andersonville-第12章

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wisdom　and　humanity；　but；　however　this　may　be；　the　following　is　my　firm
belief　as　to　the　controlling　facts　in　this　lamentable　affair：

1。　　For　some　time　after　the　beginning　of　hostilities　our　Government
refused　to　exchange　prisoners　with　the　Rebels；　on　the　ground　that　this
might　be　held　by　the　European　powers　who　were　seeking　a　pretext　for
acknowledging　the　Confederacy；　to　be　admission　by　us　that　the　war　was　no
longer　an　insurrection　but　a　revolution；　which　had　resulted　in　the　'de
facto'　establishment　of　a　new　nation。　　This　difficulty　was　finally　gotten
over　by　recognizing　the　Rebels　as　belligerents；　which；　while　it　placed
them　on　a　somewhat　different　plane　from　mere　insurgents；　did　not　elevate
them　to　the　position　of　soldiers　of　a　foreign　power。

2。　　Then　the　following　cartel　was　agreed　upon　by　Generals　Dig　on　our　side
and　Hill　on　that　of　the　Rebels：

HAXALL'S　LANDING；　ON　JAMES　RIVER；　July　22；　1882。

The　undersigned；　having　been　commissioned　by　the　authorities　they
respectively　represent　to　make　arrangements　for　a　general　exchange　of
prisoners　of　war；　have　agreed　to　the　following　articles：

ARTICLE　I。It　is　hereby　agreed　and　stipulated；　that　all　prisoners　of
war；　held　by　either　party；　including　those　taken　on　private　armed
vessels；　known　as　privateers；　shall　be　exchanged　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　officers　and　men　of　the　navy。

Men　and　officers　of　lower　grades　may　be　exchanged　for　officers　of　a
higher　grade；　and　men　and　officers　of　different　services　may　be　exchanged
according　to　the　following　scale　of　equivalents：

A　General…commanding…in…chief；　or　an　Admiral；　shall　be　exchanged　for
officers　of　equal　rank；　or　for　sixty　privates　or　common　seamen。

A　Commodore；　carrying　a　broad　pennant；　or　a　Brigadier　General；　shall　be
exchanged　for　officers　of　equal　rank；　or　twenty　privates　or　common
seamen。

A　Captain　in　the　Navy；　or　a　Colonel；　shall　be　exchanged　for　officers　of
equal　rank；　or　for　fifteen　privates　or　common　seamen。

A　Lieutenant　Colonel；　or　Commander　in　the　Navy；　shall　be　exchanged　for
officers　of　equal　rank；　or　for　ten　privates　or　common　seamen。

A　Lieutenant；　or　a　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　seamen。

Master's…mates　in　the　Navy；　or　Lieutenants　or　Ensigns　in　the　Army；　shall
be　exchanged　for　officers　of　equal　rank；　or　four　privates　or　common
seamen。　　Midshipmen；　warrant　officers　in　the　Navy；　masters　of　merchant
vessels　and　commanders　of　privateers；　shall　be　exchanged　for　officers　of
equal　rank；　or　three　privates　or　common　seamen；　Second　Captains；
Lieutenants　or　mates　of　merchant　vessels　or　privateers；　and　all　petty
officers　in　the　Navy；　and　all　noncommissioned　officers　in　the　Army　or
marines；　shall　be　severally　exchanged　for　persons　of　equal　rank；　or　for
two　privates　or　common　seamen；　and　private　soldiers　or　common　seamen
shall　be　exchanged　for　each　other　man　for　man。

ARTICLE　II。Local；　State；　civil　and　militia　rank　held　by　persons　not　in
actual　military　service　will　not　be　recognized；　the　basis　of　exchange
being　the　grade　actually　held　in　the　naval　and　military　service　of　the
respective　parties。

ARTICLE　III。If　citizens　held　by　either　party　on　charges　of　disloyalty；
or　any　alleged　civil　offense；　are　exchanged；　it　shall　only　be　for
citizens。　　Captured　sutlers；　teamsters；　and　all　civilians　in　the　actual
service　of　either　party；　to　be　exchanged　for　persons　in　similar
positions。

ARTICLE　IV。All　prisoners　of　war　to　be　discharged　on　parole　in　ten　days
after　their　capture；　and　the　prisoners　now　held；　and　those　hereafter
taken；　to　be　transported　to　the　points　mutually　agreed　upon；　at　the
expense　of　the　capturing　party。　　The　surplus　prisoners　not　exchanged
shall　not　be　permitted　to　take　up　arms　again；　nor　to　serve　as　military
police　or　constabulary　force　in　any　fort；　garrison　or　field…work；　held　by
either　of　the　respective　parties；　nor　as　guards　of　prisoners；　deposits　or
stores；　nor　to　discharge　any　duty　usually　performed　by　soldiers；　until
exchanged　under　the　provisions　of　this　cartel。　　The　exchange　is　not　to　be
considered　complete　until　the　officer　or　soldier　exchanged　for　has　been
actually　restored　to　the　lines　to　which　he　belongs。

ARTICLE　V。Each　party　upon　the　discharge　of　prisoners　of　the　other　party
is　authorized　to　discharge　an　equal　number　of　their　own　officers　or　men
from　parole；　furnishing；　at　the　same　time；　to　the　other　party　a　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　officers　and　men　as　the　party　may　choose。　　The　lists　thus　mutually
furnished；　will　keep　both　parties　advised　of　the　true　condition　of　the
exchange　of　prisoners。

ARTICLE　VI。The　stipulations　and　provisions　above　mentioned　to　be　of
binding　obligation　during　the　continuance　of　the　war；　it　matters　not
which　party　may　have　the　surplus　of　prisoners；　the　great　principles
involved　being；　First；　An　equitable　exchange　of　prisoners；　man　for　man；
or　officer　for　officer；　or　officers　of　higher　grade　exchanged　for
officers　of　lower　grade；　or　for　privates；　according　to　scale　of
equivalents。　　Second；　That　privates　and　officers　and　men　of　different
services　may　be　exchanged　according　to　the　same　scale　of　equivalents。
Third；　That　all　prisoners；　of　whatever　arm　of　service；　are　to　be
exchanged　or　paroled　in　ten　days　from　the　time　of　their　capture；　if　it　be
practicable　to　transfer　them　to　their　own　lines　in　that　time；　if　not；　so
soon　thereafter　as　practicable。　　Fourth；　That　no　officer；　or　soldier；
employed　in　the　service　of　either　party；　is　to　be　considered　as　exchanged
and　absolved　from　his　parole　until　his　equivalent　has　actually　reached
the　lines　of　his　friends。　　Fifth；　That　parole　forbids　the　performance　of
field；　garrison；　police；　or　guard　or　constabulary　duty。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　A。　DIX；　Major　General。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D。　H。　HILL；　Major　General；　C。　S。　A。

SUPPLEMENTARY　ARTICLES。

ARTICLE　VII。All　prisoners　of　war　now　held　on　either　side；　and　all
prisoners　hereafter　taken；　shall　be　sent　with　all　reasonable　dispatch　to
A。　M。　Aiken's；　below　Dutch　Gap；　on　the　James　River；　in　Virginia；　or　to
Vicksburg；　on　the　Mississippi　River；　in　the　State　of　Mississippi；　and
there　exchanged　of　paroled　until　such　exchange　can　be　effected；　notice
being　previously　given　by　each　party　of　the　number　of　prisoners　it　will
send；　and　the　time　when　they　will　be　delivered　at　those　points
respectively；　and　in　case　the　vicissitudes　of　war　shall　change　the
military　relations　of　the　places　designated　in　this　article　to　the
contending　parties；　so　as　to　render　the　same　inconvenient　for　the
delivery　and　exchange　of　prisoners；　other　places　bearing　as　nearly　as　may
be　the　present　local　relations　of　said　places　to　the　lines　of　said
parties；　shall　be；　by　mutual　agreement；　substituted。　　But　nothing　in　this
article　contained　shall　prevent　the　commanders　of　the　two　opposing　armies
from　exchanging　prisoners　or　releasing　them　on　parole；　at　other　points
mutually　agreed　on　by　said　commanders。

ARTICLE　VIII。For　the　purpose　of　carrying　into　effect　the　foregoing
articles　of　agreement；　each　party　will　appoint　two　agents　for　the
exchange　of　prisoners　of　war；　whose　duty　it　shall　be　to　communicate　with
each　other　by　correspondence　and　otherwise；　to　prepare　the　lists　of
prisoners；　to　attend　to　the　delivery　of　the　prisoners　at　the　places
agreed　on；　and　to　carry　out　promptly；　effectually；　and　in　good　faith；
all　the　details　and　provisions　of　the　said　articles　of　agreement。

ARTICLE　IX。And；　in　case　any　misunderstanding　shall　arise　in　regard　to
any　clause　or　stipulation　in　the　foregoing　articles；　it　is　mutually
agreed　that　such　misunderstanding　shall　not　affect　the　release　of
prisoners　on　parole；　as　herein　provided；　but　shall　be　made　the　subject　of
friendly　explanation；　in　order　that　the　object　of　this　agreement　may
neither　be　defeated　nor　postponed。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　A。　DIX；　Major　General。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D。　H。　　HILL；　Major　General。　　C。　S。　A。


This　plan　did　not　work　well。　　Men　on　both　sides；　who　wanted　a　little　rest
from　soldiering；　could　obtain　it　by　so　straggling　in　the　vicinity　of　the
enemy。　　Their　parolefollowing　close　upon　their　capture；　frequently　upon
the　spotallowed　them　to　visit　home；　and　sojourn　awhile　where　were
pleasanter　pastures　than　at　the　front。　　Then　the　Rebels　grew　into　the
habit　of　paroling　everybody　that　they　could　constrain　into　being　a
prisoner　of　war。　　Peaceable；　unwarlike　and　decrepit　citizens　of　Kentucky；
East　Tennessee；　West　Virginia；　Missouri　and　Maryland　were　〃captured〃　and
paroled；　and　setoff　against　regular　Rebel　soldiers　taken　by　us。

3。　　After　some　months　of　trial　of　this　scheme；　a　modification　of　the
cartel　was　agreed　upon；　the　main　feature　of　which　was　that　all　prisoners
must　be　reduced　to　possession；　and　delivered　to　the　exchange　officers
either　at　City　Point；　Va。；　or　Vicksburg；　Miss。　　This　worked　very　well　for
some　months；　until　our　Government　began　organizing　negro　troops。　　The
Rebels　then　issued　an　order　that　neither　these　troops　nor　their　officers
should　be　held　as　amenable　to　the　laws　of　war；　but　that；　when　captured；
the　men　should　be　returned　to　slavery；　and　the　officers　turned　over　to
the　Governors　of　the　States　in　which　they　were　taken；　to　be　dealt　with
according　to　the　stringent　law　punishing　the　incitement　of　servile
insurrection。　　Our　Government　could　not　permit　this　for　a　day。　　It　was
bound　by　every　consideration　of　National　honor　to　protect　those　who　wore
its　uniform　and　bore　its　flag。　　The　Rebel　Government　was　promptly
informed　that　rebel　officers　and　men　would　be　held　as　hostages　for　the
proper　treatment　of　such　members　of　colored　regiments　as　might　be　taken。

4。　　This　discussion　did　not　put　a　stop　to　the　exchange；　but　while　it　was
going　on　Vicksburg　was　captured；　and　the　battle　of　Gettysburg　was　fought。
The　first　placed　one　of　the　exchange　points　in　our　hands。　　At　the　opening
of　the　fight　at　Gettysburg　Lee　captured　some　six　thousand　Pennsylvania
militia。　　He　sent　to　Meade　to　have　these　exchanged　on　the　field　of
battle。　　Meade　declined　to　do　so　for　two　reasons：　first；　because　it　was
against　the　cartel；　which　prescribed　that　prisoners　must　be　reduced　to
possession；　and　second；　because　he　was　anxious　to　have　Lee　hampered　with
such　a　body　of　prisoners；　since　it　was　very　doubtful　if　he　could　get　his
beaten　army　back　across　the　Potomac；　let　alone　his　prisoners。　　Lee　then
sent　a　communication　to　General　Couch；　commanding　the　Pennsylvania
militia；　asking　him　to　receive　prisoners　on　parole；　and　Couch；　not
knowing　what　Meade　had　done；　acceded　to　the　request。　　Our　Government
disavowed　Couch's　action　instantly；　and　ordered　the　paroles　to　be　treated
as　of　no　force；　whereupon　the　Rebel　Government　ordered　back　into　the
field　twelve　thousand　of　the　prisoners　captured　by　Grant's　army　at
Vicksburg。

5。　　The　paroling　now　stopped　abruptly；　leaving　in　the　hands　of　both　sides
the　prisoners　captured　at　Gettysburg；　except　the　militia