Year: 1862




to examine the official CORES pondeaee that passed
between our Government and that at Washington
on the subject of the exchange of prisoners the
correspondence being conducted by General
howell Cobb, commissioner on eur part, and Ma
JQrGeneral Wool, in command Of the Federal
forces at Fortress Monroe The correspondence
affords evidence of the most shameless and fagi-
tlous act of perfdy that was ever perseteaed by a
civilized power-the North having violated its
-distinet engagement to release cur pr.vateersmen
and to parole prisoners within ten days after
capture" soon as the Fort Donelson disaster
changed the surplus of prisoners from our side to
theirs.


1t seems that the proposition for an exchange
of prisoners first made oy General Wool, in a
letter to General Huger dated the 18th Of Februa
ry, 1862. The proposition was made on the fol-
lowing terms. General Wool wrote:


81 am alone clothed with full power for the
purpose OF arranging for the exchange of prisoners
| Being thus empowered, am ready to confer with
you on the subject or the Honorable Messrs Sed-
don and Conrad, or any other persons appearing
for that purpose. | prepared to arrange for
the restoration of all the prisoners to their
homes on fair terms Of exchange, man for man,
and officer for officer of equal grade assimilating
the grade of officers of the army and navy, when
necessary, and agreeing upon equitable terms for
the number Of men officers, of inferior grade, to
be exchanged for any Of higher grade when the
occasion shall arise. That all the surplus prison
ers either side be exchanged on parole, with
the agreement that any prisoners of war taken by
the other party shall be returned in exchange as
fast as captured, and this system to be continued
while hostities continue.


81 would further inform you or any other per-
son selected for the purpose of making arrange
ments for the exchange of prisoners, that the prs-
oners taken on board of vessels, or otherwise in
maritime conflict, by the forces of the United
States, have been put, and are now held, only III
military custody, and on the same footing other
prisoners taken in arms"


The proposition, it appears, readily accep-
ted by our Government, and memorandum made
as basis for cartel, of which the following is
copy.


Il. Prisoners to be exchanged man for man,
and officer for officer Officers of the army and navy
to be assimilated On a fair basis, and priyateers
to be placed the footing OF officers and men OF the
navy


~. The surplus of prisoners held by either par
ty to be returned to the country OF the prisoners
on their parole Of honor not to take up arms again
until exchanged under the provisions of this cartel


%. Each party, upon the discharge of prisoners
Of the other party, is authorized to discharge AL
equal number of their own officers or men from
parole furnishing at the time to the other party
list of their prisoners discharged, and of their
own officers and men relieved from parole; thus
enabling each party to relieve from parole such of
their own officers and men as the party may choose
The lists thus mutually furnished will keep both
parties advised of the true condition of the ex-
change of prisoners


81 Men and officers of a lower grade, as we'll
%of different SERVICE may be exchanged for Of
icers of higher grade and of different service
To do this without embarrassment it Is agreed that
the basis of assimilation shall be the compensation
allowed by each party to their own eficers and
men, and in Of privateers who receive no fixed
pay to be put upon the compensation basis of Of
fcers and men of the navy.


s5 Prisoners to be discharged or paroled within
ten days after their capture, and to be delivered
on the frontier Of their own country free of ex-
pcnse to the prisoners, aud ut the expense of the
capturing party.


"6 All prisoners now held by each party to be
Immediately discharged and the party against
whom the surplus shall be found shall receive such
surplus upon their parole. Each party to furnish
the other list of those respectively discharged by
it, and the party against whom the surplus Is
found is to furnish list OF the prisoners placed
Oh parole under this cartel, thus furnishing the
basis for future exchanges"


Gen. Wool promptly agreed to all the PROPOSE
tons except two. IN lieu of the compensation
basis of equivalents contained in the 4th item of
the memorandum, he proposed the cartel OF
equivalents adopted by Great Britain aud the Uni
ted States, in the war Of 1872, and Gen. Cobb
accepted it.


He also objected to the provisions in the 9th
item, which requires each party to pay the expense
OF transporting their prisoners. The provision
met bis entire approval, but he did not feel au-
thorzcd by his instructions, TO incorporate 1t into
the proposed cartel and, therefore, desired time
to consult bis Government the subject. -..


The interview closed with the promise from
Gen. Wool that he would notify Gen. Cobb, as
he could hear from his Government, on
that POINT


On the first Of March, Gen. Cobb held his Sc
cond interview with him, i'll which he General
Cobb proposed to eater into cartel, CONTAINING
the stipulatons previously set forth. Gen. WOOL
then replied that his Government would not agree
to the proposition that each party should pay the
expense Of transporting their prisoners to the from
tier, when Gen. Cobb promptly waived 1t, thus
leaving the cartel tree from all his objections, aud
just what Gen. WOOL had himself proposed 10 hi
letter of the 18th February to General klnser q


Upon this Gen y ool informed Gen Cubb that
his Government had changed hts Instructions aud
abruptly broke of the negotiation.


The entire correspondence constitutes chapter
of history that should attract the scora OF all civil
lized and honorable uatioHs 1t Is understood that
Congress has ordered the printing of twenty-five
hundred copies OF the documents for general cir
cuation, So as to introduce to the people ex-
tensiycy as possible this last Development in the
history of the yerfdy of the North and the utter