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To: #3Fan
Disagreements make no difference. Starving thousands of soldiers that are POWs is murder. The south was using them as hostages to make demands and allowed them to die when those demands were not met. That's terrorism.

I don't buy your assertion. You might take a look at Immortal Captives, The Story of Six Hundred Confederate Officers and the United States Prisoner of War Policy by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn. It details the treatment and death by intentional starvation of some Confederate officers by the US Army.

Also, on January 24, 1864, long before the bulk of men died at Andersonville, Judge Robert Ould, Confederate Agent of Prisoner Exchange, sent the following letter:

Major General E. A. Hitchcock [US], Agent of Exchange:

Sir -- In view of the present difficulties attending the exchange and release of prisoners, I propose that all such on each side shall be attended by a proper number of their own surgeons, who under rules to be established, shall be permitted to take charge of their health and comfort. I also propose that these surgeons shall act as commissaries, with power to receive and distribute such contributions of money, food, clothing and medicines as may be forwarded for the relief of prisoners. I further propose that these surgeons be selected by their own Governments, and that they shall have full liberty at any and all times, through the agents of exchange, to make reports not only of their own acts but also of any matters relating to the Welfare of prisoners.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,
Ro. Ould, Agent of Exchange

The US Secretary of War turned this offer down.

1,495 posted on 03/24/2004 9:47:07 PM PST by rustbucket
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To: rustbucket
I don't buy your assertion. You might take a look at Immortal Captives, The Story of Six Hundred Confederate Officers and the United States Prisoner of War Policy by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn. It details the treatment and death by intentional starvation of some Confederate officers by the US Army.

I'm not going to read a book by some lying neoconfederate wacko if that's what the author of that book is. If Confederate POWs were massacred, you should be able to link me to historical proof.

Also, on January 24, 1864, long before the bulk of men died at Andersonville, Judge Robert Ould, Confederate Agent of Prisoner Exchange, sent the following letter: The US Secretary of War turned this offer down.

Why was it turned down? It makes no difference on the Confederate side regardless. Failure to release those they couldn't feed was murder and holding them hostage to demands was terrorism.

1,496 posted on 03/24/2004 9:58:35 PM PST by #3Fan (Kerry to POW-MIA activists: "You'll wish you'd never been born.". Link on my homepage.)
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