In 2013, the Sandusky, Ohio, Library Archives Research Center acquired a very important document about the Prisoners of War at Johnson’s Island Civil War Military Prison. The document lists housing arrangements for Confederate prisoners incarcerated there in the autumn of 1864. POW diaries are often interesting because prisoners had time to write detailed accounts as they were still in the Army, but were obviously unable to fight.
Post-bellum, Union officers (and enlisted men) could purchase their weapons for souvenirs, if they so desired. The U.S. Government had a huge surplus to dispose of in 1865. However, Union officers captured during the Civil War were ordinarily required to forfeit their arms to their captors, which would not normally have been returned upon their release from Confederate prisons.
On the Confederate side, there was a difference in status between officers who were prisoners late in the war after prisoner exchanges ended and those officers who surrendered earlier in the war, took the oath and were paroled. Enlisted men, of course had to give up their arms at any time during the war. Generally speaking this surrender of arms was a time honored tradition that the Romans called “Vae Victus” (woe to the conquered). One would not expect prisoners to remain armed or otherwise retain their weapons. Confederate officers paroled at the end of the Civil War were allowed to keep their horses, swords and revolvers and take them home after swearing their oath of allegiance.
There is at least one period account of a Confederate officer named James Parks Caldwell who was incarcerated at Johnson’s Island, but subsequently had his sword returned to him when he was paroled in 1865. ‘Parks’ Caldwell, as he was called, was from southern Ohio. He was college educated at Miami (Ohio) and ran an antebellum school for planters’ children in Panola, Miss. When the war came, rather than return North, he volunteered for the Confederate Army and served with the Miss. Lt. Arty.
Caldwell fought at Shiloh and rose through the ranks. By July 1863 he held the rank of lieutenant and was under General Gardner when the Confederates surrendered the garrison at Port Hudson to General Banks after a siege of 47 days. He noted in his memoirs called A Northern Confederate at Johnson’s Island: The Civil War Diaries of James Parks Caldwell:
“I have heard the gallant garrison murmur at our being allowed to wear our swords- -a privilege by the way rather unusual in this war, but won for us (by General Gardner) from General Banks who agreed to it as one of the conditions of surrender.”
Upon release in 1865, he wrote in a letter home: “I have an old sabre outside. We were allowed by the capitulation to retain our arms–I suppose it is marked, at least my name was placed on it when I gave it up upon arriving here.”
Lieutenant Caldwell was delighted to have it back and made plans to keep the sword as a family heirloom upon his return home. He may well have done so but its whereabouts are not currently known. Caldwell further noted of his time spent incarcerated at Johnson’s Island that, “we are living well—for prisoners—but it is due to the Sutler’s establishment. I do not know one single man in the prison who lives upon the ration exclusively.” It may come as a surprise that some of the sutlers who followed the Union camps selling luxury goods and edibles were also assigned to serve camps populated with Confederate Prisoners of War.
There were nine men in Caldwell’s mess, and for $40 per month (pooled resources) they bought various sundries, butter, eggs and vegetables but for the meat ration “depended on Uncle Samuel.” They received packages from home as well as money “by express.” Truth be told, the prisoners at Johnson’s Island were probably eating better than they would have been had they still served in the ranks of Confederate Arty. in 1864.
Craig L Barry was born in Charlottesville, Va. He holds his BA and Masters degrees from the University of North Carolina (Charlotte). Craig served The Watchdog Civil War Quarterly as Associate Editor and Editor from 2003-2017. The Watchdog published both books and columns on the material culture of the mid-19th century and donated all funds from publications to battlefield preservation. He is the author of several books including The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy (2006, 2011), The Unfinished Fight: Essays on Confederate Material Culture Vol. I and II (2012, 2013) and three books (soon to be four) in the Suppliers to the Confederacy series on English Arms & Accoutrements, Quartermaster stores and other European imports.