George Washington had a problem as he tried to beat the British. Well, really he had a lot of problems, but central among them was the issue of prisoners. See, for the first four years of our Revolution, George Washington pretty much got his ass kicked by the Brits, four ways from Sunday. Along the way a whole lot of his men were taken captive. He needed them back. So he negotiated prisoner exchanges. That was pretty normal, and so a lot of Americans were exchanged for enemy prisoners.
In the War of 1812, President Madison faced the same situation. American soldiers were taken by the enemy in pretty large numbers. By the third year of the wars there were thousands of Americans who languished in captivity, but we had some of them too. Trades were made. American privates and sergeants and officers were traded with the enemy. Indeed, our national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, came from discussions about American prisoners.
Abraham Lincoln saw Americans imprisoned as well and followed a well-trodden path. He authorized the trading American soldiers for rebels, men held prisoner by the enemy. It was a practice that continued through much of the war, until one cast-iron son-of-a-bitch changed the equation, right about now, 150 years ago.
Grant, that is to say Lieutenant General U.S. Grant, had a different view. No longer would we swap -- that just sustained things. They would hold ours and we would hold theirs. We would fight it out, and Lee would have to suck it up, and may the man with more men win. Which, neither doubted, was a question which was not in doubt. So at that point we generally stopped the practice of exchanges, but the precedent was there.
And now we have a new prisoner released.
As George Washington did, as James Madison did, as Abraham Lincoln did, our current president decided to make a trade. Sergeant Bowe Beghdahl, promoted in absentia twice since his capture in Afghanistan, is now free. We let loose five of theirs to regain the only American held by the enemy. This is not something new, it is a return to the old. Those who oppose the idea are taking offense with George Washington, James Madison, and Abraham Lincoln.
The opinions here are those of the author, President Washington. President Madison, President Lincoln, and not the DoD, the Army, or any unit he is affiliated with. I can be reached at R_Bateman_LTC@hotmail.com
