rate of from ten to fifteen a day. Can this be so? I advise you of it that if you find it true you may direct the means of arresting it. If suffered it will be a libel on our good name. I do not know if the matter falls within your province, but if not, I am sure you will let those who should attend to it know what is said. Let me hear from you as soon as you can conveniently. Yours, truly, [Indorsement.] REVERDY JOHNSON. SURGEON-GENERAL'S OFFICE, July 6, 1863. A true copy respectfully forwarded for the information of Col. W. Hoffman, Commissary-General of Prisoners. Medical Inspector Cuyler has been instructed to inspect Fort Delaware and report fully the truth of these statements. By order of the Surgeon-General: JOS. R. SMITH, FORT MONROE, July 4, 1863. Col. WILLIAM HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners: COLONEL: I herewith inclose to you a copy of letter just received which I desire shall be submitted to the General-in-Chief.* Please send me if possible by return mail his decision whether the proposition of Mr. Ould shall be accepted. That proposition is thus stated: As Doctor Rucker has asked to have his trial postponed, let his case remain as it is and let us unconditionally release all other surgeons on both sides. As Doctor Rucker's trial has been postponed at his own request and it is by no means certain when he will have it, the equities of the case seem rather to favor the discharge of Dr. Green held as his hostage. There are now confined in Fort Norfolk six surgeons and in Richmond eleven surgeons awaiting a decision of this question. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. H. LUDLOW, Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange. [First indorsement.] JULY 6, 1863. • Respectfully referred to the General-in-Chief. [Second indorsement.] W. HOFFMAN. Were not the offenses alleged against Dr. Rucker committed in West Virginia, and therefore in territory in the military occupation of the United States? Colonel Hoffman will report what these alleged offenses are and where committed. Maj. Gen. N. P. BANKS, H. W. HALLECK. BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS, July 4, 1863. Commanding Department of the Gulf: GENERAL: I have been informed that you have refused to recognize paroles given prisoners captured from your command. I wish to know See June 23, p. 35. Another copy of the letter is dated July 1. 6 R R-SERIES II, VOL VI if such is the case, so that I may know in future how to act when I capture prisoners. I have also learned upon authority worthy of notice that you have threatened to have Capt. James R. Chambers, General Beall's staff, who was a prisoner in your hands and made his escape, shot if recaptured. Is this to be your policy in regard to prisoners who make their escape? It is certainly not in accordance with military usage or civilized warfare. I am loth to believe that you have inaugurated such policy, yet the information comes so direct and from such authority that I am, in justice to Captain Chambers and others, compelled to make this com. munication. I am, general, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, VII. Capt. T. P. Turner, commanding C. S. prison, is hereby directed to select by lot from among the Federal captains now in his custody two of that number for execution. JOHN H. WINDER, Brigadier-General. LIBBY PRISON, July 4, 1863. Brigadier-General WINDER, C. S. Army: GENERAL: Since I saw you I have received your communication of the 11th ultimo, in which you inform me that, notwithstanding the articles of capitulation between General Forrest and myself which guaranteed the protection of private property, my money would be seized and turned over to your Government. It is not my intention at this time to call in question the justice or injustice of your decision. I only desire to call your attention again to the fact that $850 taken from me here was money which I purchased of General Forrest while a prisoner of war, which purchase was made with money which General Forrest's quartermaster had paid to my surgeons for horses. I paid $20 per hundred to the surgeons for the money. Thus you will see that of the $850 only $170 of the amount was in my possession at the time of my capture. Certainly there can be no claim of a right to take from a prisoner of war the profits (be they great or small) of a legitimate business transaction with his captor. I should have written you before, but as you agreed when I saw you to write General Forrest in relation to the matter, I have delayed until now, hoping you would have the necessary evidence in the case to enable you to decide understandingly. In order to avoid the necessity of troubling you again, I wish, in case you decide to retain all my money, you would state what amount, if any, of said funds you will allow me for expenses while a prisoner, as I am now much in need of money and wish to make arrangements to replenish my purse from other sources in case you will not refund the necessary amount. Very respectfully, A. D. STREIGHT, Hon. E. M. STANTON: FORT MONROE, July 5, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to report that I delivered to the rebels at City Point Saturday p. m. and this a. m. 322 women and children; that I have here with me 191 women and children, of whom 101 are foreigners, mostly English and German. Shall I require the adult foreigners to make oath that they will give no aid or comfort to the rebels? All citizens, of course, are required to take an oath of allegiance. No accident has occurred, and thus far all is right and the news from Pennsylvania joyous. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. E. M. STANTON: Judge-Advocate. FORT MONROE, VA., July 5, 1863. Your order of last evening has been executed, and the Confederate steamer is at anchor eight miles above Newport News. WM. H. LUDLOW, FORT MONROE, VA., July 5, 1863. Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War: The Confederate tug Torpedo left her anchorage at 1.30 p. m. this afternoon and proceeded up the James River. Three flag-of-truce boats with 1,800 Confederate prisoners of war went to City Point this morning with rigid orders to have no communication on their way up with any vessel except our guard-ship and to answer no hail. Colonel ANDREWS, WM. H. LUDLOW, WASHINGTON, D. C., July 6, 1863. Commanding Fort Preble, Portland, Me.: You will please detain in your custody the rebel prisoners until further orders, for the purpose of affording an opportunity to identify some of them. EDWIN M. STANTON, WASHINGTON, D. C., July 6, 1863. Major TURNER, Fortress Monroe: I am surprised and chagrined that you received any foreign women. You had no authority or instructions to justify it; but having received them you cannot impose the oath of allegiance. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. C. S. STEAMER TORPEDO, Off Newport News, Va., July 6, 1863. Acting Rear-Admiral S. P. LEE, U. S. Flag-ship Minnesota: SIR: Will Admiral Lee inform me, if he can, how long it will probably be before an answer will be made to my note of the 4th instant? Will he please also forward the accompanying letter* from Hou. Mr. Ould, Confederate agent of exchange, to Lieut. Col. William H. Ludlow, U. S. agent of exchange? Most respectfully, ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 6, 1863. The request of Alexander H. Stephens is inadmissible. The customary agents and channels are adequate for all needful military communication and conference between the U. S. forces and the insurgents. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. Acting Rear-Admiral S. P. LEE, Hampton Roads: Above you have the reply of this Department to the request of A. H. Stephens. Your course in not permitting the Torpedo to pass is approved. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. U. S. FLAG-SHIP MINNESOTA, Hon. ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS: SIR: The request contained in your communication of the 4th instant is considered inadmissible. The customary agents and channels are adequate for all needful military communications and conference between the U. S. forces and the insurgents. Very respectfully, yours, S. P. LEE, Actg. Rear-Admiral, Comdg. North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, Hon. ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS: Fort Monroe, July 6, 1863. SIR: In the temporary absence of Maj. Gen. John A. Dix, commanding this department, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 4th instant, addressed to the officer commanding U. S. forces, Fort Monroe, and in the execution of instructions from the Secretary of War to inform you that the request therein contained is deemed inadmissible. The customary agents and channels are considered adequate for all needful military communications and conferences. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. H. LUDLOW, Lieut. Col. and Asst. Insp. Gen., Seventh Army Corps, Agent for Exchange of Prisoners. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 6, 1863. Col. W. H. LUDLOW, Fort Monroe, Va. : I inclose herewith a copy of General Orders, No. 207, current series, which you will communicate to Mr. Ould, Confederate agent for exchange of prisoners.* You will also notify Mr. Ould that it is understood that officers of the United States and Coufederate officers have at various times and places paroled and released prisoners of war not in conformity with the cartel, and that the Government of the United States will not recognize and will not expect the Confederate authorities to recognize such unauthorized paroles. Prisoners released on parole not authorized by the cartel after your notice of May 22 will not be regarded as prisoners of war and will not be exchanged. Where officers of either belligerent have released prisoners of war without the delivery specified in the cartel, either for convenience because they could not guard them, or for any other reasons, since the 22d of May, such release will be regarded as unconditional and the party released as subject to the orders of his Government without exchange the same as if he had never been captured. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. W. HALLECK, Col. WILLIAM HOFFMAN: FORT MONROE, July 6, 1863. Mr. Ould informs me that the charges against Doctor Rucker were horse stealing, murder, and acting as a guide for bodies of armed men. I have had no official copy of charges. Please inform me of the decision in his case. Please answer my inquiry about delivery of Confederate prisoners of war at Baltimore. WM. H. LUDLOW, HEADQUARTERS, Baltimore, Md., July 6, 1863. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief: Will it be against any adopted policy of treatment for me to employ some of these rebel prisoners in work on the fortifications here instead of the negroes? So far as their learning the character of our works no military objection exists now on that score. R. C. SCHENCK, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 6, 1863. Major-General SCHENCK, Baltimore, Md.: I know of no instance in which the enemy has compelled prisoners of war to work on fortifications. General Kelley's command has received their orders from these headquarters. Telegraph the entire force left at Baltimore and vicinity, including railroad guards. H. W. HALLECK, * See p. 78. |