ground of humanity, seeing that neither provisions nor medicine
were procurable; and, I believe, it is also a conceded fact that General
Grant opposed exchanges. The testimony of General Lee given before the
"reconstruction" Committee, clearly establishes the fact that _he_ did
all in his power to effect this object. In answer to a question he says:
"I offered to General Grant around Richmond that we should ourselves
exchange all the prisoners in our hands, and to show that I would do
whatever was in my power, I offered them to send to City Point all the
prisoners in Virginia and North Carolina, over which my command
extended, providing they returned an equal number of mine, man for man.
I reported this to the War Department, and received for answer, that
they would place at my command all the prisoners at the South, if the
proposition was accepted." The Rev. J. Wm. Jones, D.D., author of
"Personal Reminiscences of General R. E. Lee," writes as follows upon
this subject (page 194, et seq.) viz:

"1st--The Confederate authorities gave to prisoners in their hands the
same rations which they issued to their own soldiers, and gave them the
very best accommodations which their scant means afforded.

"2d. They were always anxious to exchange prisoners, man for man, and
when this was rejected by the Federal authorities, they offered to send
home the prisoners in their hands without any equivalent.

"3d. By refusing all propositions to exchange prisoners, and declining
even to receive their own men without equivalent the Federal authorities
made themselves responsible for all the suffering, of both Federal and
Confederate prisoners, that ensued.

"4th. And yet notwithstanding these facts, it is susceptible of proof,
from the official records of the Federal Department, that the suffering
of Confederate prisoners in Federal prisons was much greater than that
of Federal prisoners in Confederate prisons. Without going more fully
into the question, the following figures, from the report of Mr.
Stanton, Secretary of War, in response to a resolution of the House of
Representatives, calling for the number of prisoners on both sides and
their mortality, are triumphantly submitted.

In prison. Died.

U. S. Soldiers 260,940 22,526
Confederates 200,000 26,500

That is, the Confederate States held as prisoners nearly 61,000 more men
than the Federals; and yet th