I am not aware of this gunpowder incident among the prisoners at Fort Delaware in 1863 or 1864. It would be possible under a couple of circumstances: (1) Edwards or one of his comrades bribed a guard for the gunpowder, or (2) Edwards or one of his comrades had volunteered to work for the Federals hauling food and other materials between the boat landings and the various store houses and had gained access to a small amount of gunpowder. It would be nice to find out who his “tent mate” was who was killed, and to find others who may have witnessed the incident and remembered it in the post war years.

The Fort Delaware Society database does not currently include the name of Richard Thomas EDWARDS. However, we do show that Christopher B. EDWARDS and Addison L. EDWARDS were captured at Gettysburg in 1863 and held at Fort Delaware from 7/12 JUL 1863 until they were transferred to Point Lookout on 26 OCT 1863. Both men were enrolled in Company K, 14th Virginia Infantry

Upon examining the Compiled Military Service Records for these two men, I discovered that Addison L. EDWARDS was enrolled in Company K on 7 DEC 1863 and it was noted in his files that he was due the enlistment bounty even though he was not yet 18 years of age. So he could not have been the POW identified by this name at Fort Delaware from July to October 1863.

Missing from Richard T. EDWARDS’ CMSR are any records documenting his stay at Fort Delaware. He was captured at Gettysburg on 3 JUL 1863 and confined at Fort McHenry. He was then sent to Fort Delaware from Fort McHenry. Records of his incarceration at Fort Delaware and subsequent transfer to Point Lookout are missing from his CMSR. The next POW record in his file documents his parole for exchange on 18 SEP 1864 at Point Lookout. He was delivered to Confederate authorities at Varina, Virginia (aka Aiken’s Landing) on 22 SEP 1864. This was a trial “humanitarian” exchange of sick and debilitated prisoners. The reason for his selection was not stated.

My tentative conclusion is that the three records in Addison’s CMSR documenting his arrival at Fort Delaware and transfer to Point Lookout three months before he enrolled in Company K actually belong to Richard T. EDWARDS. One card notes at the bottom that “A. L. EDWARDS” was a prisoner who arrived at Point Lookout under an assumed name, or one who assumed one for the purpose of being transferred, exchanged, or released.

Removing Addison’s entry from our database and substituting Richard Thomas EDWARDS will provide consistency for both records.

Richard T. EDWARDS was admitted to the Confederate Wayside & Receiving Hospital No. 9 in Richmond, Virginia on 22 SEP 1864, the same day he was delivered to Aiken’s Landing from Point Lookout. He was examined and forwarded to Chimborazo No. 2 the next day. He was admitted suffering from diarrhea on 23 SEP 1864, issued clothing on 27 SEP 1864 and furloughed home to Halifax County for 60 days on 28 SEP 1864. Since Halifax County was under Union control, he was also issued a passport at Chimborazo. It is not clear that his passport was honored by the Federals. On November 15th, at Camp Lee (Richmond’s camp for paroled and exchanged prisoners awaiting orders to return to their units), he was paid $231.13 in a partial payment of back pay and allowances. Richard was apparently transferred to the Invalid Corps PACS and retired on 12 DEC 1864.

Unable to return home, he must have continued in some sort of Government service which took him to North Carolina. His name appears as a signature to a Parole of Prisoners of War from General Lee’s army dated 12 MAY 1865 at Greensboro, North Carolina. Richard identified himself as a Private in Company K, 14th Virginia Infantry at the time. I have seen other records of absentees from the Army of Northern Virginia present in Greensboro in May 1865 who were accounted for and paroled in Greensboro after the surrender of General Johnston to General Sherman dated 26 APR 1865 at Greensboro.

Back to the gunpowder story, the enlisted POW’s at Fort Delaware captured at Gettysburg were housed in wooden barracks grouped 100 to a room (called a “division”). It may be possible that some overflow were housed in tents outside, but near the prison pen.

Enlisted POWs at Fort Delaware were allowed to build small fires on the levy outside of the prison pen or barracks area to cook fish caught in the Delaware River and left over rations. Regular rations cooked by the prison staff were issued twice a day at the prison mess hall. It has been my understanding that night time fires were prohibited.

His “blinding” must have been temporary since he remained at Point Lookout from 26 OCT 1863 until 18 SEP 1864 and there is no mention of this condition being the cause of his release. He was not treated for “blindness” at Chimborazo.

The "tents" and "cooking fires" aspect of this story may shift the scene to Point Lookout in September 1864.

In interesting find! Thanks for sharing!!

Hugh Simmons
Fort Delaware Society
www.fortdelaware.org
E-mail: society@fortdelaware.org