Year: 1862




vernment.


0,t " three thousand Asty Old prisoners o. war
n, Fort eaware four hundred have becn allow ad e. aSe
the oath Of allegiance the United states which aboat
ono third of tho whole nunbe wish i . 70 sup
port ns old dag which hey we're born ana reared
Most these who hay. been iefiaes @ take the
o.,h are Northern mon some of whom have been regular
Iy enlisted men in the rebel service ana who no" see
the error Of their ways and h % repent Others are
man who have supported the south is Infamous
"a destroy the Union by word og mouth yet having
oesirs 20 become soldiers been impressed into the
rebel ranks and become repentan some of these
men had resided but short Tina n rebed1m. and are
,n.stIy Of foreign descent without suhicea hftiness
or foresight be able e iud for thepssess matters
that Of vital importance their own weaFo Diners
OF this molly crowd arc Southern born and raised AID
Of good education who have been treated 50 daecnty
from what they we're they would be treated
ard have noticed tho vast difference the aspect Ct the
Northern states wacc opared with those under the ban
OF Isn Davis tha hay have repen,ed and desire TO
remain under the 20.con Of the government that has
fosterod them frU-n afancy Hundreds o. eonmunica'
tons received daily by MAJOR Igeborth the Provost
Marshal and Captain Gibson, the Commandant OF the
Post requesting that the writers might be allowed TO take
oath all under the special injunction thu, the
nicalion should be strictly private eacn trying to
keep OF his wishing to take the 9TH from his





socaed Con edsras States and in many assuming
TO be OF the vilsst and bitterest rebel clique.


For a. time these communications were read ami passed
without any action being taken il the matter until
such large quanes II these requests TO take the oath
in that Capt Gibson communicated the fact 70 the
Secretary OF War who Immediately issued order (he
order published Fort Delaware correspondence
OF the 22d u which stated that Of those men who
would take the the required oath 7 u could show sa
hcen proof OF their sincerity ana cyaty toward the
government would be forced within the rebel lines This
order created great joy the hear of many who. In
many instances had gone far 70 oer TO that
they would enter tho Union army under Abe Lincoln
rather be exchanged and retur. cd to the po
they had occupied before they we're taken prison
ers and Ii is only now that we see tn four hundred Of
have been permitted return their posit on OF
citizens OF the United states II is important for The pub
lie to know what the feeling Of these toward the
government They may be divided into three classes
First, those mon Of Northern oriea who look
cd upon the secession OF the southern States from
financial point Of view, believing in many instances that
the government was too weak prevent the seeded
States from forming separate government Of their own
Second the Southern who vent into Ae war; not be-
cause he loved IT, but because he viewed the matter
something Ally necessary TO his welfare on account Of
the unlimited rado OF the organs OF abotionism which
not being SO wel understood they North,
famed the fame and led him who would be staunch
friend Union and the TO believe that it
was the wish Of the Northern peope that the rights
which they had beeorc enjoyed were to be taken from
them Now they the conservative vcws If
President Lincoln they too have reloned and although
they not wish ht against their sons, brothers
and fathers yet they do not desire to Judge By their
conversation have anything do with the war wish
ing to be paroled rather than exchanged When inform
cd that governors OF Of the States South had
issued orders the effect that parole would be
garded they rsundly that they would
prison than into tho ranks again. This feeling may be
Acttious may be bu, such Is their language
The third those who have acted in the
They have rumped all kinds OF Stories and have used
the language OF Congressman 10 manufacture capital
their These men have become far involved
Ia the matter that they hope for them but in the
success OF the rebellion. Most OF these hail
from Virginia. South Carolina and Georgia. Mis-
sissippans, Lousanians, Texans, North Carolina. s
and others OF the Southern ststes wish 10 be
parolsd while from the other three States mentioned
general thing they wish TO be exchanged II the
government should proper to parole all those who
wish to be should consequently be losers As gene
raj exchange Of prisoners has been decided upon be-
tween the two armies every who Is paroed loss
Of hence it is thought that none will be pa
rolled until after the exchange. The surplus Of prisoners
that remain hands may ther be disposed Of this
manner, but until that time they remain prisoners Of
war.