During the Civil War Ohio's Camp Chase served a number of roles: a mustering site, a prisoner of war camp, a holding place for Union parolees and a prison for Union soldiers guilty of violating the articles of war. Pickenpaugh provides first-hand accounts of how the camp was built and organized, noting the changing roles that the camp fulfilled during the war due to changes in Union policy. The author does a good job of portraying POW life, from the absurd to the reprehensible. The book also discusses the life of "paroles," Union soldiers captured by Confederates but paroled to Union custody until such time as they were officially "exchanged" by the U.S.-C.S. cartel. I had a personal reason for getting this book as my Civil War ancestor was captured by partisans in Kentucky and immediately paroled. He spent several months at Camp Chase.
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