I'm John Batchew with Fitz Brandage, his new book, A Fate Worse Than Hell,

American Prisoners of the Civil War,

tells the story of the war from the point of view of those who suffered the prisoner of war camps

after the exchanges stopped before the war starts in violence in the spring of 1861. It continues

through that year, haphazardly now and again,

and in 62 there are several union setbacks. However, there is never a prisoner of war concentration

because of something called the Dix Hill cartel, which was formalized in the summer of 62,

but really extends into the understanding in the early months of the war

that there were gentlemen involved in combat who knew each other.

Often they are all gone to the same West Point class,

and that exchanges were in hand.

Professor, what were the exchanges?

What was the Dix Hill cartel before the incident in the spring of 63?

Well, the idea of a cartel to regulate the exchange of prisoners can be traced back to 18th century European practices of war.

Starting in the 18th century, well, a little earlier than 18th century, but especially in 18th century,

the practice of exchange became commonplace between European armies when they engaged in conflict.

And the idea of exchange was simple. The alternatives to swapping prisoners of war that had the previous historical

alternatives had been you can enslave your enemy and lots of armies had done that over

millennia. Or you could kill them on the battlefield. That was something that also many,

many armies had done because who wants to have to deal, what conquering army wants to

deal with the problem of feeding and housing prisoners of war. Or the other possibility was essentially to ransom them.

And that was also a commonplace practice in Europe, for example, for hundreds of years.

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