andersonville-第15节

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which　party　may　have　the　surplus　of　prisoners；　the　great　principles
involved　being；　First；　An　equitable　exchange　of　prisoners；　man　for　man；
or　officer　for　officer；　or　officers　of　higher　grade　exchanged　for
officers　of　lower　grade；　or　for　privates；　according　to　scale　of
equivalents。　　Second；　That　privates　and　officers　and　men　of　different
services　may　be　exchanged　according　to　the　same　scale　of　equivalents。
Third；　That　all　prisoners；　of　whatever　arm　of　service；　are　to　be
exchanged　or　paroled　in　ten　days　from　the　time　of　their　capture；　if　it　be
practicable　to　transfer　them　to　their　own　lines　in　that　time；　if　not；　so
soon　thereafter　as　practicable。　　Fourth；　That　no　officer；　or　soldier；
employed　in　the　service　of　either　party；　is　to　be　considered　as　exchanged
and　absolved　from　his　parole　until　his　equivalent　has　actually　reached
the　lines　of　his　friends。　　Fifth；　That　parole　forbids　the　performance　of
field；　garrison；　police；　or　guard　or　constabulary　duty。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　A。　DIX；　Major　General。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D。　H。　HILL；　Major　General；　C。　S。　A。

SUPPLEMENTARY　ARTICLES。

ARTICLE　VII。All　prisoners　of　war　now　held　on　either　side；　and　all
prisoners　hereafter　taken；　shall　be　sent　with　all　reasonable　dispatch　to
A。　M。　Aiken's；　below　Dutch　Gap；　on　the　James　River；　in　Virginia；　or　to
Vicksburg；　on　the　Mississippi　River；　in　the　State　of　Mississippi；　and
there　exchanged　of　paroled　until　such　exchange　can　be　effected；　notice
being　previously　given　by　each　party　of　the　number　of　prisoners　it　will
send；　and　the　time　when　they　will　be　delivered　at　those　points
respectively；　and　in　case　the　vicissitudes　of　war　shall　change　the
military　relations　of　the　places　designated　in　this　article　to　the
contending　parties；　so　as　to　render　the　same　inconvenient　for　the
delivery　and　exchange　of　prisoners；　other　places　bearing　as　nearly　as　may
be　the　present　local　relations　of　said　places　to　the　lines　of　said
parties；　shall　be；　by　mutual　agreement；　substituted。　　But　nothing　in　this
article　contained　shall　prevent　the　commanders　of　the　two　opposing　armies
from　exchanging　prisoners　or　releasing　them　on　parole；　at　other　points
mutually　agreed　on　by　said　commanders。

ARTICLE　VIII。For　the　purpose　of　carrying　into　effect　the　foregoing
articles　of　agreement；　each　party　will　appoint　two　agents　for　the
exchange　of　prisoners　of　war；　whose　duty　it　shall　be　to　communicate　with
each　other　by　correspondence　and　otherwise；　to　prepare　the　lists　of
prisoners；　to　attend　to　the　delivery　of　the　prisoners　at　the　places
agreed　on；　and　to　carry　out　promptly；　effectually；　and　in　good　faith；
all　the　details　and　provisions　of　the　said　articles　of　agreement。

ARTICLE　IX。And；　in　case　any　misunderstanding　shall　arise　in　regard　to
any　clause　or　stipulation　in　the　foregoing　articles；　it　is　mutually
agreed　that　such　misunderstanding　shall　not　affect　the　release　of
prisoners　on　parole；　as　herein　provided；　but　shall　be　made　the　subject　of
friendly　explanation；　in　order　that　the　object　of　this　agreement　may
neither　be　defeated　nor　postponed。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　A。　DIX；　Major　General。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D。　H。　　HILL；　Major　General。　　C。　S。　A。


This　plan　did　not　work　well。　　Men　on　both　sides；　who　wanted　a　little　rest
from　soldiering；　could　obtain　it　by　so　straggling　in　the　vicinity　of　the
enemy。　　Their　parolefollowing　close　upon　their　capture；　frequently　upon
the　spotallowed　them　to　visit　home；　and　sojourn　awhile　where　were
pleasanter　pastures　than　at　the　front。　　Then　the　Rebels　grew　into　the
habit　of　paroling　everybody　that　they　could　constrain　into　being　a
prisoner　of　war。　　Peaceable；　unwarlike　and　decrepit　citizens　of　Kentucky；
East　Tennessee；　West　Virginia；　Missouri　and　Maryland　were　〃captured〃　and
paroled；　and　setoff　against　regular　Rebel　soldiers　taken　by　us。

3。　　After　some　months　of　trial　of　this　scheme；　a　modification　of　the
cartel　was　agreed　upon；　the　main　feature　of　which　was　that　all　prisoners
must　be　reduced　to　possession；　and　delivered　to　the　exchange　officers
either　at　City　Point；　Va。；　or　Vicksburg；　Miss。　　This　worked　very　well　for
some　months；　until　our　Government　began　organizing　negro　troops。　　The
Rebels　then　issued　an　order　that　neither　these　troops　nor　their　officers
should　be　held　as　amenable　to　the　laws　of　war；　but　that；　when　captured；
the　men　should　be　returned　to　slavery；　and　the　officers　turned　over　to
the　Governors　of　the　States　in　which　they　were　taken；　to　be　dealt　with
according　to　the　stringent　law　punishing　the　incitement　of　servile
insurrection。　　Our　Government　could　not　permit　this　for　a　day。　　It　was
bound　by　every　consideration　of　National　honor　to　protect　those　who　wore
its　uniform　and　bore　its　flag。　　The　Rebel　Government　was　promptly
informed　that　rebel　officers　and　men　would　be　held　as　hostages　for　the
proper　treatment　of　such　members　of　colored　regiments　as　might　be　taken。

4。　　This　discussion　did　not　put　a　stop　to　the　exchange；　but　while　it　was
going　on　Vicksburg　was　captured；　and　the　battle　of　Gettysburg　was　fought。
The　first　placed　one　of　the　exchange　points　in　our　hands。　　At　the　opening
of　the　fight　at　Gettysburg　Lee　captured　some　six　thousand　Pennsylvania
militia。　　He　sent　to　Meade　to　have　these　exchanged　on　the　field　of
battle。　　Meade　declined　to　do　so　for　two　reasons：　first；　because　it　was
against　the　cartel；　which　prescribed　that　prisoners　must　be　reduced　to
possession；　and　second；　because　he　was　anxious　to　have　Lee　hampered　with
such　a　body　of　prisoners；　since　it　was　very　doubtful　if　he　could　get　his
beaten　army　back　across　the　Potomac；　let　alone　his　prisoners。　　Lee　then
sent　a　communication　to　General　Couch；　commanding　the　Pennsylvania
militia；　asking　him　to　receive　prisoners　on　parole；　and　Couch；　not
knowing　what　Meade　had　done；　acceded　to　the　request。　　Our　Government
disavowed　Couch's　action　instantly；　and　ordered　the　paroles　to　be　treated
as　of　no　force；　whereupon　the　Rebel　Government　ordered　back　into　the
field　twelve　thousand　of　the　prisoners　captured　by　Grant's　army　at
Vicksburg。

5。　　The　paroling　now　stopped　abruptly；　leaving　in　the　hands　of　both　sides
the　prisoners　captured　at　Gettysburg；　except　the　militia　above　mentioned。
The　Rebels　added　considerably　to　those　in　their　hands　by　their　captures
at　Chickamauga；　while　we　gained　a　great　many　at　Mission　Ridge；　Cumberland
Gap　and　elsewhere；　so　that　at　the　time　we　arrived　in　Richmond　the　Rebels
had　about　fifteen　thousand　prisoners　in　their　hands　and　our　Government
had　about　twenty…five　thousand。

6。　　The　rebels　now　began　demanding　that　the　prisoners　on　both　sides　be
exchangedman　for　manas　far　as　they　went；　and　the　remainder　paroled。
Our　Government　offered　to　exchange　man　for　man；　but　declinedon　account
of　the　previous　bad　faith　of　the　Rebelsto　release　the　balance　on
parole。　　The　Rebels　also　refused　to　make　any　concessions　in　regard　to　the
treatment　of　officers　and　men　of　colored　regiments。

7。　　At　this　juncture　General　B。　F。　Butler　was　appointed　to　the　command　of
the　Department　of　the　Blackwater；　which　made　him　an　ex…officio
Commissioner　of　Exchange。　　The　Rebels　instantly　refused　to　treat　with
him；　on　the　ground　that　he　was　outlawed　by　the　proclamation　of　Jefferson
Davis。　　General　Butler　very　pertinently　replied　that　this　only　placed　him
nearer　their　level；　as　Jefferson　Davis　and　all　associated　with　him　in　the
Rebel　Government　had　been　outlawed　by　the　proclamation　of　President
Lincoln。　　The　Rebels　scorned　to　notice　this　home　thrust　by　the　Union
General。

8。　　On　February　12；　1864；　General　Butler　addressed　a　letter　to　the　Rebel
Commissioner　Ould；　in　which　be　asked；　for　the　sake　of　humanity；　that　the
questions　interrupting　the　exchange　be　left　temporarily　in　abeyance　while
an　informal　exchange　was　put　in　operation。　　He　would　send　five　hundred
prisoners　to　City　Point；　let　them　be　met　by　a　similar　number　of　Union
prisoners。　　This　could　go　on　from　day　to　day　until　all　in　each　other's
hands　should　be　transferred　to　their　respective　flags。

The　five　hundred　sent　with　the　General's　letter　were　received；　and　five
hundred　Union　prisoners　returned　for　them。　　Another　five　hundred；　sent
the　next　day；　were　refused；　and　so　this　reasonable　and　humane　proposition
ended　in　nothing。

This　was　the　condition　of　affairs　in　February；　1864；　when　the　Rebel
authorities　concluded　to　send　us　to　Andersonville。　　If　the　reader　will
fix　these　facts　in　his　minds　I　will　explain　other　phases　as　they　develop。




CHAPTER　XL

PUTTING　IN　THE　TIMERATIONSCOOKING　UTENSILS〃FIAT　SOUP〃SPOONING〃
AFRICAN　NEWSPAPER　VENDERSTRADING　GREENBACKS　FOR　CONFEDERATE　MONEY
VISIT　FROM　JOHN　MORGAN。

The　Winter　days　passed　on；　one　by　one；　after　the　manner　described　in　a
former　chapter；the　mornings　in　ill…nature　hunger；　the　afternoons　and
evenings　in　tolerable　comfort。　　The　rations　kept　growing　lighter　and
lighter；　the　quantity　of　bread　remained　the　same；　but　the　meat
diminished；　and　occasional　days　would　pass　without　any　being　issued。
Then　we　receive　a　pint　or　less　of　soup　made　from　the　beans　or　peas　before
mentioned；　but　this；　too；　suffered　continued　change；　in　the　gradually
increasing　proportion　of　James　River　water；　and　decreasing　of　that　of