Mr. Simmons,

Thanks for the response.

I have been working my way through the O.R., Grant’s, Sherman’s, Pemberton’s memoirs and analyzing their post-war reasoning. I am particularly intrigued in General Halleck’s obvious lack of support of paroling the Vicksburg prisoners. I have a couple of hypotheses but they need to be further developed before I will open my mouth about it.

As far as the Oath of Allegiance, I have seen a couple of places in the O.R. were it was left up to the local commander’s discretion on whether to believe the sincerity and/ or story of the deserter. I think this may have had to do somewhat with timing too but I am still analyzing that further. Two categories that I have noted were there were those that were allowed to take the Oath in Chattanooga and go back home, there were those that were passed onto Louisville via Nashville and then put north of the Ohio River. From my rifle pit, I have not seen political affiliation being a factor.

With all the CMSR’s that I have seen, the soldiers stayed there only a short period of time (usually 2- 5 days). If I am not mistaken, the policy for exchanges after the spring offensive of 1864 was that only those that obviously could not return to field duty were exchanged but I cannot quote chapter and verse on that one at the moment.

As far as those captured at Champion Hill and Big Black Bridge, I am interested in your examples of them being solicited to desert and take the Oath of Allegiance. Of coarse my focus is Cumming’s Brigade and the 39th Georgia in particular but was it individual soldier banter or was it an organized effort by field commanders to get Confederates to turn.

Thanks for your assistance and please let me know if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

Gerald D. Hodge, Jr.
War Between the States Historian
Historian: 39th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment
http://39thgavolinfrgt.homestead.com/39thHomepage.html