I am including abbreviated extracts from my personal notes that touch on prisoners taking the oath to secure their release during this time period.
Also, can you please give me more details on the diary you referenced? [name and unit, etc]
The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. ; Series 2 - Volume 4
July 26, 1862. His Excellency A. LINCOLN: In the exchange of prisoners reported soon to take place all Tennessee prisoners who are not willing to take the oath of allegiance and enter into bonds, & c., should be exchanged first, and if there should be any left I hope they will be at once released upon taking the oath, & c., and permitted to return to their homes. I hope the Tennessee prisoners will be held up for the last, except those who are deserving of being sent back to the rebel army. Let them go. The expense and burden of the rebellion must be felt by rebels. I wish the commanding general of this department would issue an order like that recently issued by General Pope, which is universally approved by the Unionists of Tennessee. We have all come to the conclusion here that treason must be made odious and traitors punished and impoverished. I am doing the best I can. ANDREW JOHNSON, Military Governor.
August 2, 1862. His Excellency ANDREW JOHNSON, Governor of Tennessee, Nashville: The following dispatch just received from the custodian of the prisoners at Indianapolis, viz:
Hon. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War: There are at Camp Morton from 1,000 to 1,200 prisoners who want to take the oath of allegiance and protest against being exchanged. What rule will be adopted in their case? They are principally Tennesseans. JAS. A. EKIN, Assistant Quartermaster.
In the temporary absence of the Secretary of War I take the liberty of inquiring what course you advise in regard to these prisoners. P. IH. WATSON, Assistant Secretary of War.
August 3, 1862. Hon. P. H. WATSON, Assistant Secretary: In reply to your inquiry by telegraph I have to state, first, all Tennessee prisoners who are willing to take the oath of allegiance and enter into bond for its faithful observance should be released upon parole subject to notice. If they were released as suggested and permitted to return to Tennessee it would exert a powerful influence upon the State at this time. The oath when taken and the bond should be forwarded to the Governor of Tennessee and filed in secretary’s office. If the power were conferred on me as intimated a short time since by the President the power to prescribe the terms of released would at once appoint an agent competent to exercise proper judgment and send him to the various prisons where Tennesseans are confined authorized to examine and release all who would take the oath and give bond. All those who were not willing to comply with foregoing conditions I would either exchange or retain in prison. If this course were adopted I feel well assured that much good would result from it. I repeat I hope none of those Tennessee prisoners will be exchanged and sent South who are willing to conform to the conditions herein set forth. ANDREW JOHNSON, Military Governor.
HEADQUARTERS, Camp Douglas, September 24, 1862. Col. WILLIAM HOFFMAN Commissary- General of Prisoners, Detroit, COLONEL: In accordance with directions in yours of 20th instant I herewith forward monthly return* of prisoners of war for August. A list of the prisoners of war received from Fort Leavenworth was for warded to you on the 25th of August, and the list of 444 discharged on taking oath of allegiance (administered by Governor Campbell) are included in the lists given to Captain Freedley today. Four hundred and seventy-four took the oath on the 29th and 30th of August, but some had not left camp on the 31st of August, when this return was made up. The lists now forwarded account for the other alterations since last month. Yours of 22d instant giving directions in regard to sending prisoners now sick in camp to Cairo for exchange in suitable parties is received today. I forward list* of prisoners of war received yesterday from Corinth sent by General Ord and await your instructions regarding them. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOSEPH H. TUCKER, Colonel Sixty-ninth Illinois Volunteers, Commanding Post.
48 Tn-http://www.camp-douglas-1507.org/oldcamp.htm
Just before their exchange in August, the Federals offered the Confederate prisoners a choice: they could accept exchange or they could take the oath of allegiance. At Camp Douglas, 918 opted to take the oath, among them were seventeen from the 48th.
9/24 A report from W. B. Holden, Capt, Co "B", stated: "This co was surrendered 2/16 remained in prison until 9/16, when the only two privates left at the camp were exchanged at Vicksburg, 27 of the non-commissioned officers and privates having taken the oath to the Federal Government. --53 Tn
46th Tn- Ex-governor, Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, visited Camp Douglas and made a speech advising all the prisoners to take the oath to the U.S. and return home. A few men took his advice and were released. The commander of the Camp threatened revenge on all prisoners who used any influence to persuade men not to take the oath.
"Wm Duncan Wilson Sg Co K 46 Tn"
While at the prison Ex-Governor Andrew Johnson visited the prisoners and
made a speech to advise them to take the Oath of Allegiance to the Union and return home. Nearly all of the men received the advise,but, however a very few listened to his seductive plea and were thus
[released]The prison commander threatened dire…rebels who used any influence to persuade men not to take the oath, a very few listened to his seductive plea and were thus released. The Commander of the prison threatened dire vengeance on all rebels who used any influence to persuade men not to take the oath...
49th Tn- The field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts, the line officers to Johnson's Island, Illinois and the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Chicago. On March 19, one man from the 49th was on a list of men at Camp Butler who wished to take the oath of allegiance to the Federal Government, and on April 17, a petition from Camp Douglas from men in the 42nd, 48th, 49th, and 50th Tennessee Regiments was sent to Andrew Johnson, then Military Governor of Tennessee, requesting him to use his influence to secure permission for them to take the oath of allegiance and return to their homes.
49th Tn CSR’s
8/30 several take oath this date
"The Alabama Civil War Roots Homepage"
50th Tennessee Infantry Regiment
On March 19, 1862 two men from the 50th were reported on a list of prisoners at Camp Butler who desired to take the oath of allegiance to the Federal government, and on April 10, a petition from men in the 42nd, 48th, 49th, and 50th Tennessee Regiments at Camp Douglas was sent to Andrew Johnson, then Military Governor of Tennessee, requesting him to use his influence to secure permission for them to take the oath of allegiance and return to their homes. Subsequent action on this petition is unreported
10/20 S O #79 –Tilghman Disbands Washington Artillery Co H Tn Vols-Officers to report to these HQs-enlisted to select the Company & regiment within this Dept they wish to enter-Tilghman disbanded my co even though I had 33 men and could have recruited it to max number-but he said it was on order of Sec of War.
Washington Arty-Co H Tn arty-Bibb says after release at Vicksburg we proceeded to Jackson where Tilghman awaited us. The process and plan of the reorganization was quite repulsive to many, indeed it was unpopular generally, many of the companies were from various causes much reduced in numbers and upon their return were broken up, disbanded, consolidated, and assigned to other commands consequently to new and strange commanders which changed the order of affairs entirely.
My company, returned to Jackson, 30 rank and file, 20 having escaped 2 having reported for duty at Jackson and the rest would do so as soon as they could make their way through the enemy lines, 8 took the oath, 5 or 6 died in prison, and 25 on detached service at time of our capture
8/30 from the Chicago Tribune, Release of Rebel Prisoners
Gov. Campbell, of Tenn, whose mission to Chicago we noticed at some length a few days since, has been successful in securing the release of 387 prisoners, now confined at Camp Douglas. By consent of the War Dept, the prisoners alluded to came up yesterday and took the oath of allegiance. 21 of them left last evening, the balance taking their departure today. The released prisoners are all Tennesseans, the most of them artillerists captured at Island No. 10. We are informed that many others would take the oath were it not for the general impression prevailing among the prisoners that they are to be released by exchange. The prisoners universally manifested a feeling of joy and relief that their captivity was over; and one of their number, a shrewd, devil-may-care individual, gotten up most gorgeously in a pair of trousers made of three-ply carpeting with a mammoth and gaudy figure, created much amusement as he passed through the gate, loudly exclaiming: "Good-bye Rebs! Hope you'll have a good time. I'm a regular Yankee after this; no discount."
It is a noticeable fact that the prisoners from the Gulf States manifest no desire to take the oath, but, on the other hand, manifest a most inveterate hatred to everything federal. The batch lately brought from New Mexico is especially dogged and contumacious. They are a bloodthirsty, brutal pack, whom no amount of good treatment or kindness will ever affect
http://www.tenthtennessee.org/History.htm
…the enlisted men in the 10th were sent to Camp Douglas, Illinois.
While there, Colonel James Mulligan, of the Federal Irish Brigade, wrote General Halleck that there were a good many Irishmen in the 10th Tennessee Infantry who wished to take the oath of allegiance and enlist in his forces. Permission to enroll prisoners was denied at this time. A little later, March 19, at Camp Butler, Springfield, Illinois there was published a list of Confederate prisoners who desired to join the Federal forces, but there were only five men from the 10th, 50 Mulligan seems to have exaggerated.
"Pen and sword; the life and journals of Randal W. McGavock."
Sept. 7th I attended the Presbyterian church this morning in company with brother Ed. I read the report of the Sec of War—and a correspondence between Mr Seward and Mr Hughs, the Chairman of the democratic State Central Committee of Ten. The Sec cuts him off very summarily. Three thousand prisoners reached Vicksburg this evening. It is reported that all of Col Abernathy's Reg but one took the oath [53rd Tn]
"An eyewitness to the dark days of 1861-65" by N J Hampton [18th Tenn Inf]
8/1 [Yanks] attempted to give us the oath just before exchange
"Winds of Change"
30th Tn
9/2 several took oath at Camp Butler
3 Tn-CSR for Charles H. Combs-- --Court martial against pvt Combs for joining the enemy ranks while in prison...send to…referred to Gen Tilghman …cd of Lovell—appd Gen Tilghman 1st div 1st corps-“AWT”-appd Lovell cdg 1st Corps-appd Van Dorn. C H Walker Col cdg 3rd Tn
Co E http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/Bradley/
A.W. Bradley -A Confederate in Company E of the 30th Tennessee Infantry
Many of the boys died at Camp Butler, some escaped, some took the contemptible oath, and some just left.
"A Brief Summary of the Civil War Service of the 30th Tennessee Infantry Regiment [CSA]"
A March 19th 1862 report from a Federal Military Board reported that 651 men from the 30th Tennessee confided at Camp Butler desired to take the oath of Allegiance to the Federal Government. The field officers were exchanged August 3, 1862; the line officers and enlisted personnel were released on September 30th 1862 at Vicksburg, MS. Capt James Carson took the oath of allegiance (a prerequisite to release), left the army and returned home to Tennessee.
Tenn Confederate POWs at Camp Morton
4000 of the 15,000 were sent to this prison
No firm numbers exist for the Tenn men who took oath and made a bond-some say as many as 400 and others as few as 25-50. There were about 2100 Tn men in this prison.