We Were Not Paroled
We Were Not Paroled
The Surrenders of Lee’s Men beyond Appomattox Court House
Perhaps as much as one-third of the Army of Northern Virginia did not surrender at Appomattox. Some of the approximately 20,000 men absent from the surrender had dropped out of the ranks during the arduous push west, a significant portion of the cavalry and many artillerists had escaped the Union cordon on April 9, and still others had refused to await formal paroles after it was clear that the army had been defeated. While nearly 30,000 of Lee’s soldiers stacked their arms and awaited paroles at Appomattox, this essay tells the story of those who were not there – of those who insisted that the rebellion was not yet dead and hoped to continue the fight, of others who attempted to make their way home while avoiding Union lines, and of the thousands who ultimately decided it was in their best interest to turn themselves in to Union provost marshals throughout the region in order to receive paroles.
Keywords: Army of Northern Virginia, Paroles, Prisoners of War, Confederate surrender, Appomattox Court House, Ulysses S. Grant
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