The Washington herald., 1914-03-06

Fifty years ago today the exchange OF
prisoners, which had been suspended since
December s, 1858, was one more in pro-
gress at Fortress Monroe and at City
Point on the James River.
No phase of the war appealed more
directly to the minds and hearts of the
people North and South than the con-
dition of the prisoners held on both sides.
The women and children who longed for
the return of loved one held In prison
were the leaven that quickened the whole
public mind on the subject
Exchanges of prisoners had been first
agreed upon in a cartel signed in July.
1ss2- Exchanges had been made by COM
missioners of exchange appointed on both
sides Federal steamer made trips up
and down the James River with ex-
changed prisoners, between City Point
and Fortress Monroe.
When, in December. 1868. the exchanges
ceased. the public, both North and South.
took a deep interest in the probable
causes Of the suspension. The chief cause
had been the inability of the commission
ers to agree in their constructions of the
cartel.
Charges of bad faith were made by the
public on both sides. Stories of hard
ships and starvation in the prisons of the
South were told Ia the North. Similar
stories of conditions in Northern prisons
were told in the South. II was true that
conditions were not ideal on either side;
but the sufferings of Northern prisoners
In the South were not as great then as
they were later.
When the prisoners began to come
home again, after months without ex-
changes. there were great demonstrations
OF JOY on both sides. The people were
curious, when the first exchanged pris-
oners arrived. to see IL the prisoners bore
out in their persons the evil reports that
had come from their prisons.
First Prisoners Returned.
The Federals released the first pris-
oners in 1853 On March the fiag-of-
truce steamer New York had left For
tress Monroe for Richmond with sixty
two Confederate officers and $50 Confed-
crate privates, who had been taken from
the Federal prison at Point Lookout, Nd
The group reached Richmond March G.
The Richmond Sentinel Of March 7, in
alluding editorially to their arrival, made
no mention of their physical condition
and asserted that nearly every man in
the party had been tempted by Federal
agents to enter the Federal service
On March the flag-of-truce boat re-
turned to Fortress Monroe from City
Point with forty-eight Federal officers
and 600 privates in exchange for the Con-
federates who had gone up the river. |
Heading the officers in rank were Col |
H. lie Favour, OF the Twenty-second /
Michigan, Col. F. A. Bartleson, Of the |
lOOth Illinois and Col C. II. Carlton, Of |
the Eighty-ninth Ohio Regiment Be-
sides these three colonels, there were four
lieutenant colonels, five majors and hf. !
teen captains. The other officers were |
OF the 600 men in the party a large por-
ton belonged to the Ninth Maryland |
Volunteers. The delegation was landed at |
on March g.
As the men of the Ninth Maryland |
marched ashore their color sergeant ere
ated a sensation by bearing aloft the col |
ors of the regiment During his entire |
stay within the Confederate lines he had |
concealed the regimental flag by wearing |
it about his body. 1t soon resumed its /
place at the head of the regiment
Gems. Lee and Dow EXCHANGED.
The physical condition of the officers in
this exchange was said to have been
good. Many of the prisoners had the
benefit at Richmond of food and clothing
provided by organizations in the North.
The men, though pale from long confine-
nent, bore no signs of starvation. al
hough at one time their daily rations
" nave COilSlSltu VI OIe piece
lf corn bread as large as the third of 4
Prick and tablespoonful of raw rice"
The exchanges continued in March.
On March IL, forty Federal officers and
20 privates left Richmond. Among the
Dffscers were Gen. Neal Dow, of Maine:
Col w. F. Wilson, of the 124th Ohio
Regiment. and Lieut.. Col. r. H. North
cGtt, of the Twelfth West Virginia Regi-
nent. and Capt H. W. Sawyer. of
the First New Jersey Cavalry, and Capt
John NJ. Finn, of the Fifty-first Indiana
Volunteers. both of whom had once been
sentenced to be shot by the Confederates
m retaliation for the shooting of two /,
spies in Tennessee, and for
whom Gen. w. H. F. Lee and Capt r. 4
Fl. Tyler, the latter of the Eighth Vir-
sinia Regiment, had been held as host
ages by the -'ederals. Both of the gov
however, had released their
and Gen. Lee was exchanged
Tor Gen. Dow.
On March Is between 500 and GO re-
urned Confederates reached Richmond.
Zen. W. H. F. Lee was among them