Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 30.djvu/238

 230 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Nor would there be still lying scattered throughout the Northern States t\\ enty-eight thousand Confederate dead, difficult to locate r many never to be found, most of which are unmarked, a portion in- adequately so, lost to their kindred and friends lost to history a fruitful source of sectional bitterness for nearly forty years not yet removed.

As early as May 21, 1861, the Confederate Congress passed an Act as follows: "All prisoners of war whether taken on land or sea, during the pending hostilities with the United States, shall be trans- ferred by the captors from time to time, and as often as convenient, to the Department of war; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of War, with the approval of the President, to issue such instructions to the Quartermaster-General and his subordinates as shall provide for the safe custody and sustenance of prisoners of war, and the rations furnished prisoners of war shall be the same in quantity and quality as those furnished to enlisted men in the army of the Con- federacy." President Davis states in his Rise and Fall of the Con- federate Government that this law of Congress w^s embodied in the orders issued from the War Department and from the headquarters in the field and no order was ever issued in conflict with its humane provisions.

Other than the occasional exchanges in the field before noted, there was no effort in that direction till February 14, 1862, when an arrangement was made by the representatives of both governments, General Howell Cobb and General Wool, under which some ex- changes were made, but the agreement was soon abandoned, and matters proceeded as before.

Our surgeons were distinguished not only for knowledge and skill but also for humanity to the sick and wounded of the enemy; and they extended the greatest courtesy and aid to the Federal Medical Corps, as, for instance, after the second Manassas battle by Medical Director L. Guild of General Lee's army to Medical Director Thomas A. McParlin of General Pope's army; and by Medical Director Hunter McGuire of General Jackson's army to Brigade Surgeon J. Burd Peale and others of General Banks' army. Prior to the cap- ture of Winchester in May, 1862, the medical officers were held as prisoners in like manner as other officers; but were often permitted to give their services to their suffering fellow-prisoners.

Especial mention is made of the circumstance that when General Jackson defeated General Banks and entered Winchester on the morning of May 25th, 1862, besides the quarter of a million dollars'