I can't speak to Camp Chase, but at Fort Delaware a civilian photographer was allowed on several occasions to visit the prison pens, make individual and group photos of the men, and sell them to the prisoners. It was a cash business. Most of the images we have were taken in the officer's pen.

I noted in John Edward Bate's Compiled Military Service Records that he was captured at Franklin, Tennessee on 17 DEC 1864 among the Confederate sick and wounded from the fighing either at Franklin (30 NOV 1864) or at Nashville (15/16 DEC 1864). He arrived at Camp Chase on 25 JAN 1865 having been forwarded through the Louisville Military Prison from Nashville. He was paroled for exchange at Camp Chase on 2 MAY 1865 and transferred to Federal authorities at Vicksburg on 12 MAY 1865. What remained of the 10th Texas Infantry had been surrendered with Granbury's Brigade in North Carolina on 26 APR 1865. The Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana had been formally surrendered on 4 MAY 1865. The Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department was still an active Confederate command not having officially surrendered until 26 MAY 1865. Prior to the Citronelle surrender on 4 MAY 65, the exchange delivery point between the Federals in Vicksburg and the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana had been at Big Black Bridge. It is not clear from his CMSR when and where and in what status John Edward Bates was released from Vicksburg - probably as a paroled prisoner of war into the Trans-Mississippi. The exchange delivery point between the Federals and the Trans-Mississippi was at Red River Landing near Simmesport, Louisiana.

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