Vicksburg POWs were paroled with their organizations and remained within the ranks. Many might have wandered off on their own, but, most marched out of Vicksburg as a military organization under their proper officers.

Pemberton after much discussion with his superiors, allowed furloughs of 30 days, at which time, men were to report back to their commands at an exchange camp, Enterprise, Miss; in the case of the 37th Miss. Here they were remained until the unit was exchanged.

As noted previously, Grant's thought process proved correct. hardly more than 50% of those paroled ever returned to their units.