I would be interested in knowing more about the 100 or so “ex rebs” who joined the 9th Connecticut in 1862 and 1863. I am doing research on the Galvanized Yankees from Fort Delaware who enrolled in 1862 and 1863. Everybody knows about the six regiments of U. S. Volunteers that were recruited from the prison pens at Point Lookout, Camp Douglas and other mid-west camps in 1864, but nobody knows much about the hundreds who switched sides earlier.

The 1st Connecticut Cavalry was allowed to recruit disgruntled Confederates from the Fort Delaware prison pen in the summer of 1863 and took in 82 men. The total number of ex-Confederates enrolled in the 1st Connecticut according to a post war roster was 122 men. Many of these “galvanized” men deserted at Baltimore. In March 1864, prior to the launch of General Grant's 1864 Richmond Campaign, at Grant’s insistence, all ex-Confederates were consolidated into Company G which was then detached and sent to St. Paul, Minnesota. They operated as an independent company through November 1865 when mustered out at Fort Snelling.

You wrote: >>>What is surprising is that Joseph Dronant who was an ex-Confederate who enlisted in the 9th in New Orleans January 16 1863 (9th took in 100 ex rebs in 1862 and 1863 in Louisiana) captured same day was paroled out of Andersonville November 15 1864. He rejoined his unit and stayed with the 9th till discharge in August of 1865. I was under impression that parolees could not take up arms again, am I’m pretty sure the confederates did not know that he had changed sides. <<<

Dronant was “paroled out of Andersonville” as part of a humanitarian exchange orchestrated by non other than "Beast" Butler who was meddling in the POW exchange business for political purposes from his position as Department commander at Fort Monroe. This was a “man for man” delivery and exchange special agreement. The returning POWs were swapped "man for man" and regarded as exchanged and thereby relieved of their parole promises. The parole was also something of a moot point since most of the returning POWs were unfit for duty upon their release. The basis for selecting Confederate POWs for this release was that they judged “likely to be unfit for duty for at least 60 days” by a Union army surgeon at the prison where they were being held.

Searching the NPS Soldiers & Sailors System, I did not find anybody surnamed DRONANT enrolled in Confederate service. Looking in my 1920 print copy of Booth’s “Records of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers” I did find a Private J. DRONAD enrolled in Company 5, 4th Regiment, French Brigade, Louisiana State Militia. This group was in state service only and evaporated with the arrival of Union forces in New Orleans at the beginning of May 1862. Members of this militia regiment had generally been born overseas. Work was scarce in New Orleans and a private's pay in the Union army looked pretty good to out-of-work men.

If he rejoined the 9th Connecticut following his release in November 1864, then he must have fared relatively well at Andersonville.

All of this is outside your focused query on Bay St. Louis. I would like to exchange information with you on the “galvanized” men in the 9th Connecticut when you have a chance. Please contact me a society@fortdelaware.org.

Hugh Simmons
Fort Delaware Society
Website: www.fortdelaware.org
E-mail: society@fortdelaware.org