Jim:

Nearly 200 men of the 12th Louisiana Infantry were swept up inside Vicksburg at the beginning of the siege for a lot of different reasons. The main body of the regiment fought at Baker's Creek [Champion Hill] and marched away to Crystal Springs with General Loring the night of May 16, 1863.

The absentees inside Vicksburg were collected and placed under the command of Captain John A. Dixon, the senior 12th Louisiana officer present. They were surrendered with the garrison and released on parole. Most of the 12th Louisiana parolees, including Captain Dixon, went home to Louisiana to await exchange.

The entire 3rd Louisiana Infantry regiment was surrendered and released on parole at Vicksburg and most of these men, whose homes were west of the Mississippi River, also went home to await exchange. Vicksburg parolees at home west of the river were formally exchanged [hence permitted to return to duty] in August 1864. This special exchange covered most of the Louisiana units captured at Vicksburg. Captain Dixon's detachment of the 12th Louisiana was then temporarily attached to the 3rd Louisiana Infantry and sent with that regiment to Shreveport.

When Captain Dixon crossed the Mississippi River in December 1864 to rejoin the 12th Louisiana Infantry at Tupelo, Mississippi, more than half of his men who had reported into parole camps in Louisiana and had been exchanged refused to go with him. A few transferred into the 3rd Louisiana Infantry, or other Trans-Mississippi units, to finish the war but most just went back home.

I need to get my regimental history into print. I cover this and other interesting connections in some detail.

Hugh