PRISONERS, EXCHANGE OF. 



711 



In accordance with these views, a reply soon 

 came from Richmond, refusing to the commis- 

 sioners admission within the Confederate lines, 

 but expressing readiness to negotiate for a 

 general exchange of prisoners. Negotiations 

 were accordingly opened at Norfolk, which re- 

 sulted in an agreement for an equal exchange ; 

 and the Confederates, having about 300 

 prisoners in excess of those taken by the 

 national troops, proposed to release them also, 

 on parole, provided the United States Govern- 

 ment would agree to release 300 Confederates 

 who might thereafter fall into their hands. On 

 Feb. 1-i, the commissioners returned to Wash- 

 ington, and the arrangement entered into by 

 them having been approved hy the "War De- 

 partment, Gen. "Wool was directed to inform 

 the Confederate general Huger, commanding at 

 Norfolk, that he had full authority to settle the 

 terms of the proposed exchange. Gen. Ho well 

 Cobb was designated by the Confederate Gov- 

 ernment to confer with Gen. Wool, and a per- 

 manent plan was settled between them on the 

 basis previously established. By the terms of 

 this plan it was agreed that the prisoners of 

 war in the hands of each Government should 

 be exchanged, man for man, the officers being 

 assimilated as to rank, &e. ; that the privateers- 

 men captured by the United States forces dur- 

 ing the previous year, and who had been held 

 as having lost the rights of war, should be ex- 

 changed on the footing of ordinary prisoners 

 of war ; that any surplus remaining on either 

 side after these exchanges should be released ; 

 and that hereafter, during the continuance of 

 the war, prisoners taken on either side should 

 be paroled. The clause relating to the priva- 

 teersmen was considered an important conces- 

 sion on the part of the National Government, 

 public opinion in the North having demanded 

 that exemplary punishment should be inflicted 

 on this class of prisoners, for which reason they 

 had been for a number of months held in strict 

 confinement in the city prison at Washington. 

 As a retaliatory measure, the Confederates se- 

 lected a number of Union prisoners, including 

 Cols. Corcoran and Wilcox, and other high 

 officers, whom they declared hostages for the 

 safety of the privateersmen. 



The exchanges commenced in the latter part 

 of February, but had proceeded but a short 

 time when they were interrupted, on March 18, 

 by a message from President Davis to the Con- 

 federate Congress, recommending that all the 

 Confederate prisoners who had been paroled by 

 the United States Government be released from 

 the obligations of their parole, so as to bear 

 arms in the defence of the Confederate Govern- 

 ment. The reason assigned for this action was 

 an ''infamous and reckless breach of good 

 faith on the part of the Northern Government," 

 in neglecting to exchange the privateersmen, 

 and in sending the prisoners captured at Fort 

 Donelson into the interior, instead of releasing 

 them on parole. But, according to their own 

 confession, the Confederates took the first step 



toward the interruption of the exchange, by 

 questioning, without sufficient cause all 

 the integrity of the United States Government. 

 "At the time of sending North the hostages 

 we had retained for our privateersmen," said 

 a Richmond journal, commenting upon Presi- 

 dent Davis's message, " Gen. Cobb had reason to 

 suspect the good faith of the Northern Govern- 

 ment, and telegraphed in time to intercept the 

 release of a portion of these hostages (among 

 them Col. Corcoran), who were en route from 

 points further South than Richmond, to go 

 North under a flag of truce to Norfolk." 



The progress of events immediately previous 

 to and succeeding the agreement between Gens. 

 Wool and Cobb had materially changed the rel- 

 ative positions of the belligerents, and the 

 captures of Roanoke Island and Fort Donelson 

 left the North not merely an excess of prison- 

 ers, but an excess numbering many thousands. 

 The 3,000 prisoners captured at Roanoke Isl- 

 and, Feb. 8, were, nevertheless, released on 

 parole, in accordance with the agreement, and 

 the privateersmen were placed on the footing 

 of other prisoners, by being removed from 

 Washington to Fort Lafayette, in New York 

 harbor. The latter, indeed, were temporarily 

 withheld from exchange until information 

 should be received from the Confederate au- 

 thorities that Col. Corcoran and the other 

 officers retained as hostages were on their way 

 to Norfolk ; but in all other respects the terms 

 of the cartel were faithfully observed by the 

 United States Government, until after the cap- 

 ture of the Fort Donelson prisoners, and meas- 

 ures were taking to release these, when the 

 message of President Davis was delivered. 



As a consequence of the receipt of this com- 

 munication by the Confederate Congress, the 

 exchange of prisoners ceased at Craney Island, 

 the point at which the flags of truce from For- 

 tress Monroe and Norfolk were aceustoned to 

 meet; and the Confederates having faited, on 

 several succeeding days, to meet the United 

 States officers at this rendezvous. Secretary 

 Stanton issued an order, March 27, prohibiting 

 the release on parole of the Fort Donelson pris- 

 oners. Here the matter rested for several 

 weeks, the prisoners in the hands of the Fed- 

 eral authorities meanwhile reaching a formi- 

 dable number, very largely in excess of those 

 taken by the Confederates. 



In order, however, not to shut the door en- 

 tirely to negotiation on a subject of deep in- 

 terest to the inhabitants of both the Union and 

 the seceded States, Gen. Wool informed Gen. 

 Huger, on May 2, that the privateersmen were 

 held as "prisoners of war, and that he was em- 

 powered to effect their exchange. On the suc- 

 ceeding day, Gen. Huger replied as follows : 



HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT or NORFOLK, I 

 .FOLK, May 3, 1S62. j 



GENERAL : I have your letter of the id instant. On 

 faith of your statement that our privateersmen are pris- 

 oners of war, and will be exchanged, the officers here- 

 tofore held as hostages will be exchanged on the same 

 terms as any others. 



