As a new subscriber to this board, I am eager to see if board guru's can
help with some questions concerning my ggrandfather. He served in both the 90
day 6th IN and the long term 6th. He was wounded at Chicamauga, and his obit
says he was imprisoned for 15 months "in Confederate prisons." That would
mean release, parole or freedom by Union troops about December 1864. (I have
papers to seek his service record, but apparently the anthrax scare has
caused a halt to mail and processing by the federal archives folks for an
indefinite period.)
He is not listed in the online rolls of Andersonville prisoners. He was
discharged in April 1865. This would imply that he returned to the 6th or was
absorbed into another regiment when the 6th finished its obligated enlistment.
My questions are: Where other than Andersonville might Union prisoners be
held? Would the fact they were wounded affect this? Is there evidence of
release of Chicamauga soldiers captured at Chicamauga that would parallel his
experience, perhaps? What other units absorbed 6th IN soldiers in early 1865?
(Most to one unit, or spread all over?). Did in fact the 6th IN disband by
January 1865?
What was the experience of released IN prisoners in the late part of the
War? Did they receive leave? Were they immediately reassigned to their unit
or another?
Any enlightenment from Indiana historians would be greatly appreciated.
Unfortunately I will never be able to travel back and research it myself.
Thanks.
Richard Conner in Las Vegas