guard mounting to-morrow morning at 8 o'clock, and there is not a man who has signed this paper but would prefer to return to their Southern prisons before perjury. G. MCHENRY. S. R. PALMER. ARTHUR J. MCCUTCHEON. DAVID KILGORE. T. ROBERTSON. [Inclosure No. 2.] CAMP BENTON, SAINT LOUIS, Mo., July 14, 1862. Adjutant-General BAKER. DEAR SIR: I proceed to write to you by informing you of the critical circumstances that we (paroled prisoners) are now in. We are in Camp Benton, arriving here the evening of the 10th, and now after being in the Southern prisons two months and being fed upon one-fourth rations-I need not tell you the kind-we are placed here by our own will by subscribing to the following oath rather than to die in filth and not a morsel of bread to fill the vacuum in our stomachs. Oath: I pledge my most sacred honor that I will not during the existing war between the Confederate States and the United States of America bear arms or aid or abet the enemy of said Confederate States or their friends directly or indirectly in any form whatever until exchanged or released. Besides taking this oath they have taken our description, and now after going through all this form and after getting back into our lines we are now used as dogs. The commander here has given orders for us to stand guard. This every one of us will not do even to a man, believing it to be a violation of our oath. Already forty of us are in the guard-house and the rest are ready to go at a moment's notice to be tried by a court-martial. No telling of the consequences. There are 600 Iowa boys here; not one of us has received a cent pay since the 1st of January. We unanimously ask you to see into this affair and see what shall be done. We are here without officers and this is known to be the case and we are run over and trampled below the Secesh prisoners. With this explanation and asking help, I submit, yours, COMPANY D, Twelfth Iowa, Cerro Gordo. Governor S. J. KIRKWOOD. [Inclosure No. 3.] SAINT LOUIS, Mo., July 11, 1862. RESPECTED SIR: Perhaps I am presuming too much in troubling you with matters which may not concern you, but however I will have to ask a hearing and your aid if such you deem necessary. Our condition has been and is as follows: On the 6th of April at the battle of Pittsburg Landing we were taken prisoners and released on parole the 25th of May. We were kept at Nashville until the 29th ultimo. While there every plan which they could devise was taken to get us in service again as a Tennessee regiment, but all their schemes proved of no avail. They found us as firm as the Secesh found us on the battle-field. We are now here and the same proceedings are to be acted over again. They want us to do guard duty notwithstanding our parole of honor. Now if we are not to be exchanged why not be called to our own State and not be here to be bamboozled by a colonel that is intoxicated the greater part of the time. I have always considered a parole honorable for any prisoner to take, at least most people think so when lying in Southern prisons nearly naked and their flesh raw from the effects of vermin. But the officers here and at Nashville act as though they thought differently. We have been treated but little better since our release than we were while in the South. We have not had much over half-rations and these of the poorest quality, having sour bread and rotten meat. This remark is not entirely applicable to our treatment here for it is some better. I have now given you an indefinite idea of our condition, and if you can lend us any assistance we will consider ourselves much indebted; if you cannot, at least write me, with your advice with regard to our duty as paroled prisoners. Respectfully, your obedient servant, A. H. HAZLETT. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI, General LORENZO THOMAS, Saint Louis, Mo., July 28, 1862. Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington. SIR: In obedience to your telegraphic dispatch I visited Benton Barracks, Mo., and respectfully report as follows: On the 14th instant a petition was made by the paroled prisoners and on the 19th instant General Halleck decided as follows: Paroled prisoners of war must do guard, police and fatigue duty in their own camps. This is not military duty in the belligerent sense of that word; it is simply for their own order, cleanliness and comfort and is not in violation of any parole not to bear arms against the enemy till exchanged. Since this announcement there has been no trouble, and had it not been for the adjutant-general of Iowa telegraphing and writing I think there would have been but little trouble. I called all officers and enlisted men together who had copies of their paroles. The paroles forbid the men bearing arms against the Confederate States, or aiding or abetting their enemies or friends directly or indirectly until regularly exchanged or released. One parole forbade the use of any information acquired against said Confederate States, and one other forbade the serving in any capacity the Army of the United States. Some of the prisoners were opposed to doing anything, even to policing their own quarters and premises, while others were willing to do anything not considered violation of their parole. General Halleck's decision appeared to settle the matter and now there is no trouble. In order that the views of the Department might be known I handed your dispatch to General McKean to read, and will furnish him with a copy. I explained to the paroled prisoners that the concentration of them at camps of instruction was for the purpose of feeding, clothing, mustering and paying them and have them properly accounted for and in readiness for an exchange, and not with the view of ordering them to take the field or take up arms against the Southern Confederacy. I conversed with them freely, asked them many questions and replied to all their inquiries, and they left my presence apparently contented and satisfied to do what was required of them for their own order, health and comfort. I told them they would not be required to violate their parole by either the Government or its agents. Respectfully, your obedient servant, W. SCOTT KETCHUM, Brigadier-General, Assistant Inspector-General. LACON, MARSHALL COUNTY, ILL., July 28, 1862. His Excellency ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States. HONORED SIR: I trust no apology will be deemed necessary for calling your attention to the fact that some 1,300 of the prisoners taken by the rebels at the battle of Pittsburg Landing were returned to us on parole and are now at Benton Barracks, Mo. These men are suffering greatly; they as you are aware endured great hardships during their imprisonment, and are in consequence generally unfit for the rigor of active service. They have not received any pay for a period extending beyond eight months and feel anxious to go home to their families and carry with them the hard-earned pittance to meet their pressing necessities, but the commandant of the post exacts from them all the ordinary duties of the service, and for refusing to violate the obligations of parole punishes them with the utmost severity. About 100 of these brave boys are now in irons for this cause. I cannot for one moment entertain a doubt but that you will promptly interfere in their behalf, and by so doing you will relieve us of much embarrassment in obtaining new recruits under your recent call. Your obedient servant, ROBERT F. WINSLOW. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 28, 1862. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. SIR: The Secretary of War directs me to say that he has had the honor to receive your letter* of the 14th instant, inclosing copy of a note addressed by Lord Lyons to the State Department under date of the 12th instant Touching the cases of British subjects, prisoners of war in this country, who when captured by the U. S. forces were serving against their will in the ranks of the rebels, and asking that such cases may be inquired into fairly and dealt with leniently, -and to submit to you the following reply: The Department has no information upon this subject other than that gathered from the note of Lord Lyons, and as that fails to mention the name of any British subject supposed to have been captured, while serving against his will in the ranks of the rebels, it is manifestly out of the power of the Department now to take any action in the premises. It may be well, however, to acquaint Lord Lyons with the fact that applications for release and parole on precisely this ground are almost daily made to the Department by citizens of the United States captured from the insurgent ranks and held as prisoners of war, but the Department has uniformly declined to inquire into these cases or to deal with them otherwise than with cases in which no such ground was urged. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, *Not found. C. P. WOLCOTT, Assistant Secretary of War. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Brig. Gen. L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. SIR: In the execution of the duties confided to you as agent of the United States in arranging for the exchange of prisoners of war the Secretary of War directs that you visit such points as you may find necessary. I have the honor to be, sir, &c., E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Maj. Gen. JOHN POPE, Washington, July 28, 1862. Comdg. Army of Virginia, Washington, D. C. SIR: The Secretary of War directs that Colonel Mulligan, now at New Creek, Va., be placed in arrest and called to account for the charges made against him in the inclosed letter* from Col. J. H. Tucker. Please return the inclosures. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Brigadier General WADSWORTH, Washington, July 28, 1862. Military Governor District of Columbia, Washington, D. C. SIR: The Secretary of War directs that you send all the prisoners of war now confined in this District to Fort Monroe under a suitable guard to be exchanged. Call upon the quartermaster's department for transportation. I am, sir, &c., E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War: HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General: I request that you will give me as much notice as possible of your anticipated time of arrival on the James River with the prisoners so * Omitted here; Tucker to Hoffman (inclosure), p. 180, that I can communicate the same to the Confederate authorities and thus save delay. The Confederate agent has returned to Richmond and will not be at Aiken's again until he hears further from me. GEO. B. MCCLELLAN, Major-Generai. General R. E. LEE, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Commanding Army of Northern Virginia. July 28, 1862. GENERAL: I have the honor to inform you that the Government has appointed Brig. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas as agent on the part of the United States for the exchange of prisoners. He will accompany the prisoners of war from Fort Delaware for whom transports have already been ordered and may be expected in the James River within a very few days. I will endeavor to give you as early notice as possible of the time when he will be at Aiken's that there may be no unnecessary delay in making the exchange at that place. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Brig. Gen. L. THOMAS, July 28[27], 1862. Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. GENERAL: By direction of the commanding general I have the honor herewith to transmit in two parts a list of our sick and wounded delivered by the Confederate authorities at City Point July 25, 1862. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, [S. WILLIAMS,] Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Brig. Gen. L. THOMAS, July 28, 1862. Adjutant-General of the Army, Washington, D. C. GENERAL: By direction of the commanding general I have the honor herewith to transmit part 3 of the list* of our sick and wounded delivered at City Point the 25th instant. Two portions of this list were forwarded by yesterday's mail. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, [S. WILLIAMS,] Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS, Fort Monroe, Va., July 28, 1862. Maj. Gen. G. B. MCCLELLAN, Commanding Department of Virginia. GENERAL: I am advised by the Adjutant-General of the Army that Capt. George H. Smith, of the Twenty fifth Virginia or Heck's Regi * Omitted. |