Confederate Parolees

[Dave Wilma]

Grant agreed to parole the Confederates who surrendered at Vicksburg. He goes into much explanation of this decision for which, apparently, he took some criticism. His justification was that he didn't have to feed them and most would just go home anyway. He wasn't concerned about meeting them on the battlefield later. I got a kick out of the idea that many parolees wanted to go north and get jobs and earn wages until the fighting was over. Many other just wanted to go home.

Has anyone analyzed data to challenge or support it? Did the Union meet any of these units or important leaders later?

 

[TinCan]

I think they did Dave but will have to check to be sure.

 

[AndyHall]

My g-g-grandfather was paroled at Vicksburg, but rejoined his unit when it reorganized a short time later -- possibly before they were formally exchanged on paper. He later transferred to a cavalry regiment in which he served out the war.

I'd be very interested to know some actual numbers there, and how typical that was.

 

[NedBaldwin]

Grant agreed to parole the Confederates who surrendered at Vicksburg. He goes into much explanation of this decision for which, apparently, he took some criticism. His justification was that he didn't have to feed them and most would just go home anyway. He wasn't concerned about meeting them on the battlefield later. I got a kick out of the idea that many parolees wanted to go north and get jobs and earn wages until the fighting was over. Many other just wanted to go home.

Has anyone analyzed data to challenge or support it? Did the Union meet any of these units or important leaders later?

Sherman's veterans of Vicksburg met Carter Stevenson with his division of parolees around Tunnel Hill at Chattanooga.

 

[NedBaldwin]

Sherman's veterans of Vicksburg met Carter Stevenson with his division of parolees around Tunnel Hill at Chattanooga.

During the Altanta campaign, the US would also encounter Cockrell's Missouri brigade, paroled at Vicksburg.

 

[ErnieMac]

With the exception of John Bowen, who died shortly after Vicksburg's surrender, all of the division and brigade commanders returned to Confederate service. Pemberton would never again serve as a general officer, resigning his commission in May 1864, but did serve as an artillery commander for the balance of the war.

 

[CSA Today]

With the exception of John Bowen, who died shortly after Vicksburg's surrender, all of the division and brigade commanders returned to Confederate service. Pemberton would never again serve as a general officer, resigning his commission in May 1864, but did serve as an artillery commander for the balance of the war.

If only Braxton Bragg had had so noble an inclination.

Lieutenant Charles Brown (21st Michigan) describing a Confederate attack on his position at Bentonville: "stood as long as a man could stand and when that was no longer a possibility we run like the duce."
The Battle of Bentonville, 19-21 March 1865

 

[TerryB]

I often run across records of men paroled at Vicksburg who continued in CS service, many all the way to the end.

 

[TerryB]

On the other hand, many men from Arkansas Post and Helena hid out in the hills rather than go back. NW Arkansas was mostly pro-Union and a lot of these men were from that area.

 

[Dave Wilma]

So, what is the assessment of Grant's decision? Those units met later, were they the same men as paroled or reconstituted? I can understand the officers being repatriated, but is there any measure of those who never returned to CS service? From the amount of space that Grant devoted to defending his decision I wonder if he "protesteth too much." [I'm a fan of Grant, but always interested in his mistakes.]

 

[R. Evans]

If only Braxton Bragg had had so noble an inclination.

Lieutenant Charles Brown (21st Michigan) describing a Confederate attack on his position at Bentonville: "stood as long as a man could stand and when that was no longer a possibility we run like the duce."
The Battle of Bentonville, 19-21 March 1865

 

[Will Posey]

My Confederate great great grandfather was paroled at Vicksburg, went home to Polk County, Tennessee and never returned.


Will

 

[RobertP]

My g-grandfather and his older brother were in the 36th Miss. and paroled at Vicksburg. The regiment was re-formed in Nov. '63 and assigned to Polk's Corps in Mobile. As Sherman moved into Georgia the Corps was moved to support Johnston and arrived in time for Resaca. After Atlanta they went with Hood to Franklin and Nashville where ggrandfather's brother was mortally wounded. After that battle they went to Mobile and took part in the defense of Ft. Blakley. All in all a very long and tough row to hoe.

 

[Dave Wilma]

My g-grandfather and his older brother were in the 36th Miss. and paroled at Vicksburg. The regiment was re-formed in Nov. '63 and assigned to Polk's Corps in Mobile. As Sherman moved into Georgia the Corps was moved to support Johnston and arrived in time for Resaca. After Atlanta they went with Hood to Franklin and Nashville where ggrandfather's brother was mortally wounded. After that battle they went to Mobile and took part in the defense of Ft. Blakley. All in all a very long and tough row to hoe.

Grant and Co. handled Mississippi rather roughly so I can understand these men falling in. Maybe Grant should have hung onto the Mississippi men.

 

[TerryB]

My g-grandfather and his older brother were in the 36th Miss. and paroled at Vicksburg. The regiment was re-formed in Nov. '63 and assigned to Polk's Corps in Mobile. As Sherman moved into Georgia the Corps was moved to support Johnston and arrived in time for Resaca. After Atlanta they went with Hood to Franklin and Nashville where ggrandfather's brother was mortally wounded. After that battle they went to Mobile and took part in the defense of Ft. Blakley. All in all a very long and tough row to hoe.

Amazing! Thanks for sharing.

 

[RobertP]

Grant and Co. handled Mississippi rather roughly so I can understand these men falling in. Maybe Grant should have hung onto the Mississippi men.

Grant and Co. handled Mississippi rather roughly so I can understand these men falling in. Maybe Grant should have hung onto the Mississippi men.

A very quick comparison on the orders of battle for Vicksburg and the Atlanta Campaign show no less than 7 regiments and one battalion of Mississippi troops serving in Polk's Corps who who also surrendered at V'burg. Five of these, the 4th, 7th, 35th, 36th, and 46th comprised Sears' Bgde. of French's Div. in that corps. I do not know how many surrendered units from other states reformed and participated in the AoT but it would be an interesting study.

My feeling is that most troops paroled from trans Miss. states stayed there for the remainder of the war, though the 1st - 6th Mo. served at Vicksburg and under Polk.

 

[ErnieMac]

The Missourians were pretty well orphaned at this point in the war. Unlike Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana there was no organized Confederate government.

IMO it was a win-win for Grant. Worst case is that the parolees had to sit out until properly exchanged. If they went home and sat out the rest of the war - so much the better.

 

[Carronade]

The key question would seem to be whether those who returned to service were properly exchanged. One reason for the ending of exchanges in the last year of the war was Union forces were encountering Confederates who had not been legally exchanged - does anyone have solid facts or numbers on this?

 

[R. Evans]

This may seem like a stupid question, but I've never really read about how the exchange/parole system worked. Anybody got any links or explanations on how it was supposed to work?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sid J.]

This may seem like a stupid question, but I've never really read about how the exchange/parole system worked. Anybody got any links or explanations on how it was supposed to work?

Thanks in advance.

Look for the "Dix Hill Cartel." The WIki is a decent starting point with references.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dix–Hill_Cartel