The National Park Service's online Index to the Compiled Military Service Records confirms that there are CMSRs under the names of Private Leslie C. BLANKENSHIP and Private Charles T. BLANKENSHIP, both serving in Company C, 11th Virginia Infantry. The name "S. C. BLANKENSHIP" was also given and associated with Leslie C. - hopefully the National Archives will have consolidated those records by now. And there were four other men surnamed BLANKENSHIP in other companies of the 11th Virginia Infantry.

I have been collecting data on POW deliveries on the James River. City Point came under Union occupation when Major-General Benjamin F. Butler launched his James River campaign on May 5, 1864. Aikens Landing (aka Varina Landing) resumed its earlier function as the place for POW deliveries. Two of my 12th Louisiana soldiers were sent from Fort Delaware to Point Lookout in September 1863. They were paroled for exchange at Point Lookout on May 3, 1864 and delivered to Confederate authorities at Aiken's Landing on May 8, 1864. A delivery on May 15, 1864 would have been made at Aiken's Landing as well. These May 1864 deliveries were "humanitarian releases" of the sick and disabled.

POWs were sent to City Point from Point Lookout and, when necessary, offloaded onto shallow draft steamers for the trip to Aiken's Landing. So this "ran away from City Point" story could have some validity as LCB could have escaped while being transferred between Union transport ships.

The Fort Delaware Society would appreciate receiving photocopies of these records to correct and update our files.

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