Captured as a Confederate soldier...paroled?

[tbaker]

One of my ancestors was captured as a Confederate soldier and appears on the list of the "1st Texas Legion, captured on Carter Creek Road bewteen Franklin and Spring Hill, Tenn., April 27, 1863, and forwarded to Nashville, Tenn., same day." He was moved to Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Md., where the record shows he "appears as a signature to a Roll of Prisoners of War paroled at Fort McHenry, Baltimore Md., May 10, 1863."

I don't understand why he would be paroled 2 weeks after being captured? This just seems strange. Why wouldn't the Union army keep Confederate soilders until the end of the war?

Does anyone have insight into this?

 

[khalleron]

Paroling soldiers was the norm at this time in the war - it was only later, when the parole system broke down over the issue of colored soldiers, that keeping prisoners in camps became the norm (with dire results on both sides).

War was still considered a gentleman's pastime - men gave their word not to fight until formally exchanged and were expected to keep it.

Exceptions were when large numbers of prisoners were taken at once, such as the fall of Ft Donelson - then camps were set up until the exchanges could be sorted out. Which took months, sometimes.

 

[silvertime]

Prisoner Exchange

Hello:

Let me add just a little.

As mentioned, the system broke down when the South captured a group of African-American troops. The South refused to exchange them, stating that they were escaped slaves and the Southern authorities were just going to return them to their owners; back into slavery.

Secretary of War Stanton got into this and closed down the exchange program completely. General Grant agreed with the program being closed, stating that if Union troops were exchanged, good for them. But if Southern troops were exchanged, then the Union troops would have to fight these people again very very soon, adding to the Union military problems. Lincoln agreed and the program was shut down (with some exceptions, of course).

Actually, the canceling of the program was much harder on the Southern authorities than the Union, as the Union could replace their troops easier. The South had enough trouble feeding their own troops, not to mention a large amount of Union prisoners. So keep in mind that the whole thing brought about tremendous suffering on both sides. Later, the Southern authorities offered to go back to the exchange program, including the African-Americans. Stanton refused for the above reasons.

When John Wilkes Booth first started his little conspiracy, it was to abduct President Lincoln for the purpose of forcing the Union to release all Southern prisoners immediately. By early 1865, Grant had already returned to the exchanges and that made Booth's conspiracy almost moot. This is when Booth turned to murder to give the South one large happening, expecting it to be positive. I know I am oversimplifying. The effect on the South was not positive at all. More untold suffering.

I'm sure it seemed to never end for the Southern civilians and soldiers, as well as the Union prisoners.

Thanks

Silvertime.

 

[tbaker]

Thank you both for this great information! I am so glad I found this site - I am learning so much!