Today in History:

398 Series II Volume VII- Serial 120 - Prisoners of War

Page 398 PRISONERS OF WAR AND STATE, ETC.

[JUNE 23, 1864. - For roll of Confederate prisoners of war to be sent from Fort Delaware to Hilton Head, S. C., see Series I, Vol. XXXV, Part II, p. 147.]

WASHINGTON, D. C., June 23, 1864.

Brigadier General M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st instant covering one from Dr. Ellerslie Wallace, of Philadelphia, asking in behalf of a sub- committee of the Sanitary Commission for certain information in reference to the treatment of rebel prisoners of war while in the hands of the United States.

To enable you to answer satisfactorily the questions asked by the committee you request me to furnish you the requisite information, including copies of all official orders bearing on the subject, and accordingly I inclose herewith copies of three circulares issued from this office for the government of commanders of military prisons, the one dated April 20 being in substance a reissue of one dated July 7, m 1862, and copies of two letters of instructions addressed to the commanding officer of Camp Morton, bearing particularly on the orders to be given to guards, which are to be observed at all prison camps.

The circulares fully answer questions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. I will add, in reply to question 5, I have heard of no orders to shoot prisoners for being at the windows or near them and I do not believe orders of that character have anywhere been given. I have heard of no prisoners being shot under such circumstances.

As to question 7, General Butler did in the early part of this year offer to exchange prisoners, grade for grade and man for man, of those at Point Lookout and two other places, but the proposition was not acceded to by the rebel authorities.

I inclose also a list of articles which prisoners are permitted to purchase of the sutler.

With the above information I hope, general, you will be able to satisfy the Sanitary Commission that the prisoners of war in our hands are treated with all the consideration and kindness that might be expected of a humane and Christian people. If our enemies, instead of following our example, deliberately destroy the lives of their prisoners by denying them food and shelter they heap shame upon themselves in the eyes of the civilized world.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary- General of Prisoners.

GRATIOT STREET PRISON,

Saint Louis, Mo., June 23, 1864.

Major O. D. GREENE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Missouri:

MAJOR: In compliance with Special Orders, Numbers 169, paragraph 12, dated headquarters Department of the Missouri, June 20, 1864, the following report of facts connected with the shooting of certain prisoners of war confined in Gratiot Street Prison is respectfully submitted; On the morning of the 18th of June, 1864, between the hours of 9 and 10 o'clock a. m., some prisoners permitted to be in the prison yard at


Page 398 PRISONERS OF WAR AND STATE, ETC.