SERIES II.-VOLUME III. CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, ETC., RELATING TO PRISONERS OF WAR AND STATE FROM FEBRUARY 19, 1861, TO JUNE 12, 1862. UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. [FEBRUARY 19, 1861.-For correspondence, &c., relating to “The Texas Surrender," see Vol. I, this Series, p. 1 et seq.] [MAY 11, 1861.-For capture, parole and final disposition of the Camp Jackson (Mo.) prisoners, see Vol. I, this Series, pp. 105-123.] HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE WEST, Col. JOHN S. BOWEN, Missouri Volunteer Militia, Saint Louis, Mo. SIR: In reply to your letter* of the 17th instant to Brigadier-General Harney, commanding Department of the West, I am instructed to say that prisoners of war on parole are not restricted to any particular locality unless a condition to that effect is specifically set forth in the obligation they assume on giving their parole. No such condition was imposed upon the officers of General Frost's command who gave their parole at Saint Louis Arsenal, May 11, 1861. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General. [JUNE 5, 1861-APRIL 9, 1862.-For various letters, orders, reports, &c., relating to special exchanges not found herein, or specifically cited, see Vol. I, this Series, pp. 61-184, inclusive.] U. S. S. MINNESOTA, Off Charleston Harbor, June 6, 1861. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. SIR: * * * June 5, about 10 o'clock a. m., our masthead lookout made a sail which proved to be the U. S. brig Perry, Lieutenant Commanding Parrott, with a prize in company, it being a piratical schooner of about 50 tons called the Savannah hailing from Charleston, with a commission from Jefferson Davis, dated Montgomery, May 18, 1861, commanded by T. Harrison Baker, and a crew of nineteen men. *Not found. 1 R R-SERIES II, VOL III (1) She had placed some of her crew on board a prize, the brig Joseph, of Rockland, Me., from Cardenas with sugar, which she had captured on the 3d instant and ordered to Beaufort, S. C. The captain of the Joseph retained on board the schooner now goes to New York in company with the prize master. I herewith inclose a copy of Lieutenant Commanding Parrott's report. I shall order the schooner to New York in charge of Prize Master R. S. McCook, midshipman. I beg leave most respectfully to remind the Department that I am very much in want of vessels. The prisoners of the schooner Savannah, captain, lieutenant, sailingmaster and purser and ten men-six having been sent away in their prize, the Joseph-are on board the Minnesota and will be sent on the first opportunity to a Northern port. The Perry has proceeded to her station off Fernandina. S. H. STRINGHAM, [Inclosure.] U. S. BRIG PERRY, At Sea, June 5, 1861. Flag-Officer SILAS H. STRINGHAM, U. S. S. Minnesota. SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 3d instant the privateer schooner Savannah, of Charleston, S. C., Capt. T. H. Baker, commissioned by Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, was captured by this vessel about 60 miles east of Charleston, S. C. The following are the particulars of the capture: She was discovered apparently following a brig, and considering her movements suspicious we gave her chase and getting nearer discovered that she carried a pivot gun. We showed our colors, which some time after she answered by hoisting a flag for a moment and hauling it down again, too soon for us to make it out. We afterwards fired a gun ahead of her but she showed no colors. At 7.50 p. m. it being quite dark and the brig which had been seen near the schooner out of sight we were within range and opened fire on the schooner which she returned, several of her shots passing over us. At 8.10 she ceased firing and we lost sight of her for a moment; it proved that she had lowered her sails to show her submission. Wore round and passed near her without firing asking if she surrendered, but could not understand her answer. Wore again and on passing her were answered that she had surrendered. A prize crew was sent on board with orders to follow us and her crew were transferred to this vessel. She had left Charleston on the 2d instant on her first cruise. We found on board of her the master of the brig Joseph, of Rockland, Me., which was the vessel seen near her and which she had captured on the morning of the 3d instant. As the smoke from the guns added to the difficulty of keeping the vessel in view we fired slowly and expended but a few shot upon her. Two of our shots passed through her sails and one between them and the hull. The officers and crew seconded with great zeal my efforts to prevent the escape of the privateer. She awaits your orders. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. G. PARROTT, Lieutenant, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, &C., June 11, 1861. TO THE OFFICER COMMANDING THE FORCES AT COUNTY BRIDGE. SIR: Captain Davies and Lieutenant Potter, of the Fifth Regiment New York Volunteers, are about to proceed to the scene of the late engagement near County Bridge for the purpose of bringing away any dead or wounded that may have been left behind. I trust the courtesies of civilized warfare will be extended to these gentlemen as I have no doubt they will be. I have some prisoners taken with arms in their hands whom you might desire or be willing to exchange for any persons that may have been so unfortunate as to have fallen into your hands. If you deem such a course desirable a flag of truce with a proper cartel might be arranged through the bearer of this note, Captain Davies. I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant, DIVISION HEADQUARTERS, Yorktown, Va., June 12, 1861. Maj. Gen. B. F. BUTLER, Commanding, Fort Monroe. SIR: Our people had orders to bring any communications intended for the commander of the forces at County Bridge or Bethel to this place and by a particular route, hence the delay. I understand from Captain Davies, the bearer of the flag, that you have four prisoners, to wit, one trooper and three citizens-Messrs. Carter, Whiting, Sively and Merriam (the latter being citizens of Virginia)-in your possession, and you state that you are desirous to exchange them for a corresponding number of Federal troops who are prisoners with me. I accept your offer as to the trooper who was a vedette, and will send to-morrow at 4 o'clock in the afternoon if it suit your convenience a Federal soldier in exchange for him. With respect to the wounded, my first care was to have them attended to. Medical advice and careful nursing have been provided and your dead I had buried on the field of battle, and this was done in sight of the conflagrations which were devastating the homes of our citizens. The citizens in your possession are men who doubtless defended their homes against a foe who to their certain knowledge had with or without the authority of the Federal Government destroyed the private property of their neighbors, breaking up even the pianos of the ladies and committing depredations numberless and of every description. The Federal prisoner if it be agreeable to you will be sent to or near Hampton by a sergeant, who will receive the vedette, Carter, who was captured by your troops before the battle commenced. You have but one prisoner of mine and he was not taken in battle. I do not think a more formal proceeding is necessary. If my proposition to deliver one Federal prisoner at or near Hampton by a sergeant to be exchanged for Private Carter, the captured vedette, be accepted please inform me or the officer in command at Bethel Church and it shall be done. It is scarcely necessary to say that the gentlemen who bear your flag have been received with every courtesy by our citizens as well as by ourselves.* I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, * For Butler's answer to this letter see Series I, Vol. II, p. 681. STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, Headquarters, June 19, 1861. COMDG. OFFICER U. S. BLOCK'G FLEET OFF CHARLESTON HARBOR. SIR: I am instructed by the President of the Confederate States of America to make with regard to the crew of the Savannah now detained as prisoners on board one of the vessels blockading the port of Charles ton a proposition for an exchange of prisoners according to number and rank. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. R. GIST, Adjutant and Inspector General of South Carolina. U. S. STEAM FRIGATE WABASH, Off Charleston, S. C., June 19, 1861. S. R. GIST, Adjt. and Insp. Gen. State of South Carolina. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date. The prisoners to whom you refer are not on board of any of the vessels under my command. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, SAMUEL MERCER, Captain, U. S. Navy, Senior Officer in Command. OFFICE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF THE UNITED STATES, Hou. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. SIR: I respectfully inclose copies of advertisements of sale of the schooner Savannah and the ship Nightingale. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. DELAFIELD SMITH, To-day's Herald states that District Attorney Smith hastens the sale of these vessels, as Government wishes to become the purchaser. S. [Inclosure No. 1.] U. S. marshal's sale. By virtue of a writ of venditioni exponas to me directed and delivered I will sell at public auction on the 2d day of July, 1861, at 11 a. m., on board thereof the schooner Savannah, her tackle, apparel and lading. N. B.-The above vessel lies at Union Stores, Brooklyn. Dated 25th June, 1861. ROBT. MURRAY, E. DELAFIELD SMITH, U. S. District Attorney. U. S. Marshal. [Inclosure No. 2.] U. S. marshal's sale. By virtue of a writ of venditioni exponas to me directed and delivered I will sell at public auction on the 2d day of July, 1861, at 12 m., on board thereof the ship Nightingale, her tackle, apparel and the goods and effects found on board thereof. N. B.-The above vessel lies at Union Stores, Brooklyn. Dated 25th day of June, 1861. ROBT. MURRAY, E. DELAFIELD SMITH, U. S. District Attorney. U. S. Marshal. RICHMOND, July 6, 1861. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. SIR: Having learned that the schooner Savannah, a private armed vessel in the service and sailing under a commission issued by authority of the Confederate States of America, had been captured by one of the vessels forming the blockading squadron off Charleston Harbor I directed a proposition to be made to the officer commanding that squadron for an exchange of the officers and crew of the Savannah for prisoners of war held by this Government "according to number and rank." To this proposition made on the 19th ultimo Captain Mercer, the officer in command of the blockading squadron, made answer on the same day that "the prisoners (referred to) are not on board of any of the vessels under my command." It now appears by statements made without contradiction in newspapers published in New York that the prisoners above mentioned were conveyed to that city, and have there been treated not as prisoners of war but as criminals-that they have been put in irons, confined in jail, brought before the courts of justice on charges of piracy and treason, and it is even rumored that they have been actually convicted of the offenses charged-for no other reason than that they bore arms in defense of the rights of this Government and under the authority of its commission. I could not without grave discourtesy have made the newspaper statements above referred to the subject of this communication if the threat of treating as pirates the citizens of this Confederacy armed for its service on the high seas had not been contained in your proclamation* of April last. That proclamation, however, seems to afford a sufficient justification for considering these published statements as not devoid of probability. It is the desire of this Government so to conduct the war now existing as to mitigate its horrors as far as may be possible, and with this intent its treatment of the prisoners captured by its forces has been marked by the greatest humanity and leniency consistent with public obligation. Some have been permitted to return home on parole; others to remain at large under similar condition within this Confederacy, and all have been furnished with rations for their subsistence such as are allowed to our own troops. It is only since the news has been received *To appear in Series III. |