your decision as to who shall suffer the penalty. I have directed Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn to forward this communication through flag of truce. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. C. PEMBERTON, Lieutenant-General, Commanding. WASHINGTON, D. C., November 12, 1862. Colonel SANGSTER, Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md.: You will repair immediately to this city and report to the commissary-general of prisoners. E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Lieut. Col. GEORGE SANGster, Commandiag Camp Parole, near Annapolis, Md. COLONEL: By direction of the Secretary of War you will order all the paroled troops from the State of Iowa at Camp Parole to Camp Benton [Benton Barracks], near Saint Louis. Place the detachment under the command of the senior non-commissioned officer if you have no commissioned officer from Iowa present and furnish cooked rations for the journey. Call on the quartermaster for the necessary transportation. Give the officer in charge strict orders to allow no irregularities or delays by the way and to report to the commanding officer at Benton Barracks on his arrival. Furnish him with full rolls of the detachment as far as you are able, with a statement of clothing issued to them. You will furnish me immediately with a list of all officers and enlisted men absent without leave, giving the dates, and all so absent will forfeit all pay and allowance. See paragraph 1326, Army Regulations. Be careful to note all absences on your muster-rolls. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners. Lieutenant-Colonel LUDLOW: BALTIMORE, November 12, 1862. The Confederate prisoners of war will leave here this day or to-morrow morning. They can be placed in tents at Fort Monroe. They cannot be kept here any longer. The trouble they cause while in or near this city in consequence of there being so many rebel sympathizers is unendurable. WM. D. WHIPPLE, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS, Fort Monroe, November 12, 1862. General L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General U. S. Army. GENERAL: I expected to leave this afternoon in the Henry Burden for Washington, but the absence of General Dix at Suffolk obliges me to await his return, expected to-morrow. I inclose a draft* of order which with the exception of exchange of officers covers all the detail of my work. On striking a balance there was due to the United States, excluding Harper's Ferry surrender, 5,100 men, against which I am authorized to make and declare exchanges. Selections can be made to that amount from the Harper's Ferry regiments or any other. I am at work on the Harper's Ferry papers and I will bring them to you in form to select from. Very many of our men taken in Virginia are at Camp Chase; many at Annapolis, and all these, including officers, can be at once put in the field. If the paroled camps are at once cleaned out of those now declared exchanged and lists made of those left, at the next meeting with Mr. Ould these latter can be exchanged and we shall be able to take a fresh and better start. The lists of officers are perfected and ready for publication. Your son, by whom I send them, fully understands them. The difference between the number of our officers exchanged, 926, and of the Confederates, 1,596, has been balanced by rank and file. I will take with me to Washington all the memoranda and details of my work. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. H. LUDLOW, Lieutenant-Colonel and Acting Agent for Exchange of Prisoners. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, Major-General HOLMES. SIR: In compliance with the understanding existing between us and with a desire to promote as far as is within my power the humane purposes for which we have mutually expressed our admiration at the earliest opportunity I herewith send forward for parole or exchange Lieutenant-Colonel Giddings and his men, amounting in number to sixteen and in equivalent to twenty-nine. That this war should be carried on in a spirit of humanity and Christianity cannot be more desired by yourself than me, and as the Govern ment has now consented to an exchange of prisoners of war on an explicit basis it is to be hoped the confinement of officers or privates will not in future be continued for a longer period than absolutely necessary. I have again to call your attention to the exchange of prisoners made by Captain Noble September 2, 1862, at Little Rock, which left us in equivalents your creditors to the amount of twenty-five. We send with this from here twenty-nine, making fifty-four in equivalents, and expect to release from their parole that number of those sent by you to our lines under flag of truce, arriving at Helena October 28, 1862. By order of Major-General Curtis: JOHN W. NOBLE, U. S. ARMY GENERAL HOSPITAL, Portsmouth Grove, R. I., November 12, 1862. His Excellency the GOVERNOR OF MISSOURI: We paroled prisoners taken at the battle of Shiloh send this petition. There are here some eighty men from different regiments of Missourians. *Not found. Now after being kept in the South all summer we are in the winter brought down here to try a New England winter. We are all unprepared to stand the rigors of this climate. We are also fed by contractors and poorly fed. It is in the morning a small slice of cold beef, some coffee and bread; at noon it is some rice, bread and molasses; supper it is bread and tea. And also our clothing is too light. We are greatly in want of overcoats and stockings. Now, Your Excellency, what we ask is this, that if consistent with your duties you will try and have us removed to Saint Louis so that we may get our pay which our families are in great need of at this time. All the boys are most willing for the field again if soon exchanged, but do not want to lie inactive here. Such is the prayer of the soldiers of the Eighteenth, Twentyfirst, Twenty-third and Twenty-fifth Regiments of Missouri Volunteers, to His Excellency Governor Gamble, by the undersigned. With great respect, JOSEPH M. BROWN. [And 77 others.] [Indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS STATE OF MISSOURI, Adjutant-General's Office, November 28, 1862. Respectfully referred to the honorable Secretary of War, asking that these men being exchanged may be sent back to Benton Barracks, Saint Louis, to join their respective regiments. By order of the Governor of Missouri: Hon. E. M. STANTON: WM. D. WOOD, Acting Adjutant-General. INDIANAPOLIS, November 13, 1862. The Indiana troops that were taken prisoners and paroled are in prime condition and ready to take the field immediately on being exchanged. I hope it can be done at once. O. P. MORTON, Governor. OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Maj. G. B. BROWN, Louisville, Ky. SIR: Your letter of the 27th ultimo addressed to the Secretary of War in behalf of Major Jordan has been referred to me, and I have to say that your letter, one from General Boyle and one from Judge Casey, inclosing a letter from Mrs. Jordan, will be forwarded to Aiken's Landing by the earliest opportunity, to have the case laid before the authorities at Richmond. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners, 45 R R-SERIES II, VOL IV Col. E. D. TOWNSEND, HEADQUARTERS ARTILLERY BRIGADE, Assistant Adjutant-General, Washington, D. C. COLONEL: I understand that all at Annapolis (from the morning papers) are exchanged. If this is the case I would ask permission to send an officer, Major McKay, to take charge of the men of my regiment and bring all to the regiment. Many I understand have already left for their homes, and I fear unless I have some one to take charge of them that more will leave for their homes. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel Second New York [Heavy Artillery]. [Indorsement.] ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, November 17, 1862. Respectfully referred to Colonel Hoffman, commissary-general of prisoners. Prompt steps should be taken to have the men and officers exchanged sent to their regiments. The order announcing the last exchange is in course of preparation. Would Colonel Hoffman like to suggest any instructions to be embodied in the order relative to the above desirable object? E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. LEXINGTON, KY., November 13, 1862. Major-General WRIGHT, Headquarters, Cincinnati, Ohio. DEAR GENERAL: I called on General Granger to-night to arrange a system of exchange for Kentucky home-guards arrested and paroled by the rebel forces when in this State, and as he has determined to refer the matter to you, allow me to offer a word or two. These homeguards are voluntary associations for home defense, not in National or State service, receive no pay and lawfully subject to no orders. Many of them have been arrested and paroled by the rebels in violation of right or usage among civilized belligerents, and whilst it is of no lawful force it may entail consequences upon the parties paroled they are unwilling to risk. A general order releasing them would not satisfy them. To send them off for exchange would be dignifying an unlawful act. The remedy I would suggest is to have arrested an equal number of rebel sympathizers in our midst and proceed at once to exchange them upon the spot. This might be so effected as to command rebel observance. We greatly need these paroled home-guards for State defense under our militia system. I hope you will not modify General Buell's order in regard to rebel recruits or those giving active aid and assistance. We must rid the State of those men and we have already had too many oaths and bonds violated to trust further in them. I further hope the decision of all questions under arrests made in this part of the State will be referred to the commanding general and not to General Boyle. The action of General Boyle has been so capricious as to forfeit the confidence of loyal men here. Very truly, yours, W. C. GOODLOE. [First indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO, Respectfully referred to the commissary-general of prisoners with the request that he inform me whether the proposition of Judge Goodloe is admissible. It is very desirable that the home-guards of Kentucky who have been paroled by the rebels be released from such parole if possible. Some, probably all, the home-guards paroled have been so paroled as not to be subject to exchange. H. G. WRIGHT, Major-General, Commanding. [Second indorsement.] Article 4 of the cartel clearly prescribed the parole to be given by those captured and any other restrictions imposed are null and void. This is also the view of Mr. Ould. Errors in paroles are frequently committed by subordinate officers in both armies and the case of the Kentucky home-guards is an instance in point. The admission that these men are needed in the military service of Kentucky in addition to the fact of their being a military organization, although not mustered in, clearly requires their exchange under the cartel. I will invite the attention of Mr. Ould to the subject. Send paroles of lists recently sent. Declare the additional list of Indiana troops at Munfordville exchanged. [W. HOFFMAN.] WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, November 14, 1862. Governor MORTON, Indianapolis : Please report immediately, first, the regimental number of the Indiana paroled prisoners referred to in your telegram; second, the number and rank of officers and what number of men are ready for exchange; third, where they were taken prisoners and the date; fourth, where they now are. The agent of exchange is here and leaves this evening. Immediate answer required. EDWIN M. STANTON, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE Gulf, Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding. |