adopt and carry out this principle of action or not and furnish me with his answer through the board of commissioners who may meet to consummate an exchange of prisoners on the 3d instant. GID. J. PILLOW, Brigadier-General, C. S. Ármy. [Inclosure No. 2.] HEADQUARTERS, Bird's Point, Mo., September 2, 1861. Colonel HICKS, Fortieth Regiment Illinois Volunteers. COLONEL: You will proceed to-morrow morning at 8.30 o'clock with Major Nevins, Eleventh Regiment Illinois Volunteers, and Captain Noleman, Centralia cavalry, Captain Hotchkiss, acting assistant adjutant-general at this post, and an escort of thirty mounted men and the prisoners (a list of whom will be furnished you) to Charleston with a flag of truce. At Charleston you will meet a similar party from General Pillow's command and you will then effect an exchange of prisoners in accordance with the following instructions: When you are reasonably satisfied that a person presented by the other party for exchange is a soldier belonging to the U. S. Army you will exchange for each such soldier "if a private" one of the prisoners sent with you who is a private; if an officer then an officer "of equal rank" will be exchanged. You will exchange for and receive the three men belonging to Captain Burrell's cavalry, whose names are Mattison Putnam, John Clark and Jonathan Doulin, and I desire that the prisoner Frank A. Gaydon be exchanged for one of these. Irregular Union men mustered as home guards who may have been taken by the enemy in arms may be received in exchange for Missourians not mustered into the service of the Confederate States who have been taken in arms by the U. S. forces. You will be particularly careful to do nothing which will create just cause for the charge of violating a flag of truce, and on the other hand you will enter into no negotiations on any subject beyond the actual exchange of prisoners at this time and place. When the exchange is completed or as soon as it is apparent that it cannot be completed you will return with your party and the persons received in exchange and the unexchanged prisoners to this point and report to me. Very respectfully, &c., W. H. L. WALLACE, Colonel, Commanding at Bird's Point. [Inclosure No. 3.] HEADQUARTERS, Bird's Point, Mo., September 2, 1861. Gen. GIDEON J. PILLOW, New Madrid. GENERAL: Your communication dated 31st ultimo is just received by the hand of Lieutenant Tufts. I have designated the following-named officers who with an escort of thirty mounted men will meet a similar party from your command at Charleston to effect the exchange of prisoners agreed upon, viz: Colone' Hicks, Fortieth Regiment Illinois Volunteers; Major Nevins, Ele, enth Regiment Illinois Volunteers; Captain Noleman, Centralia cavalry; associated with these is Capt. C. T. Hotchkiss, acting assistant adjutant-general on my staff. Your proposition to procure the exchange of other prisoners for prisoners at Richmond is respectfully declined, the sole object in entering into this negotiation being to procure the release of men belonging to my command who are held as prisoners by you. Your proposition that each party shall release all citizens who may have been captured on account of their sentiments or opinions merely meets the approbation of my judgment, but as I hold no prisoners of that class it is unnecessary to discuss the proposition and I can only hope that as the suggestion comes from you, you will in the interest of humanity and the "principles of toleration of opinion" act upon the suggestion. Respectfully, &c., W. H. L. WALLACE, Colonel, Commanding U. S. Forces at Bird's Point. [Inclosure No. 4.] CHARLESTON, Mo., September 3, 1861. The undersigned, a board of officers appointed by Colonel Wallace, of the U. S. Army, and Brigadier-General Pillow, of the Confederate Army, to meet at this place on this day for the purpose of effecting an exchange of prisoners met in pursuance of the agreement between their respective commanders. After having read and exchanged instructions they agreed to exchange Jonathan Doulin, private in Captain Burrell's company of cavalry, U. S. forces, for Frank A. Gaydon, private in Captain Montgomery's company of cavalry (Bolivar Troop), Confederate forces. They further agreed to exchange Mattison Putnam and John Clark, privates in Captain Burrell's company, for any two privates of Missouri State Guard, commanded by General Thompson, who were held as prisoners by Colonel Wallace, the two to be selected by lot. Lot being cast, Samuel Warren and John P. Kline were selected to be exchanged for Privates Putnam and Clark. Upon this basis the exchange was then made. There being no further business the board then adjourned. S. G. HICKS, Colonel Fortieth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry. JOHN H. MILLER, Captain, Tennessee Mounted Rifles, C. S. Army. Colonel of Infantry and Aide to General Pillow. Captain, Eleventh Regiment, and Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen. HEADQUARTERS, Maj. Gus. A. HENRY, JR., Columbus, Ky., September 6, 1861. SIR: In obedience to Special Orders, No. 107, I submit the following report of the proceedings of the board of officers appointed by Brigadier-General Pillow, C. S. Army, and Colonel Wallace, U. S. Army, to superintend an exchange of prisoners: In pursuance of the special order Colonel Bowen, First Regiment Missouri Volunteers; Major Miller, Mississippi cavalry; Captain White, Tennessee Rifles, and myself left New Madrid, Mo., under a flag of truce on the 2d with the prisoners and a mounted escort of thirty armed men commanded by Captain McDonald, of Memphis Independent [Light] Dragoons, the whole under command of Colonel Bowen. From New Madrid we proceeded to General Thompson's encampment for the purpose of procuring such prisoners as he had. He, believing that the enemy would not exchange for those prisoners of his known as the Home Guard although captured in arms declined sending them. We arrived at Charleston the place agreed upon for the exchange about noon on the 3d. We found the officers, escort and prisoners of the U. S. forces had just arrived from Bird's Point. After an organization of the board Colonel Bowen called the attention of the U. S. officers to the relative position of the Missouri State Guard acting as allies of the Confederate forces, and the Missouri Home Guard acting as allies of the forces of the United States; that although the former were not mustered into the service of the Confederate States, yet as they were acting as the allies of the Confederate States Government they should be exchanged as regular prisoners of war. To this the U. S. officers under instructions from Colonel Wallace assented; but as we did not have with us any of the Home Guard prisoners captured by General Thompson we could not exchange them for prisoners of the Missouri State Guard. The accompanying paper, marked Exhibit A,* will show the action of the board. I also submit herewith the instructions of Colonel Wallace.* We had three prisoners who had regularly been mustered into U. S. service before they were captured by our forces. They had but one prisoner (Gaydon, of Mississippi cavalry) that had been mustered into the Confederate service; but our officers proposed to exchange two of our prisoners which they held belonging to our allies the Missouri State Guard. This proposition was agreed to and the election by lot, spoken of in Exhibit A, was consummated by Captain Hotchkiss, U. S. Army, and myself. It affords me pleasure to say that proceedings of the board and the intercourse of the officers were of the most courteous character. In accordance with the instructions of General Pillow the officers appointed by him were entirely unarmed. Not so with the Federal officers. Nothing, however, occurred to mar the harmony of the proceedings. I cannot conclude this report without expressing the gratification of the officers at the courteous and soldierly manner in which Captain McDonald and the escort under his command deported themselves. Respectfully, JNO. C. BURCH, Colonel and Aide-de-Camp. * Omitted here. See report of Wallace to Frémont, September 4, p. 506, for these papers. Negotiations for Exchange of Prisoners between Generals Grant and Polk and their Subordinates. UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, Lieut. Col. E. P. WOOD, Commanding Fort Holt, Ky.: * * * * * Take two leading secessionists from the neighborhood of Elliott's Mills prisoners to be held as hostages for the safety of William Mercer, a Union man and Kentuckian, taken by the invaders of his State and carried to Columbus or elsewhere as a prisoner. By order of Brigadier-General Grant: JNO. A. RAWLINS, Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, WESTERN DEPARTMENT, COMMANDING OFFICER, Cairo and Bird's Point: I have in my camp a number of prisoners of the Federal Army and am informed there are prisoners belonging to the Missouri State Troops in yours. I propose an exchange of these prisoners and for that purpose send Captain Polk, of the artillery, and Lieutenant Smith, of the infantry, both of the C. S. Army, with a flag of truce to deliver to you this communication and to know your pleasure in regard to my proposal. The principles recognized in the exchange of prisoners effected on the 3d of September between Brigadier-General Pillow, of the Confederate army, and Colonel Wallace, of the U. S. Army, are those I propose as the basis of that now contemplated. Respectfully, your obedient servant, L. POLK, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, Major-General POLK, Columbus, Ky. Cairo, October 14, 1861. GENERAL: Yours of this date is just received. In regard to the exchange of prisoners proposed I can of my own accord make none. I recognize no Southern Confederacy myself but will communicate with higher authority for their views. Should I not be sustained I will find means of communicating with you. Respectfully, your obedient servant, Capt. CHAUNCEY MCKEEVER, U. S. GRANT, Brigadier-General, Commanding. BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Saint Louis, Mo. SIR: I am instructed by Brigadier-General McClernand, commanding at this post, to inclose, first, copy of his communication to the officer commanding the hostile forces at Columbus, Ky., accompanied by return of three prisoners therein named; second, copy of reply of Major-General Polk, accompanied by sixteen prisoners; third, list of the prisoners thus received; fourth, copy of instructions given Col. N. B. Buford, Twenty-seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteers, adding that the proceedings passed off without accident and as appears with good effects. Yours, &c., [Inclosure No. 1.] M. BRAYMAN, Assistant Adjutant-General. BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS, COMMANDING OFFICER, Columbus, Ky. SIR: The chances of the present unhappy war having left in my hands a number of prisoners who have been detained at this post for some time past I have for special reasons as well as in obedience to the dictates of humanity determined unconditionally to release them. The prisoners alluded to are A. A. Woodward, Lewis Young and Frederick Penny, all taken by a party of U. S. troops in the affair at Charleston, Mo., on the 20th of August last. Col. N. B. Buford, of the Twenty-seventh Regiment of Illinois Volunteers, is charged by me with the delivery of said prisoners to such persons as you may authorize to receive them and for that purpose visits your camp under the protection of a white flag. You will please receive him in the special character with which he is clothed and after the completion of his mission give him safe conduct from your post. I have the honor to be, yours, &c., Col. N. B. BUFORD, JOHN A. McCLERNAND, [Inclosure No. 2.] BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS, Commanding Twenty-seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteers. SIR: You are hereby intrusted with a delicate and in a political aspect a highly responsible mission. A. A. Woodward, Lewis Young and Frederick Penny were captured in the affair at Charleston, Mo., on the 20th of last August, and have been since detained at this post as prisoners of war. You will take them in charge on a Government steamer and under the protection of a flag of truce proceed to the camp of the enemy at Columbus, Ky., and there making known your mission to the commanding officer will deliver them to such person as he may authorize to receive them. When you have fulfilled your mission you will ask of the commandant of the camp safe conduct therefrom and immediately return to this post. In your conversation with the commandant or with his representatives you will avoid all discussion upon the rights of belligerents and place my action herein simply upon the ground of humanity and a desire to relieve the unhappy war now waged between kindred of peculiar and aggravating difficulties. Beyond this limit I do not deem it advisable for you to go. Yours, &c., JOHN A. McCLERNAND, |