3rd Tennessee Mounted Infantry

[Stoney Dee]

"The 3rd (Lillard's) Tennessee Mounted Infantry Regiment was organized at Knoxville, Tennessee, May 29, 1861; mustered into Confederate Service June 6, 1861; reorganized May 14, 1862;…… Along with the rest of the Army it was paroled and declared exchanged September 12, 1863. ……Surrendered at Washington, Georgia, May 9, 1865."

(What would the statement that it was paroled and exchanged indicate?)

 

[Luke Freet]

"The 3rd (Lillard's) Tennessee Mounted Infantry Regiment was organized at Knoxville, Tennessee, May 29, 1861; mustered into Confederate Service June 6, 1861; reorganized May 14, 1862;…… Along with the rest of the Army it was paroled and declared exchanged September 12, 1863. ……Surrendered at Washington, Georgia, May 9, 1865."

(What would the statement that it was paroled and exchanged indicate?)

The regiment was part of the Vicksburg garrison when it surrendered on July 4th 1863. Due to the deal made by Generals Grant & Pemberton, most of the men were given paroles, meaning that they would be returned home & would not return to service until it had expired, which, as it points out, was September 12th 1863.

 

[DixieRifles]

(What would the statement that it was paroled and exchanged indicate?)

After the surrender, the Confederate prisoners were paroled but they had to be held until ready to exchange for Union prisoners. They placed them in a Parole Camp or also known as an Exchange Camp. There was a large Exchange Camp at Enterprise, MS, which was also the location of a Confederate Texas hospital. They were held under guard until they were exchanged but this took quite awhile for many of them.
Some of the regiments were exchanged in time to make it to Chattanooga and the Battle of Lookout Mountain on 23 November 1863.

Copy of a letter written from the Exchange Camp in Enterprise: Letter

 

[UCVRelics]

They were held under guard until they were exchanged but this took quite awhile for many of them.

They were never held under guard. The parole camps at Enterprise and Demopolis were CS camps where paroled CS soldiers were camped until they were duly exchanged.

 

[danny]

 

[DixieRifles]

They were never held under guard. The parole camps at Enterprise and Demopolis were CS camps where paroled CS soldiers were camped until they were duly exchanged.

They were not free to home or leave according to journal I read. I didnt mean they were under Federal guards.

 

[DixieRifles]

They were not free to home or leave according to journal I read. I didnt mean they were under Federal guards.

Here is some quotes from a post-war journal written by Sgt. George Powell Clarke, Sergeant, Company C, 36th Mississippi Infantry.
"Reminiscence and Anecdotes of the War of Southern Independence". He describes how many soldiers did not go willingly into the parole camps. The terms of the parole was that they men could not drill or do any work that would benefit the Confederate government. To leave would be an act of Desertion.
He remained in that parole camp until December 1863 or January 1864. He writes a lot of stories with very long paragraphs which makes it hard to follow the chronology of events.

" Soon after getting settled I visited an uncle who lived in West Enterprise, and passed the time very pleasantly in his company, and that of his family. I often visited him during my stay at Enterprise, getting books and papers to read. I call to mind that it was at his house that I saw and read Abbotts, Life of Napoleon. . . . .About the 15th of September, we moved to a place South of West Enterprise, about one mile, and went into permanent camp. Feeling pretty sure that this would be our winter quarter, we at once commenced preparing for it by the erection of shanties, these were built of pine poles, with stick and dirt chimneys, and though not elegant, were comfortable. We had a splendid bathing place in the river, near out(sick) camp, which was a daily resort of the denizens of the camp."
"A great deal of dissatisfaction was manifested by the troops in parole camps at Enterprise. This arose from the fact that many of them were of the opinion that the government had no right to order the paroled prisoners into camp, claiming that their paroles exempted them from such duty. As for myself, while I doubted the right, I did not question it, and when ordered to camp, went and staid. But now{post war} I will express myself freely. I cannot see what earthly right the Confederate Government had to order the paroled prisoners from Vicksburg and Fort Hudson into camp. The terms of our paroles were very explicitly stated that we were to do no garrison duty, nor serve the Confederacy in any capacity whatever, until exchanged. Then if we could do no duty, could be of no benefit to the government at all, why order us to camp, to be a useless expense for four months? Viewed from another standpoint it was bad policy. . . . A great many of those who remained did so unwillingly, and there was a great deal of muttering of a mutinous character. Aside from these considerations, to have allowed them to remain at home, would have saved the government a useless expenditure o thousands of dollars, which at that stage of the War, was an item worth considering."

 

[UCVRelics]

The 36th was granted a 30 furlough and then had to go to the parole camps. There was a LOT b itching about not being able to stay at home until exchanged. Pass were given freely while in camp. They had to have a pass just like any other wartime camp.

I have 5 diary's from soldiers in the parole camps and they say the same thing. One annotation shows he spent 10 days away from camp. So the idea they were confined is not so.

I hurried to camp, to see about getting a pass, to the country for a few days. Met James Talbot, on my way, told him that I had located plenty of buttermilk, and to go with me and enjoy it, which he agreed to do. We received a three days leave of absence from camp, and was soon at the front gate of the buttermilk home. Doubtless Talbot's mind was fixed upon the buttermilk, mine upon things higher.

Aug. 1st 1863. I am in camp again, but have arranged to return to the country, in company with my young friend, Walter Kirkpatrick, and stay a week. I was cordially invited to come back, and stay as long as I wished, and bring a friend with me. The few days that I have spent with those dear people, glided by as happy, and sweetly as a poets dream.

Aug. 16th. Kirkpatrick and I had a glorious good time, at what I will call, my Soldier Home, as I have been invited by my host and hostess to make their home, my home as often as I had a chance to do so during the war. My friend Kirkpatrick, received the same invitation, he says we have found the best home in Alabama, and that the girls are jewels. We will return in a few days, as our Captain is off somewhere himself, and three fourths of my company are absent, having a good time. No restraint is thrown in the way, of us all having as much joy and happiness, as we can get out of the temporary check in our soldier life.

Aug 19th. Have spent much of the last ten days at my Soldier Home, with my Alabama girl, enjoying songs and music, and besides the three lavish meals set before me every day, mellons, fruits, and peaches, and cream, were continually offered me between times. No soldier ever had a better time. Kirkpatrick and I are not the only Missouri boys, that are loud in their praise of their Soldier homes.