Sent to the rear.

[Monitor]

During my readings on the ACW I often come across accounts of POWs being taken in battle and 'sent to the rear'. This was of course by both sides. I generally note that this was done 'under escort'. But I guess there were times when circumstances did not allow for prisoners to be escorted to the rear, so what happened? Did the POWs just wander back on their own accord? Was there some sort of procedure for dealing with unescorted prisoners? And how far back generally would have been 'the rear'; was it the baggage trains, QM, divisional/regimental/brigade HQ, or somewhere else? Just curious.

 

[ole]

Back to where the supply wagons were. When no one could be spared to walk back two or three, I'd imagine they just shot them. But two armed men can walk back about 10 unarmed men who were likely to be glad to be captured and alive.

 

[tmh10]

The prisoners were turned over the the Provost Marshal and they were proccessed from there. On the union side. Im sure the Confederates had a similar system.

 

[johan_steele]

It has been said, w/ some legitimacy, that the most dangerous time for a prisoner is when he is in the act of surrendering. Much depends upon the unit the men are surrendering to. A well disciplined or veteran unit (not always the same) will generally serve the prisoner well. But green men or men who have suffered badly under the fire of the enemy are less inclined to take prisoners. Once the surrender is accomplished it isn't over yet, the POW has to make it to the rear and when the guards pass from the men who did the capturing to men who are to escort them back to the POW camp... many a time those men doing the escort were doing it because they weren't seen as trustworthy in the line. They may have felt a need to prove themselves and how better to prove yourself against an enemy that is unarmed and safe?

USCT men were less likely to survive a surrender than their white counterparts & partisans on either side were also not viewed favorably.

Neither side during the ACW had a reserve on decency when it came to POWs and it only got worse as the war progressed.