Mr. Martin,

Etowah, Tennessee. I am very familiar with Etowah. I lived in Niota for seven years and I was an Regular Army advisor to the National Guard in Athens for five years. For a time, I had a Civil War Roundtable named after John C. Vaughn in Niota. Unfortunately, I had little success in stimulating WBTS interest in the region to sustain a Roundtable overtime.

I have developed a Military Staff Ride for Philadelphia as it relates to Cavalry Operations but this data has not been published. I cannot currently do so.

I do not currently have access to my Philadelphia research but I believe I know at least one of the references you are referring to. I will need to refer to my notes but if I am not mistaken, the 43rd Tennessee had been ordered to parole camps.

Many of the men of Stevenson's Division, particular Cumming's (of which the 39th Georgia was a member of) and Vaughn's Brigades had problems with reporting after their paroles where officially up and they were ordered to parole camps. It is debatable why they did not. One reason is the proximity of Federal forces that encourage those faint of heart to remain at home and the other is that they may not have received the word. I am divided on the reason and much more research needs to be done.

BG Vaughn was by his own admission still in a parole status and hanging out in Sweetwater at the time of Philadelphia. Remember he was still officially the Sheriff of Monroe County which caused him a headache post-war. Have you seen the write up on Vaughn that is the Extended Version of Confederate Military History? He settled in south Georgia in the post-war years.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

Gerald D. Hodge, Jr.
War Between the States Historian
Historian: 39th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment
http://39thgavolinfrgt.homestead.com/39thHomepage.html