When the IRA split over the
Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1922, he sided with the Pro-Treaty side. He subsequently joined the new
National Army, where he was given the rank of Commandant General and given command of the southeast, based in
Kilkenny. The Civil War, between pro- and anti-Treaty factions, broke out in June 1922. In July 1922, with a command of 450 men, and an 18 pounder field gun, Prout re-took the city of
Waterford from anti-treaty forces after a three-day battle (see
Irish Free State offensive). There he recruited 200 more soldiers into the National Army, and received a large shipment of arms by sea from Dublin. His troops also had to keep order in the city in the absence of any other civil power. Moving on from Waterford, his command proceeded to take the republican held town of
Carrick on Suir, after more fighting on August 2, 1922. He went on to take
Cashel and
Clonmel. After a final stand at
Redmondstown, the Anti-Treaty IRA in the south east gave up their fixed positions and took up guerrilla warfare. The guerrilla war was not as intense in Prout's south-eastern command as elsewhere but his troops came in for considerable criticism for indiscipline and inefficiency. A National Army report of October 1922 stated, "Prout is too weak as well as too guilless to handle traitorous or semi-mutinous incompetents". In December a number of posts under Prout's command, including Carrick on Suir, surrendered to an anti-Treaty column under
Tom Barry, giving up their arms and equipment. Commandant General Eamon Price, sent to investigate the incident, backed Prout's plea for more arms and transport for his command and blamed Prout's subordinate officers for the reverse. In 1923 Prout organised a number of successful operations, which helped to bring the war to an end. In February 1923 he launched a sweep of the
Glen of Aherlow, killing republican commander
Dinny Lacey and capturing several of his column. In March and April another sweep, of the
Knockmealdown Mountains, arrested more anti-Treaty fighters, including several of the general staff, and killed their Commander-in-Chief,
Liam Lynch, effectively ending the Civil War, as after Lynch's death the anti-Treaty forces laid down their arms. Nevertheless, his command was criticised by National Army GHQ until after the end of the war for its performance – particularly for its failure to stamp out guerrilla activity in
County Wexford. Though the Civil War was marked by executions and killings of prisoners, in Prout's command there were only two
judicial executions and no '
summary executions'. Republican Mick Sheehan commented, "We may thank Prout that there are so few." ==Later life==