The bombardment of Charleston having continued for ten months, on June 13th General Jones addressed the following letter to the Federal commander:
Maj.-Gen. J. G. Foster, Commanding United States Forces on Coast of South Carolina, C. S.
General: Five generals and 45 field officers of the United States army, all of them prisoners of war, have been sent to this city for safekeeping. They have been turned over to Brigadier-General Ripley, commanding the First military district of this department, who will see that they are provided with commodious quarters in a part of the city occupied by non-combatants, the majority of whom are women and children. It is proper, however, that I should inform you that it is a part of the city which has been for many months exposed day and night to the fire of your guns.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Sam Jones, Major-General Commanding.
General Foster, replying, said in part:
Many months since Major-General Gillmore, United States army, notified General Beauregard, then commanding at Charleston, that the city would be bombarded. This notice was given, that non-combatants might be removed and thus women and children be spared from harm. General Beauregard, in a communication to General Gillmore, dated August 22, 1863, informed him that the non-combatant population of Charleston would be removed with all possible celerity.... That city is a depot for military supplies. It contains not merely arsenals, but also foundries and factories for the manufacture of munitions of war. In its shipyards several armed ironclads have already been completed, while others are still upon the stocks in course of construction. Its wharves and the banks of the rivers on both sides are lined with batteries. To destroy these means of continuing the war is therefore our object and duty.... I have forwarded your communication to the President, with the request that he will place in my custody an equal number of prisoners of the like grades, to be kept by me in positions exposed to the fire of your guns as long as you continue the course stated in your communication.
General Halleck, Federal chief of staff, in a letter to Foster, June 21st, stated that the secretary of war approved his suggestion, and had ordered an equal number of Confederate generals and field officers to be forwarded to be treated precisely as the Federal prisoners were, and with proper precautions to prevent escape, "putting them in irons, if necessary, for that purpose." The first roll of Confederate prisoners of war made out for this purpose was from those confined at Fort Delaware, and included Maj.-Gens. Edward Johnson and Franklin Gardner, Brig.-Gens. J. J. Archer, G. H. Steuart and M. Jeff Thompson, and 46 colonels, lieutenant-colonels and majors.
General Jones, on July 1st, proposed to General Foster that they should exchange prisoners, if the respective governments approved, and enclosed communications from Brigadier-Generals Wessells, Seymour, Scammon, Heckman and Shaler, the Federal general officers in his hands, in which they declared that a prompt exchange of prisoners, if an exchange were to be made, was called for by every consideration of humanity. They also asked for the Confederate officers who had arrived at Hilton Head, "every kindness and courtesy that could be extended them, in acknowledgment of the fact that we at this time are as pleasantly and comfortably situated as is possible for prisoners of war, receiving from the Confederate authorities every privilege that we could desire or expect, nor are we unnecessarily exposed to fire."
General Foster replied to General Jones that he fully reciprocated the desire for an exchange, but added: "Before any steps can be taken to effect it, it will be necessary to withdraw from exposure to our fire those officers now confined in Charleston. I have not yet placed your prisoners in a similar position of exposure." To this General Jones rejoined that a removal of the prisoners would be an implied admission that they were unduly exposed, which they had themselves denied.
The Confederate prisoners were placed on Morris island, under the fire of the Confederate batteries, the number being increased to about 600 officers of all grades, and were there held, until in October they and the prisoners at Charleston were removed.
General Foster, on June 23d, notified the Federal chief of staff that he would begin important operations soon, saying: "I propose, first, to destroy the Charleston & Savannah railroad, and then to make a sudden attack upon some of the defenses of Charleston or of Savannah. If I fail in one, I will try the other." On July 1st, he sailed from Hilton Head with a force of 5,000 infantry, 100 cavalry and two sections of artillery. Two brigades, under General Hatch, were landed on Seabrook island with orders to push to the north end, seize the ferry, cross over and destroy the railroad. Another brigade was landed at White Point under General Birney, with orders to torpedo the railroad track and destroy the South Edisto and Ashepoo bridges and the trestle. At the same time General Schimmelfennig was to attack on James island, a boat expedition of 1,000 men was to assault Forts Johnson and Simkins, and the bombardment of Fort Sumter was to be renewed with the intention of leveling its walls preparatory to storming.