My great great great uncles Leslie Combs Blankinship and Charles Thomas Blankinship fought in Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. They made it to the High Water Mark and where taken by the Yankees to Fort Delaware.
Leslie was transferred to Point Lookout, Maryland. He worked as an orderly for the sick and wounded Confederates. He planned his escape for days, then one day he learned of a prisoner exchange. He wasn't on the list ,but he learned that one old soldier, George Washington Sizemore, was. He made a deal with George to switch beds the night before the exchange. He was awakened that morning and taken on the boat.
Two docs made an inspection because one man was missing. The doc came aboard and started inspecting the prisoners. Leslie switched from the left of the ship to the right and wasn't discovered at that time.
The rest of the voyage went well and ended at City Point(Now Hopewell) just south of Richmond. Leslie approacheed the gangplank at the destination, the prison doc was standing there was standing on the dock making each man drop his blanket as he got off the ship. He was seized as he dropped his blanket. He broke free of the doctor and ran to some bales of cotton nearby. He wore ragged clothes he slept there through a cold February night. He started out at nightfall and he was slow at first, then faster and faster until by daybreak he was well past Petersburg, and headed towards his home in Campbell County . By asking southernors along the way he found The Army of Northern Va. and found and rejoined his old unit. He was with Lee when he surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. He received his parole on Union Press and headed with his friends back to his home on April 12, 1865.
Could anyone tell me anything about what happened to any of them? Also, does anyone know if this happened often. Thanks.