195th Ohio and former Confederates

[John Chapla]

At least 10 regiments of Ohio infantry were organized at Camp Chase in
March 1865. Among them was the 195th Ohio. What was the reason for
so many regiments being organized in Ohio so late in the war? Can
anyone tell me the extent to which former Confederates, perhaps those
at Camp Chase, joined these units? I know of at least one, Chesley B.
Rakes, who had been a member of the 50th Va. Inf. before going "AWOL
to the enemy" according to a postwar roster. Rakes ended up as a
sergeant in the 195th.

[dc...@netdirect.net]

One reason might be that prisoner exchange started back up again about that time, the first time in a year or so, and some confederates may have preferred to become "galvinized" rather than going back to their Confederate unit.  Camp Chase did have a POW camp.

I'm sure that there were other reasons.

Dick Cole
Muncie, Indiana

[John Chapla]

Dick:

Thanks for the reply.  I went to the Camp Chase Web site to try to get more information about the possibility of Confederates from Camp Chase joining the more than 10 Ohio regiments organized at Camp Chase in March 1865, including the 195th.  Here is the link.

http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/5109/Chronicles_1865.html

 

The Camp Chase Chronicles for February and March 1865 support your view that many Confederate prisoners when offered the chance to be paroled for exchange elected to "Stay" in confinement at Camp Chase.  What happened to these men?  Some of the material in the Chronicles suggests that some joined Union regiments (U.S. Volunteers, known as Galvanized Yankees?) and at least two companies were organized and headed for Chicago to serve on the Plains.  The 195th Ohio, however, once organized was sent to Winchester, Virginia, initially, and then to garrison duty in Alexandria, Va., until the end of 1865.  Any additional light you can shed on whether the Confederates who elected to stay ever joined the Ohio regiments organizing at Camp Chase in 1865 would be appreciated.

&gt