E. A. Hitchcock letter December 17, 1863

Headquarters Eighteenth Army Corps,
Department of Virginia and North Carolina,
Fort Monroe, December 17, 1863.
Maj. Gen. B. F. Butler, Commanding, &c, Fort Monroe:
General: You are instructed to take charge of the matter of the exchange of prisoners at City Point, and the prisoners at Point Look out, Fort McHenry, and at Fort Norfolk are put under your charge for that purpose, and such others will be sent to you from time to time, upon notification to the Department, as may be thought advisable. You are herein instructed not to make any exchange which shall not return to you man for man, officer for officer, of equal rank with those paroled and sent forward by yourself, regarding, of course, from motives of humanity, in the earlier exchange those officers and men on either side who have been the longest confined. Colored troops and their officers will be put upon an equality in making exchanges, as of right, with other troops. Colored men in civil employment captured by the enemy may also be exchanged for other men in civil employment taken by our forces. You are permitted, in conducting the exchange, to waive for the present the consideration of the question of parole and excess now pending between the Confederate belligerent authorities and this Government, leaving them untouched as they stand until further exchange of views between those authorities and yourself. In conducting this delicate and perhaps difficult matter you will see to it that in no degree the protection of the Government is withdrawn from colored soldiers of the United States and the officers commanding them, and that in no respect, so far as results from your action, the honor or dignity of the Government shall be compromised. Brigadier-General Meredith is ordered to report to you, and will be relieved from further duty as commissioner of exchange, except under your orders. The conduct of the flag of truce and the necessary transportation to carry out these instructions are placed at your disposal. You will report as often as practicable to this Department your action under this letter of instruction and for further instructions.
By order of the Secretary of War:
E. A. HITCHCOCK,
Maj. Gen. of Vols. Commissioner for Exchange of Prisoners.

Fort Norfolk Documents

Before 1794, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1797, 1798, 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1813, 1814, 1815, 1816, 1817, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

Source of Information

55th Congress 3d Session House of Representatives Document No. 312
The War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
Published under the direction of the Hon. Russell A. Alger, Secretary of War,
By Brig. Gen. Fred C. Ainsworth, Chief of the record and pension office, war department, and Mr. Joseph W. Kirkley.
Series II – Volume VI.
Washington: Government printing office.
1899