Jno. E. Mulford to T. H. Holmes, February 13, 1865

Richmond, Va., February 13, 1865.

General T. H. HOLMES, Raleigh, N. C.: Furnish any guards that may be necessary to protect prisoners. Col. H. Forno has been directed to call upon you.

By order: J. A. CAMPBELL, Assistant Secretary of War.

WILMINGTON, February 13, 1865—5 p. m. Hon. J. A. CAMPBELL, Assistant Secretary of War, Richmond:

It will not do to make this a depot for prisoners. R. F. HOKE,

Major-General.

* See Hooker to the President, February 7, p. 191.

RICHMOND, February 13, 1865. (Via Greensborough, 14th.) General JOHNSON: Orders have been given for removal of prisoners at Columbia and Florence. Some prisoners may be sent to Salisbury. W. M. GARDNER, General, de.

COLUMBIA, S. C., February 15, 1865. Brig. Gen. W. M. GARDNER, Richmond, Va.:

Telegram received. General Beauregard advises to move prisoners to Southwest Georgia. Will not subsistence be difficult in North Carolina? Answer by telegraph.

H. FORNO, Colonel, Commanding.

; COLUMBIA, S. C., February 13, 1865. Lieutenant-General HOLMES, Raleigh, N. Ò.:

Am ordered by the War Department to move 7,000 prisoners from Florence to Raleigh. Can you furnish guard and subsistence? Am also to move 1,200 officers from here to Charlotte. Have guard enough to move them, but will need subsistence and guard at Charlotte. Answer by telegraph.

H. FORNO, Colonel, Commanding.

COLUMBIA, February 18, 1865. Capt. G. W. BooTH, Assistant Adjutant- General :

General Beauregard strongly disapproves sending prisoners to Wilmington, and urges their instant removal from Florence and Columbia to Southwest Georgia via Abbeville. Am preparing to act at once. Only await General Johnson’s orders. There is no time to be lost.

H. FORNO, Colonel, dec.

FLORENCE, February 13, 1865. Capt. G. W. BOOTH, Assistant Adjutant- General: Seven thousand prisoners—about 3,000 sick—very destitute of clothing. Rations very short; no meat at all. Ought to be removed to a safer point immediately, but cannot be done unless more troops are sent

me. Have scarcely two reliefs of reserves and about seventy-five veterans,

JOHN F. IVERSON, Lieutenant-Colonel, dee.

WASHINGTON, February 14, 1865. Lieutenant-General GRANT, Commanding: U. N. Armies: We have 600 rebel officers at Fort Pulaski, and there are as many of our officers held in the vicinity of Charleston. I respectfully suggest

CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.—UNION AND CONFEDERATE. 219

that the rebel officers be delivered on condition that as many of our officers be delivered to us at the same time. W. HOFFMAN, Commissary- General of Prisoners.

City Point, VA., February 14, 1865. General W. HoFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.:

Your dispatch in reference to exchange of prisoners of war now at Fort Pulaski is received. On the 5th instant I authorized Maj. Gen. J. G. Foster, commanding Department of the South, to effect the exchange of all prisoners of war within the limits of his command. 1 have not yet heard from him on the subject, but presume he will carry out my instructions as promptly as possible.

Lieutenant-General.

OFFICE ASST. AGENT FOR EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS, FLAG-OF-TRUCE STEAMER NEW YORK, Varina, Va., February 14, 1865. Col. T. S. BOWERS, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Hdqrs. Armies in Field, City Point, Va.: COLONEL: I have the honor to inform you that I have this day held a conference with Hon. R. Ould, Confederate agent for exchange, upon the subject of the release of a class of prisoners known as ‘merchant service men,” consisting principally of persons captured on our inland waters while engaged in the U.S. transport service, many of whom have been prisoners for a long period, extending in some instances through quite two years, and now that other exchanges are being consummated, this class, whose claims for a long time have been practically ignored, have, in my opinion, a legitimate demand upon our attention. The result of my conference with Mr. Ould was an agreement, subject to the approval of Lieutenant-General Grant, commanding Armies of the United States, for the release and exchange of this class of prisoners upon the conditions provided by the cartel of July 22, 1862, which defines the grades and establishes the rates of equivalents on the basis of naval captures. This I believe to be a just and equitable arrangement, and respectfully submit the matter for the consideration of the lieutenant-general. Awaiting his instructions on the subject, I am, sir,

very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Lieutenant-Colonel and U. S. Assistant Agent for Exchange.