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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