Sulphur Branch Trestle

[richard]

25 September, 1864, the block houses and men were captured by Gen N.B. Forrest. Some of the men were from the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry and the 9th Indiana Cavalry. Both of these units seemed to follow each other. Both were engaged at Franklin and the battle for Nashville in December 1864.

I have been tracking one man in the 9th Indiana and it has led be to another.
At Sulphur Trestle, close 900 men (some estimated read 600 to 1000) were captured. Most of the men were sent south. It is said that the officers that were captured were sent to Interprise, Miss to be exchanged.

The question that I have is this: One officer, a Col. Minnis of the 3rd Tenn, was exchanged on 18 December, 1864. Is it possible that all the officers captured during this action would have been exchanged at the same time. And how did they return to there units?

[gary]

I haven't studied the exchange of prisoners but from what I know, an individual may be released on parole after giving their word of honor that they would not serve until properly exchanged. They sit at a camp or at home and await a letter of exchange from their government stating that they are eligible to return to service. This arrives after the commissioners for each respective side bring their lists and scratch off names (like kids swapping toys). They then write letters informing the individual that they have been properly exchanged and are cleared to return to duty. If they return before the letter is received, they've violated their parole (and honor) and if captured, may be shot. (Lt.?) Col. Patton (I'm not sure which one as several Pattons served) made a ruckus about not being properly exchanged and refused to return because his word of honor meant more to him than serving the Confederacy.

Exchanges are generally done on a one for one ratio. Conceivably, Minnis may have been paroled and then exchanged later. The best way to confirm it is to check his service record as well as the service record of other officers who were captured at the same time at the National Archives.

[larry_cockerham]

You might ask Ron Pettus at Pettus Museum in Killen, Alabama. I believe you can get him with a google search. He's not far away and has considerable civil war knowledge. Retired history teacher and owns the museum.