Homeward Bound: The Demobilization of the Union and Confederate Armies, 1865-1866

What happened to the hundreds of thousands of men in the Union and Confederate armies after they lay down their arms? According to William Holberton, many of these men had miles to travel before they were discharged from service, and the passage of these miles included some rather unique situations and experiences. As always, there was bureaucratic red tape and mishandled orders, and in some cases, tragic accidents, such as the Sultana disaster. Beginning with the surrender at Appomattox Court House, the author takes the reader through all the aspects and phases of demobilisation, including the Grand Review in Washington, the desertions of soldiers overly eager to return home, the differences between Union and Confederate demobilisation, the repatriation of prisoners of war, and the deferred demobilisation of many black troops.