Ammoron and Moroni exchanged messages about the conditions under which they were willing to exchange prisoners. For Moroni, this was not a negotiation. He told Ammoron that if he didn't agree to the terms presented, that Moroni would come to battle against him. Ammoron didn't agree to the terms.
"And he said: Behold, I will not exchange prisoners with Ammoron save he will withdraw his purpose, as I have stated in my epistle;" (Alma 55:2)
Now, because Moroni promised to come to battle against the Lamanites if the exchange didn't happen the way he wanted, he wouldn't back down from what he had said to Ammoron. He intended to do exactly as he had said.
This is one of the things I like about Moroni, though. Even though he said that he was going to come to battle, he didn't like killing or bloodshed. Through strategy, the Lamanites had been tricked into drinking themselves to sleep, and the prisoners were armed (courtesy Moroni's army). It mentions that Moroni's army could have just killed the drunk Lamanites.
"But behold, this was not the desire of Moroni; he did not delight in murder or bloodshed, but he delighted in the saving of his people from destruction; and for this cause he might not bring upon him injustice, he would not fall upon the Lamanites and destroy them in their drunkenness." (Alma 55:19)
With all the wars and bloodshed that the Lamanites had caused, and even though Moroni was the leader of the Nephite army, he was still a righteous man, who only wanted to do God's will.
Moroni's army had successfully freed the captive Nephites, without any bloodshed, and also without giving up any Lamanites that could have just come back and strengthened the Lamanite army.
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