The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-12-19

destroyers. while 10 fhe eyes Of NORTH
erners the Confederates were '.rebeis
and outlaws. Up to the baftie OF RuiI
Run the number IF prisoners on piffler
!. side was not large. BY fhat disaster
/ to the FederniS the C0nfederafes sr.f,-
! tured some i.4,al of them. a fact whicii
| put an endAto Hi idea II punishment
i The C0nfedprateS released numbers al
different points on parole. and fhe
matter was compromised in various
| ways. Thus ffty-seveil wounded sol
diers were voluntarily released from
Richmond and sent home. In response
twenty Confederate soldiers. mostly
North Carolinians. were released from
Bedloe's Island. New York. and sent
to Fortress Monroe to be discharged
on taking the oath NOT to bear arms.
/ In this informal manner numbers were
from time to time discharged At
Washington the oath was administered
to thirty-seven prisoners of war who
i were confined in the military prisons.
The entire number took an oath not to
| bear arms against the United States.
Under the Laws Of War.
| The matter of military prisoners rs
regulated under the laws Of war. but
| the United States hesitated to recog-
nize the Confederacy as belligerent.
General Grant. who was appealed TO
| by General Polk Confederate, to ex-
change certain capfives. replied. Il
| recognize no Southern Confederacy
myself but he consented TO pass the
matter on to army headquarters.
Exchanges were sometimes made by
officers acting on their own hook.
General Fremont went so far as to
arrange a treaty with his opponent.
General Sterling Price. for the regular
exchange of captives taken in their
! from the homes Of captives poured
into Washington. The captives them
selves naturally chafed under confne-
ment, and there were numerous es-
capes from the prison guard. especial
" at Richmond. Such fugitives were
usually recaptured and made to suffer.
In Richmond the captives were con-
fined in empty warehouses. the most
noted of which was that of Libby &
Sons In a few weeks these quarters
became overcrowded. and the anxiety
of northern friends as to the welfare
of the captives was increased by the
tone of the radical southern press.
Harsh treatment was advocated, and it
was suggested that the unfortunates be
sent to Pensacola and New Orleans.
Describing fresh arrival at Rich
mond. the Dispatch of that city said:
'The crowd about the depot convers-
ed freely with the prisoners. but no
rudeness was exhibited toward them.
They were very soon marched off to
the factory to join their comrades in
captivity. There are now nearly 1000
prisoners in Richmond. and the sooner
some hundreds are sent south the bet
ter We are in situation not unlike
the man who got the elephant as a
prize in lottery and didn't know what
to do with it."
Finally. on Dec. Z. negotiations open
ed and soon led to the exchange. son
James river of 24O from each side. the
Confederates chiefly from North Caro-
lima and the Federals from Bull Run. !.
Slaves In Union Camps.
The extra session Of the Thirty sew
enth congress. which closed in August.
1861. took no decided action with re-
gard to slavery. except that it includ-
ed slaves as property. which the United
States might confscate if the enemy
could make use of it in war. 1t was
assumed by some people that this act
Of congress gave warrant for inter
ference with the institution Of slavery.
The regular congress felt called upon
to act. The uncertain status Of the
slaves made trouble in the camps.
General Halleck, in the west. treated
them as spies. In the east the secre-
tary Of state. w. H. Seward. officially
notified General Mcclellan that the ne
groes who came within the army lines
United States. These two views were
directly opposed. Yet President Lin
coin stood by General Halleck. There
were arrests Of runaway negroes made
in the streets Of Washington almost in
the shadow of the White House. To
remedy the situation Senator Sumner
of Massachusetts on Dec. 10 presented
a petition to the senate asking that all
slaves coming within the jurisdiction