Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 22.djvu/144

 132 Southern Historical Society Papers.

made upon the prison at Fort Delaware for forty Confederate officers. The forty officers selected and sent to General Gilmore included Generals Edward Johnson, Jeff. Thompson and other officers of lower rank. After the arrival of these officers in Charleston harbor they were kept aboard a vessel for several days, and then, instead of landing and placing them under the fire of the Confederate guns, as first proposed, they were, by some agreement between Generals Jones and Gilmore, exchanged for the Federal officers in Charleston.

It was thought after the fortunate termination of this affair, that General Gilmore would desist from shelling that part of the city oc- cupied by its helpless people, but instead of so doing, shells were thrown into that quarter from day to day. In view of the continued cruel and inhuman conduct of General Gilmore, General Jones deter- mined again to try the experiment of placing Federal prisoners among the helpless people of the city for their protection, and with this view he made a requisition upon Andersonville prison for 600 Federal officers of all ranks, from colonel down.

This number of officers were accordingly brought to the city and quartered in the poorer section, and General Gilmore notified and again requested not to fire into that quarter.

On receipt of this information General Gilmore promptly caused requisition to be made upon the prison at Fort Delaware for 600 offi- cers of equal rank of those in Charleston, to be placed on Morris Island, under the fire of the Confederate guns of Fort Moultre, John- son, Beauregard, &c., situated on the Charleston side of the channel.

The announcement in the prison at Fort Delaware, that a requisi- tion had been made for 600 officers, to be sent to Morris Island, created the wildest excitement, as it was confidently believed by all that another exchange would be effected on reaching Charleston harbor, and every one was anxious to go.

The cartel for the exchange of prisoners on James River, the reg- ular place of exchange, was not in force at that time, and it was given out, and generally believed, that this was an easy and effective method, devised by Generals Jones and Gilmore, to evade the re- strictions upon the exchange of prisoners.

The 600 who were to compose the retaliatory expedition to Morris Island were selected by the commander of the Fort, and the roll of their names was called in the prison pen, several days before the ex- pedition embarked for Morris Island.

When it became known in the prison who the supposed fortunate 600 were, another scene of wild excitement was witnessed.