Hi Penny:

I checked the National Park Service's Index to the Compiled Military Service Records just now. The two records you are trying to make heads and tails of are both listed: (1) Crittenden S. Dunaway, Co. E, Morgan's Regiment, and (2) C. G. Dunaway, Co. E, 51st Alabama Partisan Rangers. Reviewing the regimental history brief also provided at this NPS site, I discovered that the 51st Alabama Partisan Rangers was commanded by Colonel John T. Morgan. I am tempted to conclude that "Crittenden S. Dunaway" and "C. G. Dunaway" might be the same man since the 51st Alabama P. R. can be described as "Morgan's regiment" but not to be confused with General John Hunt Morgan's division.

Before looking at anything else, let us sort the first five records into a timeline:

CSD was captured on February 1st or 2nd of 1863 in the vicinity of Franklin, Tennessee. It is likely the 51st Alabama was operating in this area at the same time, but I don't know that to be a fact. Once captured, CSD was quickly sent to Nashville, Tennessee (HQ of the Federal Department of the Cumberland), then forwarded to City Point, Virginia for exchange on February 11, 1863. The transportation route was by rail through Baltimore and Fort McHenry, and then by water down to Fort Monroe at the mouth of the James River, and from there by flag-of-truce boat to City Point on the south bank of the James River. CSD was received at Fort McHenry on February 14, 1863 and forward to Fort Monroe on February 15th.

The first card presented in your series should be the last of these showing that he was "paroled and delivered" to Confederate authorities at City Point. Take another look at this card. At the bottom should be a pre-printed footnote that tells the date of this delivery, how many officers, men, and civilians were involved, and which Confederate officer signed for them (probably Colonel Robert Ould or Captain W. H. Hatch). If I am correct, could you send me a photo copy of the card with this footnote?

Now to the final three cards. Once in Confederate hands, CSD would have been transported by rail to the Confederate General Hospital at Petersburg, Virginia. He died there on February 26, 1863 of pneumonia.

Based on these three records, CSD was most likely interred in the Old Blandford Church Cemetery in Petersburg in which thousands of Confederate dead, known and unknown, were interred throughout the war. The folks at the Old Blandford Church Reception Center had a large notebook with a list of those Confederates known to have been buried there. Since the Internet does not list a phone number, they may be discouraging genealogists from calling and asking, but with a little persistence you can probably find a phone number for the Reception Center and a kind soul to help you. http://vagenweb.petersburghistory.com/old/cemetery/blandfd1.htm

OLD BLANDFORD CHURCH AND RECEPTION CENTER
301 Rochelle Lane, Petersburg, VA 23805
I-95 Exit 301, Crater Road.

Keep in mind that, depending on the writer, a 19th century cursive capital “S” and capital “G” could look very much alike, even to the folks that Alice described who did the original transcription of these records back around 1900. The last set of three records from which you quoted pretty well document that Crittenden S. DUNAWAY died at the Confederate General Hospital in Petersburg, Virginia following his release on parole.

A background note: in spite of all the “hoorah and hot air” that was being bandied about over the prospective treatment by Confederates of newly enrolled black Union soldiers when captured, the Dix-Hill Cartel (general exchange agreement) was being honored by both sides in February 1863. Aiken’s Landing (and later City Point) on the James River in Virginia and Vicksburg on the Mississippi River in the west, were the authorized delivery points for paroled prisoners of war being returned to their own sides to await an exchange declaration. However, by February 1863, Vicksburg was the object of General Grant’s campaign to control the Mississippi River and was no longer available. POWs taken during the spring and early summer of 1863 were sent east to City Point for delivery. Under the terms of the Cartel, all POWs were to be released on parole (to await exchange) to their own side within ten days of capture, or as soon as practicable thereafter, and these records of C. S. DUNAWAY meet that requirement. Had the Union government not decided to wage a "war of attrition" against the Confederate government beginning in the summer of 1863, and continued to honor the Dix-Hill Cartel, places like Andersonville would not be a part of our collective history.

Hope this all helps!

Hugh Simmons
Fort Delaware Society
http://www.del.net/org/fort