Onsite Exchange of Prisoners at Fredericksburg Dec. 17, 1862

lelliott19

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...He also desires me to express his willingness to parole and return to you the prisoners taken since your passage of the Rappahannock.
Am I the only one who didn't already know about this?
:wavespin: :confused::wavespin:

Apparently, the arrangements for the exchange were made between Longstreet and Maj Gen John G Parke:
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https://books.google.com/books?id=c...UAhWGeCYKHW2fAUMQ6AEIJDAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

John Hamilton Skelton, Captain of Co C 16th Georgia was one of the prisoners who benefited from the exchange. He was the only member of the 16th Georgia Infantry listed as "missing" immediately after the Battle of Fredericksburg.

On December 11, 1862, when the lower pontoon bridges were laid, and Franklin's Division streamed across, the 3rd Ark, 1st TX, 4th TX, and 5th TX regiments (Robertson's Brigade/Hood's Division /Longstreet's Corps) fell back, having given up the ground between the Rappahannock and the Bowling Green Road. Lt Col Wm H Luse's 18th Mississippi Infantry (Barksdale's Brigade, McLaws' Division, Longstreet's Corps) was in danger of being flanked. Recognizing the situation as critical, McLaws sent two regiments to support Luse - the 15th SC (Kershaw's Brigade) and the 16th Georgia (TRR Cobb's Brigade.) The 16th Georgia moved to the left of the 18th MS, extending their line along Deep Run to the river. Three companies of the 15th SC served as skirmishers in front. The fresh regiments drew artillery fire and sometime during the melee on Dec 11, 1862, Capt John Hamilton Skelton disappeared. (The carded record says Dec 13, but the list of casualties specifically says Dec 11, 1862)

When I first saw him listed as missing with date 12/11/62, I thought he must have been somewhere else. But then I saw this record and learned of the onsite exchange of prisoners.
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@Podad
 
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Odd. Given the 16th's position in the fight I am surprised anyone went missing. I don't recall them having skirmishers out which could have been gobbled up but perhaps they did. He could have been a "forward observer" type down in the town i guess also.
Right @Chattahooch33 ....on Dec 13, 1862 the 16th GA was initially positioned to the right of the Sunken Road where the rest of TRR Cobb's brigade was posted. Later, they were called into the line behind the stone wall.

But Skelton went missing two days prior - on December 11, 1862. When the lower pontoon bridges were eventually laid and Franklin's Division streamed across, Robertson's Brigade (Hood's Division /Longstreet's Corps) was forced back through the town to the Bowling Green Road. The 18th Mississippi was on the far (Confederate) left of Barksdale's Brigade (McLaws' Division) with their left exposed and in danger of being flanked. That's when McLaws sent the two regiments to support Luse - the 15th SC (Kershaw's Brigade) and the 16th Georgia (Cobb's Brigade.) The 16th Georgia extended the 18th MS's line to the left, along Deep Run to the Rappahannock. Three companies of the 15th SC served as skirmishers in front. The fresh regiments drew artillery fire and sometime in the midst of the chaos, Capt John Hamilton Skelton went missing. (The carded record lists his date of capture as Dec 13, but the list of casualties specifically says Dec 11, 1862.) In addition to Skelton's capture, the regiment lost 2 killed and 41 wounded on Dec 11, 1862.

You're writing a book?? Do tell...
Not really really "writing" a book - just assembling all the available information into one place to compile a regimental history of the 16th Georgia Infantry. I like to say that they are one of the most interesting regiments that has never been written about. :D And this is just one example of the kind of info that is out there - but has never been compiled. :wink:
 
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Not really really "writing" a book - just assembling all the available information into one place to compile a regimental history of the 16th Georgia Infantry. I like to say that they are one of the most interesting regiments that has never been written about. :D And this is just one example of the kind of info that is out there - but has never been compiled.


Semantics, ma'am. No fooling anyone with this kind of campfire smoke and mirrors. :angel: You're writing a book inclusive of these men and their regiment, which is what these 'compilations' are. Pretty cool stuff!
 
Not really really "writing" a book - just assembling all the available information into one place to compile a regimental history of the 16th Georgia Infantry. I like to say that they are one of the most interesting regiments that has never been written about. :D And this is just one example of the kind of info that is out there - but has never been compiled. :wink:


Take my money!
 
I haven't thought much about this exchange of prisoners since I learned of it three years ago, but today I ran across this sketch at the LOC. [I added the image to the OP as well.]

The caption at the top says: Scene on the beach - Fredericksburg Va. Friday
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The caption at the bottom, presumably written by the artist, says: The Union & Rebel officers taking the last drink after signing the papers of parole & Exchange of Prisoners, Good bye

On the back of the sketch, someone has written: Sketched by A. Lumley and probably quite untrue.

In 1862, Arthur Lumley was working for the New York Illustrated. This sketch looks very much like Lumley's others, so the "sketched by" part of the verso inscription is not in doubt. However, my suspicion is that the incident (sharing drinks) likely did take place. Taking into account the decorous messages exchanged between Longstreet and Parke, and the fact that the Rebel officer pouring the liquor looks an awful lot like Gilbert Moxley Sorrel -- who Parke mentions as having delivered the message, -- my guess is that the scene depicted, or one very much like it, actually took place.
 
Thank you! That sketch has been driving me a little crazy, the genesis, I mean. It's always seemed to me far too similar to alllll the other eye-witness sketches by what were really our photo-journalists ( they sent stories back with them ) to have been made-up.

I don't mean to turn your thread into a comprehensive ' truce ' thread, it just seems such a poignant break in the killing, you know?

Antietam- I forget whose, Forbes? I can't make out the signature. It's one of the more poignant images to me, all the carnage, hands being shaken. I'm terrible with who-was-where, who is represented here, please?
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Writing across the bottom, part of it " ... flag of truce.. to look after them..." ? Meaning an agreement to look after wounded?

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Yorkville Enquirer. (Yorkville, SC), December 24, 1862, page 2.
 
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