Sherman Calling all Sherman Haters

[tony_gunter]

A news story hits the papers after the fall of Jackson in July 1863: several soldiers who had been paroled had been captured at Jackson and Sherman shot them on sight.

It's in July editions all over the north, but mostly unattributed to a source. I finally found one paper that attributes the story to a special correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.

I dug for a bit to see if I could find corroborating information that this happened but I can't find any at first glance. The closest thing I could find was a story from Louisville that amongst the captured at Jackson was a Confederate captain who had been paroled. No mention of his execution, summary or otherwise. A story in the Chicago Tribune claimed that several of the buried at Jackson had parole papers on their personal effects, but no mention of how they died.

I know I've seen a personal account in the past from a soldier that Johnston refused to honor some of the paroles issued on technical grounds, and I wondered if anyone ever paid the price for that. I'm kicking myself for not saving that account.

This seems like something that *could* happen, but with all the Sherman haters out there surely someone would have brought it up in the past. Any Sherman haters out there know of this?

 

[tony_gunter]

Louisville Weekly Journal, August 11 1863 page 1:

 

[tony_gunter]

Chicago Tribune July 31 1863 page 1:

 

[tony_gunter]

Chicago Tribune July 27th 1863 page 1:

 

[Stryker65]

Could it have been escaped detachments from Pemberton's forces? IIRC, part of Bowen's division escaped under Colonel Samuels...

 

[Grim Sentinels Research]

A news story hits the papers after the fall of Jackson in July 1863: several soldiers who had been paroled had been captured at Jackson and Sherman shot them on sight.

It's in July editions all over the north, but mostly unattributed to a source. I finally found one paper that attributes the story to a special correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.

I dug for a bit to see if I could find corroborating information that this happened but I can't find any at first glance. The closest thing I could find was a story from Louisville that amongst the captured at Jackson was a Confederate captain who had been paroled. No mention of his execution, summary or otherwise. A story in the Chicago Tribune claimed that several of the buried at Jackson had parole papers on their personal effects, but no mention of how they died.

I know I've seen a personal account in the past from a soldier that Johnston refused to honor some of the paroles issued on technical grounds, and I wondered if anyone ever paid the price for that. I'm kicking myself for not saving that account.

This seems like something that *could* happen, but with all the Sherman haters out there surely someone would have brought it up in the past. Any Sherman haters out there know of this?

Great research & really fun read! Thank you for sharing!

 

[jackt62]

Generally speaking, a soldier that violated his parole and was caught could be summarily executed.

 

[tony_gunter]

Generally speaking, a soldier that violated his parole and was caught could be summarily executed.

Could be ... but it would be nice to have a corroborating eyewitness or a mention in the O.R.

Also, some detail about the perpetrators would be helpful to place this in context. Johnston seems to have rejected some paroles based on technicalities. In addition, Osterhaus seems to suggest in the O.R. that some of the paroles administered at Champion Hill were verbal because the army didn't have time to issue written paroles to several thousand prisoners.

Were these paroles issued on the move that Johnston had rejected, or were these men who were paroled at Vicksburg?

 

[CaptSpook]

Generally speaking, a soldier that violated his parole and was caught could be summarily executed.

I agree but I would also add that paroled prisoners were instructed to return to their homes until properly exchanged. Once exchanged, they were permitted to re-join their respective commands. Reference the Dix-Hill Cartel of 1862.

 

[wausaubob]

1. Grant acted against War Department policy when he paroled the Vicksburg garrison.
2. The Dix-Hill cartel had been suspended. The officers who surrendered at Port Hudson were not paroled. The officers that surrendered with Straight were not exchange for many months.
3. Whether he had them executed or not, General Sherman would certainly ask a journalist to report that he summarily had them shot. That kind of publicity may have had an effect at Chattanooga 4 3/4ths months later among some of Mississippi regiments reluctantly holding the center of Bragg's line. Some regiments fled up the ridge as soon as the US divisions charged the rifle pits.

 

[uaskme]

Think it is a push to suggest paroled Confederates scooted in combat because of their paroles. Did some, many, refuse to rejoin, absolutely. Lookout Mountain the Mississippians skirmish lines were assaulted by Divisions. There was some distance to the Brigade. Eventually the Brigade is over run. On Tunnel Hill were the Texans who surrendered at Arkansas Post. Grant sent them all the way to VA to parole them. They ended up in the AOT. They absorbed most of Sherman's assaults. Cleuburn tried to relieve them. They refused and said they enjoyed shooting the Yankees.

 

[Stryker65]

Think it is a push to suggest paroled Confederates scooted in combat because of their paroles. Did some, many, refuse to rejoin, absolutely. Lookout Mountain the Mississippians skirmish lines were assaulted by Divisions. There was some distance to the Brigade. Eventually the Brigade is over run. On Tunnel Hill were the Texans who surrendered at Arkansas Post. Grant sent them all the way to VA to parole them. They ended up in the AOT. They absorbed most of Sherman's assaults. Cleuburn tried to relieve them. They refused and said they enjoyed shooting the Yankees.

Agree -- additionally, these Texans had something to prove, considering their ignominious surrender at AR Post.

 

[genbeau]

A news story hits the papers after the fall of Jackson in July 1863: several soldiers who had been paroled had been captured at Jackson and Sherman shot them on sight.

It's in July editions all over the north, but mostly unattributed to a source. I finally found one paper that attributes the story to a special correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.

I dug for a bit to see if I could find corroborating information that this happened but I can't find any at first glance. The closest thing I could find was a story from Louisville that amongst the captured at Jackson was a Confederate captain who had been paroled. No mention of his execution, summary or otherwise. A story in the Chicago Tribune claimed that several of the buried at Jackson had parole papers on their personal effects, but no mention of how they died.

I know I've seen a personal account in the past from a soldier that Johnston refused to honor some of the paroles issued on technical grounds, and I wondered if anyone ever paid the price for that. I'm kicking myself for not saving that account.

This seems like something that *could* happen, but with all the Sherman haters out there surely someone would have brought it up in the past. Any Sherman haters out there know of this?

I am a proud Sherman hater, and no I haven't heard of it.

 

[wausaubob]

The regiments in the center of the Confederate line on Missionary Ridge and in the trenches below the ridge were shaky. I would rely on David Powell to prove that assertion.

 

[uaskme]

The regiments in the center of the Confederate line on Missionary Ridge and in the trenches below the ridge were shaky. I would rely on David Powell to prove that assertion.

They were spread out, Over a mile and without contact with the Brigade. How would you have been. Assaulted from front and flank. 10k Federals vs 2k Confederates. This Brigade was the first contacted. They did stop at the east side of the mountain. Skirmished with the Federals until 2am. Then marched 14 miles to Missionary Ridge. Helped to stop the Federals.
advance to the North. Baird's Division.

Mississippians performed well at Chickamauga.

You first talked about the Mississippians at Lookout Mountain. They were never in the trenches below Missionary Ridge. They were at the top of the Ridge.

Not all Confederates at Chattanooga were Vicksburg Parolees. You might want to read Powell again.

 

[Stryker65]

They were spread out, Over a mile and without contact with the Brigade. How would you have been. Assaulted from front and flank. 10k Federals vs 2k Confederates. This Brigade was the first contacted. They did stop at the west side of the mountain. Skirmished with the Federals until 2am. Then marched 14 miles to Missionary Ridge. Helped to stop the Federals.
advance to the North. Baird's Division.

Mississippians performed well at Chickamauga.

You first talked about the Mississippians at Lookout Mountain. They were never in the trenches below Missionary Ridge. They were at the top of the Ridge.

Could it have been Moore's brigade? They were the only unit bar-Stevenson's division that came from Vicksburg?.

Not all Confederates at Chattanooga were Vicksburg Parolees. You might want to read Powell again.

??? He never said that.

 

[uaskme]

Could it have been Moore's brigade? They were the only unit bar-Stevenson's division that came from Vicksburg?.

??? He never said that.

Moore's and Walthall's Brigades were on the bench and skirmish lines down to the Railroad track and Lookout Creek. Skirmish lines had contact first, obviously. Federals controlled the North face of Lookout Mtn with artillery from about 5 different locations. Stevenson's Division was on the top of the mountain. Moore's brigade were Vicksburg Parolees. Stevenson's division had some of Cheatham's old Division. Bragg did a huge restructuring after Chickamauga. Moore and Walthall were Cheatham's Division. However, he is absent from the Division until the morning of the 25th when these brigades come off of Lookout. He then takes command of them and John K Jackson's Brigade. Goes to Missionary Ridge. All of that, but it was because they were parolees that they scooted? ***EDITED***

Not sure what he is saying. None of these guys were at the bottom of Missionary Ridge the next day, 25th. They were on the crest.

 

[wausaubob]

At Chattanooga a large number of Confederates surrendered, (or deserted before the battle for Missionary Ridge). The Confederates suffered very few KIA in that battle. As I mentioned elsewhere, its not obvious where the Confederates fought the battle, except possibly on the east end of their line where they were holding open the escape route. Men from Kentucky and Tennessee in Bragg's army would seem to most likely to surrender. Men from the once paroled regiments would have been less likely to take their chances proving they had been exchanged.

 

[Rebforever]

I don't see theory. I do see facts.

 

[Mississippian1861]

The regiments in the center of the Confederate line on Missionary Ridge and in the trenches below the ridge were shaky. I would rely on David Powell to prove that assertion.

The Mississippi Brigade we are referring to is Tucker's (7th, 9th, 10th, 41st, 44th MS, & 9th Batt MS Sharpshooters). This is normally a rock solid formation, it's nickname was the "High Pressure Brigade" and the better part of the brigade had been with Bragg since Pensacola. In fact it was probably one of the most Pro-Bragg in the army. But I have no doubt that they were affected by the malaise that hit the Army of Tennessee after Chickamauga. But then I also doubt anything Sherman had done in MS had shaken them. Looking at the rolls of the 9th Batt Sharpshooters, it looks like their greatest number of KIA in a single battle was on Missionary Ridge, which indicates to me that while they were fighting, they fought hard.