UNION AND CONFEDERATE CORRESPONDENCE,
ORDERS, ETC., RELATING TO PRISONERS OF WAR AND STATE FROM JANUARY 1,
1865, TO THE END.--#15
<ar121_368>
WAR DEPARTMENT,
March 8, 1865.
Col. R. OULD, Commissioner of Exchange:
What is the exact posture of the agreement with General
Grant in regard to release of political and citizen prisoners? He says
in a letter to General R. E. Lee that his views on that subject are
expressed in a letter of 16th of February, but General Lee is not
certain whether that letter was addressed to him or to you.
Respectfully,
JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE, Secretary of War.
[Indorsement.]
MARCH 8,1865.
Respectfully returned to Honorable Secretary of War.
General Grant has written no letter to me on the subject of citizen or
political prisoners. I have received a verbal assurance from Colonel
Mulford that if we would release all citizen prisoners, at least an
equal number of citizen prisoners would be released in return, but that
he had tried in vain to persuade the Federal authorities to make any
general agreement, either as to all of those now in confinement or those
who might be hereafter captured. Judge Campbell informs me that General
R. E. Lee forwarded to the War Department some time since a letter from
General Grant, complaining of the detention of certain civilians
captured at New Creek, W. Va., and proposing the release and exchange of
all citizen prisoners held by military authority except those charged as
spies or for offenses against the laws of war. Upon that letter Judge
Campbell indorsed that--
Instructions were given some days ago to the
commissioner of exchange to liberate all the citizen prisoners held by
the Confederate States as soon as the exchange of the military prisoners
to be delivered near Richmond was completed. The commissioner will be
instructed to make an agreement for that purpose with the commissioner
of the United States and to proceed with the delivery as soon as
practicable. This answer will render a reply to Lieutenant-General
Grant's special inquiry concerning the prisoners captured by General
Rosser unnecessary.
Accordingly I directed the citizen prisoners at Salisbury and
other places to be brought here for delivery and authorized Captain
Hatch to deliver some at Wilmington, which has been done. I have
directed the listing of all prisoners at Castle Thunder, so as to sift
out such as are really prisoners of war. The list is completed today and
the prisoners of war ordered to the Libby. There are not more than forty
civilian prisoners (all told) within our custody. I will carry out Judge
Campbell's instructions and deliver them all this week (perhaps
to-morrow), unless I receive instructions to the contrary.
