GDG- Rebel prisoner guards at Gettysburg

Tom Ryan pennmardel at mchsi.com
Tue Dec 5 20:03:31 CST 2006


	Does anyone have information about what Confederate units were assigned to
guard Union prisoners at Gettysburg while the battle was underway?  I know
that Pickett's division drew the assignment to guard Union prisoners during
the retreat, but am trying to identify those units who pulled this duty at
Gettysburg.

	Gregory Coco's book "A Strange and Blighted Land" places one prisoner
collecting point along the Carlisle Road north of Gettysburg (probably the
Samuel Cobean farm) which presemably would have been under the control of
Ewell's corps, and another near A.P. Hill's headquarters two miles to the
west.  The only info given about a prisoner guard unit is that an
unidentified Georgia regiment accompanied paroled Union prisoners to
Carlisle to be turned over to Union authorities.

	I assume the corps provost guard units were placed in charge of Union
prisoners at Gettysburg, but I do not know which units served in that
capacity or whether they actually had prison guard duty at Gettysburg.
Since Lee had left his headquarters provost guard battalion, the 1st
Virginia, behind in Winchester, they were not available for this duty at
Gettysburg.

	I would also like to find out if there were any incidences of Union
prisoners being questioned by their Confederate captors in order to gather
intelligence about the Union army at Gettysburg.

	Appreciate any help you can give.

Tom Ryan



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