its called honor, and i can tell you that, from the voluminous letters, diaries and such, that their paroles were honored.
Here is an interesting letter attesting to what you stated above:
U. S. Prison, Baton Rouge, La., /
November 22, lb64. \
Brig. Gen. George B. Hodge :
General— We have the honor to state that
on the night of the 19th inst. the Federal
Cavalry, under Brigadier General Lee, halted
about six miles and a half from Liberty, on the
Clinton road, and the weather being inclement
and the ground thoroughly saturated, General
Lee proposed that such of the officers of the C.
S. army (prisoners in his hands), as would give
a verbal parole of honor, should be permitted,
without guard, to make use of the dwelling
used as his headquarters. The parole was ac-
cepted without dissent, and the prisoners as-
signed to the same quarters and the same fare
as himself and staff.
About one hour after, Capt. W. M. Chamber-
lain, Third and Fifth Missouri Infantry, com-
mandant post Brookhaven, and First Lieut. F.
C. Skehan, same regiment, adjutant post Brook-
haven, and First Lieutenant T. W. Younkin,
First Confederate Infantry, inspector bureau
of conscription, Seventh Congressional District
of Mississippi, at Brookhaven, made their ap-
pearance and stated that they had been paroled
in the same manner. The next night, the 20th,
the column halted at Mrs. G. A. Scott's near
Jackson, La., where each officer was informed
that those who were willing to do so, would be
paroled for the night upon the same terms.
The ground being entirely wet and the rain
pouring in torrents, and nearly all the prisoners
destitute of covering, the parole was again
unanimously accepted and the officers allowed
the same privileges and accomodations as the
general and staff. The next morning the fol-
lowing officers were found missing, viz., Capt.
W. M. Chamberlain, Lieut. F. C. Skehan, Lieut.
T. W. Younkin, Lieut. T. B. Melton, Fifth
Louisiana Cavalry.
Those who remained were subjected to the
mortifying and humiliating confession that four
officers wearing the Confederate uniform had
violated their paiole and in the absence of a
guard, under cover of darkness, had made
their escape. A stigma has been cast upon the
untarnished escutcheon of our arms. These
men have forfeited every claim as gentlemen
and officers, and their comrades, who were
careful of their pledges, have been left to suf-
fer from the consequences of their had faith.
They may plead in extenuation that they
did not originally form the compact, but the
nature of the compact was thoroughly dis-
cussed with them by many of the subscribers
and they confided to none their intention to
escape. We therefore beg, general, that you
will find it in your power to arrest and for-
ward these men by the earliest opportunity to
the same destination as their comrades, who
have been more sensitive of their personal
honor and the good name of the Confederate
army. Their conduct has been the more das-
tardly that they have left the odium of their
disgrace to rest upon their comrades, who are
now helpless prisoners in the hands of their
enemies. Hoping that our requests may be ac-
ceded to, we are, general, very respectfully
Your obedient servants,
N. T. N. Robinson, Acting Assistant Aduj-
tant General S. W. Miss., and E. La.; W. H.
Hurd, Major and Commissary of Subsistence;
E. A. Scott, Major C. S. Army; L. E. Woods,
Captain C. S. Army; Alfred Hazard, Cap-
tain C. S. Army; S. D. Richardson, Captain
C. S. Army; C. L. Comfort, First Lieutenant
and Aide de Camp, Eleventh Louisiana Artil-
lery; H. L David, Lieutenant and Aide de
Camp; J. W. Birch, Lieutenant Company E,
Fifth Louisiana Cavalry; Thos. Cartv, First
Lieutenant Company F, Seventh Louisiana;
E. Brown, Second Lieutenant Lay's Cavalry;
A. M. Langston, Second Lieutenant Com-
pany F, Twentieth Confederate Cavalry; Jas.
P. Skolfield, Lieutenant Company I, Fifth
Louisiana Cavalry; W. J. Hammond, Lieuten-
anr Company L, Twentieth Mississippi Cav-
alry; H. C. Wood, C. S. Army, General
Hodge's Staff.
In justice to General Hodge it may
be added that the request was complied
with and the officers who violated their
parole were delivered to the United
States authorities.