Robert E. Lee seeks to renew the prisoner exchange cartel with Ulysses S. Grant amidst a manpower shortage in the Confederacy.
Tag: Prisoner Exchange
Prisoner Exchange Remains Suspended
Conditions in prison camps like Andersonville and Elmira continue deteriorating. Even so, Ulysses S. Grant instructs Federal prisoner exchange agents to refuse any Confederate offers to exchange prisoners, largely due to the Confederates’ refusal to recognize black soldiers as legitimate prisoners.
No More Than Dead Men
Ulysses S. Grant issues “most emphatic” orders to take no action on agreeing to exchange prisoners of war without further notification. This is intended to deprive the Confederacy of manpower, but since it promises to worsen conditions for both Confederate and Federal prisoners, Grant’s directive initiates a grim new war policy.
The Prisoner Exchange Cartel
With the number of prisoners of war quickly growing, Federals and Confederates agree to a tentative system of prisoner exchange.
Changing the Character of the War
John Pope, commanding the Federal Army of Virginia, issues orders that spark fury throughout the South and threaten to change the character of the war.