Stuart:

See OR Series II, Volume 8, pp 404-405.

A neutral ground extending from the site of the Big Black River railroad bridge westward along the railroad towards Vicksburg to Four Mile Bridge plus 1.5 miles of territory on either side of the line was set apart and named the "Aubrey Territory" to accomodate the delivery of POWs between the two sides as the end of the war approached. This was neutral ground was proposed on 16 MAR 1865 and Camp Townsend was the Confederate headquarters for these exchange operations. I have no idea who "Aubrey" was!

The Louisiana troops captured at Mobile would have been paroled for exchange while in Federal hands at Ship Island, sent by way of New Orleans to Vicksburg as paroled prisoners of war, and delivered to Confederate authorities at Camp Townsend. They would have gone to a parole camp near Meridian or Enterprise, Mississippi to await a declaration of exchange which likely never happened. If they were declared exchanged, they would have returned to their command and been covered by the surrender of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana on 4 MAY 1865 at Citronelle, Alabama. This would have resulted in an additional "final" parole in their file. Most of the soldiers covered by the Citronelle surrender were actually paroled and released in camps near Meridian. I am curious if you see that pattern in their CMSR.

The exchange of prisoners in February and March 1865 was initially intended to be for POWs who were sick and debilitated and unlikely to return to duty for at least 60 days. Recognizing that the end was near, General Grant authorized it to be something bigger. Vicksburg had been declared to be the western delivery point for the exchange of prisoners under the 1862 Dix-Hill Cartel (general exchange agreement), but the capture of that city in 1863 eliminated it as a place of exchange. The Dix-Hill Cartel collapsed in July 1863, the prison camps on both sides began filling up, and there was no need for a delivery place in the west. Until 1865, most prisoners released on special exchanges from midwestern prisons were delivered in the east at City Point or Aiken's Landing.

Deliveries of POWs between the Federals in New Orleans and the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department generally took place at Red River Landing at the mouth of the Red River.

Hugh Simmons
Fort Delaware Society