NOVEMBER 14, 1861:
Salisbury,
North Carolina becomes the site of a POW Camp although the local residents
protest to the Governor and to President Jefferson Davis about having so many
Yankees in the vicinity. At this early stage of the war POW camps are temporary
holding facilities; most prisoners are paroled on an honor system and sent back
to their homes, North and South. Although they take an oath not to fight again,
most simply return to their units. This can be dangerous. Occasionally,
parolees are recaptured and recognized and face execution by the other side for
violating their paroles. Since this honor system simply lets each side recycle
its fighting men, POW Camps become permanent, often horrifically mismanaged,
facilities later in the war.
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