A question on "parole"

Hi all,
I have a quick question which I hope someone has an answer to suffice until I have more time to look into it thoroughly. (I am reading shelby footes narrative and picketts charge has just been repulsed)
But i have been wondering about this parole thing. I have read that when jackson took harpers ferry before sharpsburg they quickly paroled the whole union force and sent them north. What did this entail? just "gimmee your gun yank and start walkin"?
it would help me greatly thanks
gratefully yours,
Napoleon 12 pounder

It was an honor system early in the war that actually worked. Paroled meant you sat out the war someplace and did not participate until you were "exchanged" for a prisoner or paroled prisoner from the other side.

An interesting "parole" fact - the Union had a camp near Annapolis, Maryland where soldiers on parole were housed until they were exchanged and sent back to their units to fight (my gggrandfather and ggggrandfather went this route). The camp ultimately became a town, and it exists today, and it's called Parole, Maryland.

Someone will come along and give better details, but basically they were paroled and agreed not to take up arms until exchanged for Confederate prisoners. They had camps in the North where they would await the exchange that ended their parole.

Stonewall Jackson was upset when the wagons he let the Harper's Ferry paroled prisoners use weren't returned promptly. Jackson left A. P. Hill behind to secure the booty and to handle the prisoner paroles.

Many of Hill's men shed parts of their tattered uniforms for new Union ones, possibly creating confusion when they arrived at Sharpsburg on the flank of Burnside's attacking columns.

dvrmte

The parolees were sent to Camp Parole , just outside Annapolis, until exchanged. They got back in the fight by Gettysburg and redeemed their honor by stopping the NC & MS troops at the stone wall on July 3rd. Maybe Foote mentions them. Their brigade commander dragged several captured battle flags behind his horse in celebration.

This sounds crazy by todays standards! we used to play a game as kids south of Boston, Ma. called releavio that reminds me of this. thanks for your info
Nap. 12 Lb'r

thank you for the info..."a naval captain or a colonel in the army would exchange for fifteen privates or common seamen" it seems so strange.
I like your name too. briefly, as a young boy south of Boston I had a friend who had an old dairy barn on his property and inside was a cannon! it was green with patina. we used to play with it. it was not mounted. When he was in his early teens he tried to cut it in half with a hacksaw because it was so heavy he couldnt lift it.He wanted to sell the brass. luckily he only cut about 1 1/2 inches before he gave up. his mother later donated it to the town for the little park they were then making. After my interest peaked in the civil war and artillery used especially I remembered the cannon and my brother being in the town took a picture of it which I was able to identify it. hence the name(whew! long story, huh?)
Nap 12 lb'r

Yes! I just read this last night! It was Gen, Alexander Hays who was on the right at cemetery ridge and was even able counterattack the confederate left flank during the charge ... "Hays's passion and flair for the dramatic led to a notable incident as Confederate prisoners were being rounded up: "When the smoke cleared, Hays, who was unhurt but had had two horses shot out from under him, kissed his aid in the exhilaration of the moment, grabbed a captured Rebel battle flag and riding down the division's line dragged it in the dirt ..." there were at least 30 confederate flags left in the bloody mess in front of the union lines. Foote states that Hays had lost 14 of his 20 orderlies and took two of them a lieut. David Shields (the kissee) and another named corts and they all dragged confederate flags behind their horses to the cheers of the defenders.
I love how this ties in with what I am reading and my question. thank you all so much
gratefully,
Nap. 12 ld'r

Grant paroled the whole army he captured at Vicksburg with the provision that they would go home and not fight until an exchanged took place, this is due in large part because of a lack a resources mainly troop to transport and watch over the confederate soldiers until they got to Memphis. I think I read that Grant threw the Dix-Hill cartel out when he saw some of the same troops he captured at Vicksburg fighting against him and his troops later at Chattanooga (I'm 90% sure it was at Chattanooga).

thank you.I like the idea of promise though it still boggles my mind. would they have paroled a Meade or Hancock or Lee even?
Can I ask a little more? How then did something like Andersonville happen? And when Lee went south after Gettysburg he put the remains of picketts division in charge of 5000 union prisoners on the journey. was that just to help conceal what they were doing? why werent they paroled? I also remember my Dad taking me to fort warren in Boston Harbor which was a union prisoner of war camp I believe. Im about to read footes account of the fall of vicksburg so the explanation is coming Im sure. questions spawn questions.
Nap12 lb'r

Awesome link, thank you for posting.