January 20, 2026

At the outset of the American Civil War both factions had much they had to figure out on the fly, including what to do with the men they captured in battle. The combatants settled on a parole system, by which captured soldiers would be dismissed to return home, sworn to an oath not to take up arms again until informed that their government had agreed to exchange them for some number of their adversaries. This system broke down after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, as rebel leadership refused to treat Black Union soldiers as soldiers, instead threatening to enslave captured USCT soldiers and execute their white officers. The breakdown of this exchange relationship gave rise to prisoner of war camps across the country, including the notorious Andersonville prison in Georgia, as both sides found it a challenge to feed and house thousands of captured combatants. This talk will trace how the treatment of prisoners of war changed over the course of the conflict; what was the parole system, why it broke down, and the development of prison camps as a replacement. It will also highlight the soldiers’ experiences; what it meant to be captured in battle, and the experience of being paroled or imprisoned.

Stefan Lund completed his doctorate in history at the University of Virginia, where he studied at the John Nau III Center for Civil War History and received his degree in 2022. He is currently a Social Studies teacher at North Branch Area High School and produces American Ambition, a podcast about American history. He lives in Minneapolis and is an avid Twins fan.