PRISONERS. 



583 



BBIGADB HBAD-QITAHTEES, CAMP CAIRO, ) 

 Oct. 23, 1861. J 



Colonel X. B. Buford, Commanding Twenty-Seventh 

 Illinois Volunteers: 



SIR : You are hereby intrusted with a delicate, and, 

 in a political aspect, a highly responsible mission. 



A. A. Woodward, Lewi's Young, and Frederick 

 Penny were captured in the affair at Charleston, Mo., 

 on the lii.'th of last August, and have since been de- 

 tained 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 Columbus, 

 in Kentucky, and there making known your mission 

 to the commanding officer, will deliver them to such 

 persons as he may authorize to receive them. 



When you have fulfilled your mission, you will ask 

 of the commander 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 on the ground of humanity, and a desire to re- 

 lieve 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. McCLERXAXD, 

 Brigadier-General Commanding. 



BRIGADE HEAD-QUARTERS, CAMP CAIKO, J 

 Oct. 23, 1861. f 



To the Commanding Officer at Columbus, Ky. : 



SIR : The chances ot the present unhappy war hav- 

 ing 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 dic- 

 tates of humanity, determined, unconditionally, to re- 

 lease them. 



The prisoners alluded to are A. A. Woodward, Lewis 

 Young, and Edward A. Penny all taken by a party 

 of United States 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 for the de- 

 livery of said prisoners, to such person as you may 

 authorize to receive them, and for that purpose visits 

 your camp under the protection of a white flag. You 

 wfll please receive him in the specific character with 

 which he is clothed and, after the completion of his 

 mission, give him safe conduct from your camp. 

 I have the honor to be vours, &c., 



JOHN A. McCLERXAXD, 

 Brigadier-General Commanding. 



CAJCP McCLEBNAXD, CAiuo, Oct. 23, 1861. 

 Brigadier-General J. A. McClerna, 



SIR : I had the honor this day to convey your de- 

 spatch with a flag of truce on board the steam-tug 

 Sampson, to Major-General Polk, commanding at Co- 

 lumbus, Kentucky. I was received by the General 

 with true military courtesy, and delivered to him, 

 with your despatch, three prisoners who had been 

 captured by our forces at Charleston, Mo. He desired 

 to discuss with me the question of an exchange of 

 prisoners, but upon my exhibiting to him my orders 

 from you, and informing him that I should confine my- 

 self strictly to them, that sentiments of humanity alone 

 had prompted your action, he ceased to press the dis- 

 cussion, but went on to inform me that he held sixteen 

 of your troops as prisoners of war, and that he would 

 immediately liberate them unconditionally. 



The General received my suite, Captain Dresser, of 

 the Artillery ; Lieutenant Sheldon, of the Twenty- 

 seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteers ; Surgeons Sim- 

 mons and Brenton, of the U. S. Army ; and W. Chap- 

 man, my Secretary, with cordiality ; and we were in- 

 troduced to General Pillow, Captains Black and Polk 

 of his staff, and many other officers. He remained on 

 the steamer Charm, with our tug alongside, for four 

 hours, while the prisoners were being got ready to be 



delivered to me, during which time the most friendly 

 conversation was enjoyed. 



My party were hospitably entertained. I ventured 

 to propose the sentiment, " Washington and his prin- 

 ciples, which was repeated with hearty approbation. 

 .Generals Polk and Pillow expressed a high appre- 

 ciation of your character, and commended vou for 

 sending the tug on an errand of humanity. Tliey de- 

 plore this unnatural war, but maintained that they 

 should be separated irrevocably from the North. They 

 professed to believe many things which I thought er- 

 roneous, which I combated with arguments ana state- 

 ments of facts. The conference ended withput an un- 

 friendly word or occurrence. 



I left Cairo at twenty minutes past twelve, reached 

 Columbus at two p. si., parted company with General 

 Polk on the steamboat Charm at six p. M., and arrived 

 at Cairo at eight o'clock p. M., happy in having been 

 intrusted with a mission which has led to the libera- 

 tion of nineteen captives. 



Your obedient servant, 



X. B. BUFORD, 

 Col. Twenty -seventh Reg't Illinois Volunteers. 



P. S. I herewith append a list of the prisoners lib- 

 erated by General Polk. 



HEAD-QUARTERS FIRST DIVISION. "WESTERN DE- * 

 PARTMEXT, COLUMBUS, KY., Oct. 23, 1S61. t 



Brig. -Gen. J. A. McClernand, Commanding, Cairo : 



SIR : I have received your note of this date, borne 

 by Colonel X. B. Buford, of the Twenty-seventh Illi- 

 nois Regiment, responding to the overture made by me 

 to General Grant some days since, on the subject of an 

 exchange of prisoners ; and although your mode of ac- 

 complishing it waives the recognition of our claims as 

 belligerents, I am not disposed to insist on an unim- 

 portant technicality when the interests of humanity 

 are at stake. 



I accept the release of the three prisoners tendered 

 me, being, as your note implies, all of those of the 

 Confederate Army in your possession. 



In return, I have pleasure in offering you the sixteen 

 of those of the Federal Army in my possession. 



Hoping that, in the prosecution of the unhappy 

 conflict in which we are engaged, we shall never lose 

 sight of the claims of generosity on those who direct 

 the operations of the armies of our respective Govern- 

 ments, 



I have the honor to be, respectfullv, yours, 



LEOXIDAS POLK. 

 Major-General Commanding. 



BRIGADE HEAD-QUABTEBS, CAMP CAIRO, 1 

 Oct. 24, 1361. f 



Capt. Chauncey McKeever, Assistant Adjutant- General, 



St. Louis, Mo. : 



SIR : I am instructed by Brigadier-General McCler- 

 nand, commanding at this post, to enclose 



1. Copy of his communication to the officer com- 

 manding the hostile forces at Columbus, Ky., accom- 

 panied by return of the persons therein named. 



2. Copy of reply of Major-General Polk, accompa- 

 nied by sixteen persons. 



3. List of the persons thus received. 



4. Copy of instructions given Colonel X. B. Buford, 

 Twenty-seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteers. 



Adding that the proceedings passed off without acci- 

 dent, and, as appears, with good effect. 



Yours, ic., M. BRAYMAX, 



Assistant Adjutant-General. 



On the 8th of November, the correspondence 

 was renewed between Gens. Grant and Polk. 

 General Grant sent to request leave to care for 

 his wounded left on the field by Major "Web- 

 ster, of the engineers. General Polk replied : 



In your note, you say nothing of an exchange of 

 prisoners, though you send me a private message as 

 to your willinrnes's to release certain wounded men 

 and some invalids, taken from our list of sick in camp, 



