He gave his parole, and used his relative freedom to negotiate an exchange of prisoners. Finally, in November 1861, Kautz, John L. Worden, and another officer, plus 368 enlisted men were swapped for a similar number of Confederate prisoners. Eventually this process was formalised in the Dix–Hill Cartel of July 1862.
After relinquishing his parole, he leveraged his temporary freedom to facilitate a prisoner swap. This transaction ultimately took place in November 1861, involving Kautz, John L. Worden, and another officer, accompanied by 368 enlisted men, who were exchanged for an identical number of Confederate captives. The process was eventually codified into the formal agreement known as the Dix–Hill Cartel in July 1862.