general exchange of pris-
oners of war, have agreed to the follow
ing articles:
Article 1. It is hereby agreed and
that all prisoners of war held
by either party, including those taken
on private armed vessels known as
privateers. shall be discharged upon the
conditions and terms following:
Prisoners to be exchanged man for
man and officer for officer; privateers
to be placed upon the footing of Off
GERS and men of the navy.
Men and officers of lower grades
may be exchanged for officers of high
er grade, and men and officers of diff
ferent services may be exchanged ac-
cording to the following scale of equiva-
lents:
"a General Commander-in-C Chief or
an Admiral shall be exchanged for Off
GERS of equal rank or for so privates or
common seamen.
nant or a Brigadier-General shall be
exchanged for officers of equal rank or
20 privates or common seamen.
"A Captain in the navy or a Colonel |
shall be exchanged for officers of equal
rank or for Is privates or common sea-
men.
"a Lieutenant Colonel or Com
mander in the navy shall be exchanged |
for officers of equal rank or for 10
privates or common seamen.
"a Lieutenant-Comma or a Ma
jor shall be exchanged for officers of
equal rank or eight privates or common |
seamen.
"a Lieutenant or Master in the navy
or a Captain in the army or marines |
shall be exchanged for officers of equal
rank or six privates or common sea-
men.
Masters Mates in the navy or Lieu
tenants and Ensigns in the army shall |
De exchanged for officers of equal rank
or four privates or common seamen.
"Midshipmen, warrant officers in the
navy, masters of merchant vessels and |
of privateers shall be ex-
changed for officers of equal rank OF
.hree privates or common seamen
Second Captains, Lieutenants or
Mates Of merchant vessels or privateers
md all petty officers in the Navy and
Ill noncommissioned officers in the army
,r marines shall be severally exchanged
or persons of equal rank or for two
Drivates or common seamen, and pri-
'ate soldiers or common seamen shall
De exchanged for each other, man for
nan.
art. 2. State, civil and militia rank
leld by persons not in actual military
service will not be recognized. the basis
If exchange being the grade actually
leld in the naval and military service
If the respective parties
Art. 3. II citizens held by either par
Y on charges of disloyalty or any al
eyed civil offense are exchanged it
hall only be for citizens. Captured
utlers, teamsters and all civilians ini
he actual service of either party to be
Exchanged for persons of similar posi-
ion
Art. a. All prisoners Of war to be
discharged on parole in 10 days after
heir capture. and the prisoners now
leld and those hereafter taken to be
transported to the points mutually
greed upon at the expense of the cap
urning party. The surplus prisoners not
Exchanged shall not be permitted to {
axe up arms again, nor to serve as
Military police or constabulary force in
ny fort. garrison or field work held by
ither OF the respective parties, nor as
yards of prisons, depots or stores. nor |
0 discharge any duty usually perform {
d by soldiers, until exchanged under ,
hange is not to be considered complete
ntl the officer or soldier exchanged :
or has been actually restored to the 6
mes to which he belongs.
art. 3. Each party upon the dis
barge of prisoners of the other party {
5 authorized to discharge an equal
umber of their own officers or men
rom parole. furnishing at the same
me to the other party list of their ]
risoners discharged and of their own {
hicers and men relieved from parole, !
hus enabling each party to relieve .
rom parole such of their own officers
nd men as the party may choose The I
sts thus mutually furnished will keen I
9th parties advised of the true condi- q
ion of the exchange of prisoners.
Art. 8. The stipulations and proyi-
ions above mentioned to be of binding
during the continuance of T
he war, 1t matters not which party c
nay have the surplus of prisoners, the
reat principles involved being, first an