James:

I've seen your recent posting on several of the state Civil War Message Boards. The original quote you provided: "Surrenders to a Gen. Forrest taken to rome (parole) sent by coal car to Atlanta on the [to] Richmond via Knoxville Ten. lynchville arriving--"

One of the best researched books on military prison camps for both the North and the South that I know of is Lonnie R. Speer's "Portals to Hell: Military Prisons of the Civil War" (Stackpole Books, 1997). Speer does not list a Confederate POW camp at Rome, Georgia.

The part about "taken to Rome (parole)" probably means that he was paroled [he gave his sworn promise not to attempt to escape in exchange for not being manacled or chained, etc] while being transported. That was a common practice used by both sides.

Another good book that might be of interest to you is by Robert C. Black III entitled "The Railroads of the Confederacy" (Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1987). The large pullout map that came with my copy of the book shows a spur line from Rome, Georgia connecting to the Western & Atlantic railroad which ran north-south between Atlanta and Chattanooga. I would conclude that your man was marched overland to Rome where he was placed aboard the coal car and sent south to Atlanta.

This Federal prisoner was then shipped north to Richmond, Virginia for release or exchange. He would have traveled back up the Western & Atlantic and then crossed over to the Eastern Tennessee & Georgia railroad just south of Chattanooga. To get all the way to Richmond required passage on many different named railroads although the route is straight up the Valley of Virginia. From Lynchburg, Virginia he would have traveled on the South Side Railroad to Richmond. The eastern place of exchange was Aikens Landing in the James River east of Richmond. Sometimes the location was moved across the river to City Point where a branch line connected to the South Side Railroad. But Aikens Landing, or a mutually agreeable place nearby, was the official point of exchange for prisoners in the east.

Your school librian should be able to get interlibrary loan copies of these two books for you. Good luck with your project!

Hugh Simmons