the Confederacy. Harvey is at Columbia, S. C. The best way of convincing our people that your authorities are misrepresented in this matter will be to send him forward for exchange, as I will give an officer of equal rank for him, whom you may select. Your special attention to this is requested, and it will confer a personal obligation.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General.

To the SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA: *

* * * * *

One the subject of the exchange of prisoners I greatly regret to be unable to give you satisfactory information. The Government of the United States, while persisting in failure to execute the terms of the cartel, make occasional deliveries of prisoners and then suspend action without apparent cause. I confess my inability to comprehend their policy or purpose. The prisoners held by us, in spite of humane care, are perishing from the inevitable effects of imprisonment and homesickness produced by the hopelessness of release from confinement. The spectacle of their suffering augments our longing desire to relieve from similar trials our own brave men, who have spent so many weary months in a cruel and useless imprisonment, endured with heroic constancy. The delivery, after a suspension of some weeks, has just been resumed by the enemy; but as they give no assurance of intent to carry out the cartel, an interruption of the exchange may recur at any moment.

* * * * *

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

GENERAL ORDERS,
ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 45.
Richmond, May 2, 1864.

* * * * *

III. Prisoners captured south of Richmond will be sent direct to Andersonville, Sumter Country, Ga.

* * * * *

By order:

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, Va., May 2, 1864.

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON, Secretary of War:

SIR: On the 5th of December last I had the honor of submitting to you such correspondence between the Federal agents of exchange and myself as related to matters of general interest, accompanied by an explanation of the papers presented. +

There has been but little change in the aspect of affairs since that date. Late in December last I was notified that Major General B. F. Butler

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* For full text of this document, see Series IV.

+ See Vol. VI, this series, p. 654.

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