camp morton prisoner listcamp morton prisoner list

These strengths usually relate to primary sources that are useful to the memory of these prisons, and often come in different forms. 1, Annapolis, Md., Private Jackson O. Broshears, Co. St. John's College. The first Confederate prisoners arrived at Camp Morton on February 22, 1862; its last prisoners were paroled on June 12, 1865. By December 1863, the number of prisoners at the camp had grown to over 3,300 prisoners. Contraband was removed before delivery, and outgoing letters were censored and inspected before they were mailed. The purpose of this project is important because the story of these men did not end with the end of the war and the release of their living comrades from Camp Morton, 1,616 Confederate Prisoners of War are still buried in Indianapolis, Indiana, left to their enemys memory, the bodies of these men have interesting stories to tell. Pneumonia was the chief killer, followed by diarrhea/dysentery, and malaria. Remains of the prisoners were moved to Crown Hill in 1931 and 1,616 names are inscribed on the plaques. While the military facilities at Camp Morton no longer exist, the remains of 1,616 Confederate soldiers and sailors who died while prisoners at the camp are interred at Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery. [6][7], After the fairgrounds were converted into a military camp, it was renamed Camp Morton in honor of Morton, who served as the governor of Indiana from January 16, 1861, to January 23, 1867. [51], New streets and drainage ditches were constructed on the former Camp Morton site, which was platted and developed as a residential area known as Morton Place. List of Prisoners, 1863 - 1865 NARA NAID 5637765; Elmira, New York . However, the writer might recall events differently after the fact, and editors are taking on the role of assuming what the writer meant or felt. Prisoners of war--Confederate--1860-1870, - These diaries also have positives and negatives. "Horrors Of Camp Morton". The capacity of the camp was originally estimated to be 2,000 prisoners, though 3,000 were crammed into the camp with the first arrivals. The records that were kept and accumulated throughout the Civil War were placed together in the War of Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (here after referred to as the Official Records). U.S. General Hospital Div. In the above paragraphs, the primary sources from prisoners, newspaper articles, and even the Official Records of Camp Morton have been discussed. A few prisoners were cared for in private homes. As most people believed the Confederate rebellion would be suppressed quickly, little thought was given initially to long-term accommodations for troops. The next visual shows the word "ration" being used ten times in Wyeth's original article. There are other primary sources coming from outside and inside of the prisons. Diaries from the prisoners come in many forms: diaries that have been directly transcribed and published such as the diary of Eugene Forbes, who was held at Andersonville, and Curtis R. Burkes diary, who was held at Camp Morton for a short time. Reference staff can It was estimated that at least 9,000 prisoners passed through the camp gates during its 25 months of operation. the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. Between 1862 and 1865, the camp's average prison population was 3,214; it averaged fifty deaths per month. Purchase; Cal Packard; 2012; (DLC/PP-2012:060). While there are letters and diaries that came from Camp Morton, they are not of great value, with little usable information. Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez. Within a short time after reopening, 3 barracks from Nearby Camp Carrington were dismantled and moved to camp Morton. Civil War prisoner of war camps and prisons are frequently overlooked in American history, and those that are focused on are few and far between. The prisoner of war camp was one of 500 across the country. The first prisoners arrived by train at the camp on February 24, 1862. There are many of these articles in Confederate Veteran magazine, and while many of the articles are interesting and can provide valuable information, some of them do not vary in content. No epidemics swept the camp or area hospitals, but there were reports of dysentery, typhoid fever, and typhoid pneumonia, among other diseases. Following their departure, Camp Morton was used as a military training ground for Union troops and Indiana volunteers who were sent home on parole. Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and Camp Chase, Ohio, Military Prison -- reel 37. 37900 N 45TH AVE. PHOENIX, AZ 85086. The next image shows that "rations" was used sixteen times total between the articles, but the table also shows how many times each article used the word. General officers for the Confederacy were sent to an island in Boston Harbor, where Fort Warren was located, and lesser commissioned officers from the Confederacy were sent to Johnson's Island in Ohio's Sandusky Bay. Cutter, E. P. , Former Owner. It should be noted, that while there were individuals who felt the graves needed properly marked, there were also individuals who felt it should not have been done. These are the reasons why individuals have felt this mass grave should be properly marked. The confinement area was surrounded by a poorly constructed wide-board fence, and at some locations, the backs of other exhibition halls served as parts of the enclosure. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Detention facilities--Union--Indiana--Indianapolis. As I said, Camp Morton was considered a model camp, yet 1.600 died there. Another six hundred prisoners were soon released. [Between 1862 and 1865] Photograph. (Photo by Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez-KJZZ) These include correspondence of prison guards, commandants, governors, and many others who were directly or indirectly involved with the running of the prisons, those coming from prisoners as well as Official Records are often looked for or at first. Josiah Lawson Rainey (1832-1905), the son of Thomas Muttor Rainey (1799-1859) and Mary Claiborne Echols (1797-1847) of Maury county, Tennessee. Only 308 prisoners were left at the camp on June 1, 1865. From the rebellions outset, federal government leaders had decided to treat the rebels not as traitors but as prisoners of war, entitled to treatment as lawful combatants. In January 1864 thirty men were imprisoned there. 1861-1865 Indianapolis, Indiana Guard and Guard-house at Camp Morton near Indianapolis, Indiana. Understanding why Camp Morton is important, but yet has not been remembered is a significant undertaking that consists of a multi-step process. In 1866 a fire ravaged the cemetery office, destroying the records that gave the precise location of the burials. Governor O. P. Morton requested General H. B. Carrington, United States Army, then on special duty in this State, to visit all of the camps and hospitals in and around the city, to inspect and report as to their condition and the amount of suffering that had resulted from the intensely cold weather. While these two reports do not contradict or give a detailed insight into the daily life of prisoners at Camp Morton, these excerpts show how beneficial the Official Records can be to studying Camp Morton. [10] The hastily built facility had difficulties accommodating so many men with equipment, tents, and food, but order was established within a few weeks. As the larger picture of Civil War prisons is looked at, it becomes noticeable that some prisons have certain strengths that have allowed them to be more easily remembered, studied, and widely publicized over other prisons. Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Camp Morton, 1861-1865 Indianapolis prison camp Source: Excerpted from Camp Morton, 1861-1865 : Indianapolis prison camp. David W. Hamilton took over as commandant on July 23,[37] but he was transferred to another post by September 23. However, as you can see below, when the word pleasant is placed in the context which Burke used it, he is only speaking about the weather. In addition to the Confederate prisoners, seven Union deserters who remained in custody at Camp Morton were freed. Two companies of the 63rd Indiana Regiment were assigned to the camp for guard duty. Private James E. Pierson, Company H, Forty-third Kentucky [Indiana] Infantry Volunteers, being duly sworn, on his oath says: I was on duty at Camp Morton on the night of September 27, 1864, on post Numbers 42. Prisoners cooked for themselves and were allowed to make small purchases of food from the camp to supplement their diet. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, . Winslow, Hattie Lou., Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1940. Men occupied horse, cattle, and swine barns for shelter. The camp opened nearly 70 years ago and was located just north of where KJZZ Tempe studios are located today. However, as the prison populations increased at all of the other prisons, prisoners of every classification were, again, sent here for confinement. Between the captured prisoners of the battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and August of that same year, it became a prison for 3,000 Confederates taken at the fort and was personally administered by Governor Morton. [14] From July 1863 until the parole of the last Confederate prisoner on June 12, 1865, the camp's average prison population was 3,214 and it averaged fifty deaths per month. The first Union troops arrived at the camp in April 1861. Photograph shows Confederate prisoners of war at Camp Morton. color or tint (assuming the original has any), you can generally purchase a quality copy of The maximum prisoner population at Camp Morton during that time reach 4,999, in July 1864, and the maximum of deaths reached 133. The advice was taken, within narrow limits: coffee, rice, hominy, sugar, and other foods were given only to the sick; those better off did without. By the end of 1863, the creek had become the receptacle of the camp's trash and debris. Many residents of Indianapolis saw the camp as a center of attraction. 69, 71, and 7377. The 5 acre confinement area was a gently rolling plain with maple trees to provide plenty of shade. Camp Morton served as a military camp for Union soldiers from April 1861 to February 1862. [45][46], Property remaining at Camp Morton after the last prisoners left was sold at public auction in July 1865 and the buildings were vacant by August 2. Below is a list of the world pleasant used in the diary of Curtis R. Burke during his stay at Camp Morton. Pages in category "Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Arizona". The Indiana State Fair was held in different locations until 1860 when Otis Grove north of Indianapolis became its home (bounded by today's 19th, Talbott, 22nd streets, and Central Avenue). [22], Few guidelines were provided for operating Union prison camps, so Owen devised his own, which served as a model for other camps. The prisoners were sent to Vicksburg, Mississippi, where they were exchanged for Union prisoners held in Confederate prison camps. Local papers in Indianapolis frequently published articles about Camp Morton and its prisoners. These primary sources provide valuable information about prisoners; however, when they no longer exist, or never did exist, they can create large gaps in information that is vital to not only research, but also to the memory of Civil War prisons. INTRODUCTION Cover The Prison Camp at Andersonville Libby Prison Captain Henry Wirz Camp Chase Camp Douglas John H. Winder Camp Morton Camp Lawton Johnson's Island Cahaba Prison Dorence Atwater Rock Island Prison Father Whelan Point Lookout Prison Prison Guards at Andersonville Camp Oglethorpe Elmira Prison Fort Delaware Camp Florence His service record is attached here: Union prison records show him as a "servant" in the 3rd Mississippi Infantry. Capture and escape : a narrative of army and prison life Original source: Kellogg, John Azor,. No. Clothing was replaced in extreme cases, and then only if Confederate families did not send replacements. Stevens remained as commandant until the end of the war. As the camp became more crowded, the latrines were filled and reestablished elsewhere in various parts of the enclosure until the camp grounds became filled with the poisonous matter. In addition, sometimes these entries leave out background information on individuals and events, which can leave the reader confused. Troops in the city began to serve as a prison camp garrison, mounting watch on the camp stockade walls and patrolling the perimeter. record ("About This Item") with your request. Several shots were fired by the adjacent sentinels; I should think about eight. . I shot at him, when he exclaimed, "O Lord," and fell back inside the fence. The following Prisoner of War letter was written by Pvt. [15][43], It is not known for certain, but it is estimated that approximately 1,700 prisoners died at Camp Morton between 1862 and 1865. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Your IP: Stamps, stationary,cooking utinsels, and tobacco bought for prisoners with the camp fund had a brief positive influence on morale. Of the 3 barracks, 2 served as additional prisoner barracks and the other one was added to the existing hospital. Ninety-one prisoners died in November 1863, and 104 more in December. Keep in mind that these articles were all written after a significant amount of time, and therefore are can be classified as memoirs. 1890). This list may not reflect recent changes . It is at this point that one of the main reasons why Camp Morton has been so easily forgotten comes to light: lack of primary sources, especially diaries. Knowing how a word is used is only as useful as knowing how many times it was used. A newspaper article with pictures of the escaped POW fugitives courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society. August to November, 1864 Source: Prisoners of War, 1861-65 Camp Morton, an Indianapolis civil war training camp and The uprising would, conspirators hoped, force Union troops to be diverted to the North. You can learn more about this collection at the FamilySearch website. section 13-2505 "Promoting Prison Contraband." This is a Class 5 felony . In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is They had four or five ladders. Dr. John A. Wyeth (Jan.Dec. Hot coffee is served to the men when relieved, and pains are taken to prevent suffering and needless exposure. . Though the number of prisoners is not certain, it ranged upward from 3,500 prisoners. Private Phillip Hattle, Co. 1 photographic print on carte de visite mount : albumen ; 10.0 x 6.2 cm (mount) | Photograph shows Private Hattle undressed and emaciated. New volunteers from Indiana's military companies served as replacements for the camp's prison guards. advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served. The guards were understaffed and overworked. United States Indiana Camp Morton Indianapolis, None. FAMM is working in Arizona in 2023. After a very long process, on October 3, 1993, a monument was placed above each of the ten boxes, which gave the name and information of every man. Quarters for the camp's prison guards were established at Camp Burnside, a Union camp located between Nineteenth and Tinker (present-day Sixteenth) Streets, south of Camp Morton. "[53].mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}394740.76N 8698.14W / 39.7946556N 86.1522611W / 39.7946556; -86.1522611, In 1916, students and teachers of Indianapolis Public School 45 erected a stone monument to mark the location of the camp at Alabama and Nineteenth Streets. Prisoners were also permitted to speak to visitors. These diaries have the added benefit of having context added after the fact, either by the writer himself or by the editor. That said, deaths among the prisoners were numerous. Andersonville Prison due to the stress on the city's food supply. Camp Douglas, Ill., Military Prison -- reels 65-71. By April, over 4,200 prisoners were confined at the camp. However, these short articles often only recall one small event, or can sum up a mans overall experience over a given amount of time. Because of this, inside of the camp, a small rail fence was built to serve as a deadline and keep prisoners off the fence. It was among the largest of the Union's eight prison camps established for Confederate noncommissioned officers and privates. Local newspapers, while starting out strong, eventually slowed reporting on the prisoners. Infty. [47] In 1906 the U.S. government sent Colonel William Elliot to Indianapolis to locate the mass grave, and in 1912 the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument was erected at the site to honor the 1,616 Confederate prisoners of war who were buried at Greenlawn. However, diaries prove to be a very good source, since there is no indication that they were censored. Capture and escape : a narrative of army and prison life. Col. Richard Owen, Commandant. For the first time in the conflict, Union military authorities were confronted with the task of housing large numbers of prisoners. Most of the records are from the War Department's Office of the Commissary General of Prisoners. In March 1862, 144 prisoners died at the camp. These articles are often much like memoirs in that they are written some time after the event(s) occurred, so they cannot always be reliable. While the conditions of Camp Morton have been highly speculated and scrutinized by previous historians, this focuses little on the camp itself, but rather looks towards the burials, relocations, and reburials of the Confederate prisoners of war after their deaths. As the text and visuals show, the remembrance of Camp Morton has depended on will always depend on more than monuments and arguments - it depends on solid sources that can be used. The first article, "Cold Cheer at Camp Morton" was written by Dr. John A. Wyeth, a former POW of Camp Morton. [33] A few of these attempts were made with wooden board planks or crude ladders. At the conclusion of the war, the property resumed its role as the fairgrounds for the Indiana State Fair. They were marched through the city, arriving about a mile north of town at the fairgrounds. The Library of Congress generally does not own rights to material in its collections and, therefore, cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. [1] Two days after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861, Indiana's governor Morton offered to raise and equip ten thousand Indiana troops in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call for volunteers to suppress the Southern rebellion and preserve the Union. Within five years the bodies would once again be exhumed and reburied in another section of Greenlawn Cemetery, and in the process the identity of each body would become a mystery. Prior to the war, the site served as the fairgrounds for the Indiana State Fair. ID# : 49.1962.1 Visit the Indiana History Blog to learn about Lucinda Burbank Morton's work to aid prisoners at Camp Morton. Camp Morton was established on a 36-acre (150,000m2) tract of land that bordered present-day Central Avenue and Nineteenth, Twenty-second, and Talbott Streets. [50], The Indiana State Fair returned to the site in 1868 and remained there until 1891, when the State Board of Agriculture sold the grounds in November to three businessmen from Indianapolis for $275,100. 148.251.123.50 Following Confederate general Robert E. Lee's surrender on April 9, many of Camp Morton's prisoners were discharged. While not all prisons have lists of local newspapers that can provide primary sources, all that exist provide an important insight. Early in the Civil War, Camp Morton, located just north of Indianapolis served as an important recruitment and training center for the Union Army. Below are two excerpts from the Official Records, one is detailing an escape attempt, the second, an inspection report. While the article was merely relaying a report by the United States Army on the extreme weather conditions and the suffering that it caused, it shows how newspapers can be very important not only in shaping how the citizens of Indianapolis viewed the POWs and even guards during the war, but perhaps most significantly, what was left for later citizens to learn. BELLE ISLE: This was a Confederate prison in the James Rivers at Richmond, VA. At the end of 1863 over 10,000 men were confined. In early 1865 the prisoner exchanges resumed. In addition to complete works of memoirs that are written after the war, there are sources such as articles written for magazines after the war. Rebel prisoners, Camp Morton, Indianapolis. [21], Colonel Richard Owen took over as commandant of the prisoner-of-war camp and served in that role until June 20, 1862, when his regiment was called to active duty and he departed Indianapolis with his men. (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.). Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as [40], Toward the end of 1863, a new military prison was constructed on the grounds with a capacity of sixty prisoners. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) is the premier urban Read More , On February 14, 1851, the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation for Read More , Herron-Morton Place is a historic district bounded by 22nd Read More , In 1874, the Jeffersonville Railroad sold a 98-acre tract along Read More , Crown Hill Cemetery was officially incorporated as a nonprofit, Read More , The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a Read More , As the political capital and railroad hub of Indiana Read More , Prior to 1824, all cemeteries in Marion County were rural Read More , In July 1965, Lester and Betty Likens, traveling fair concessionaires, leftRead More Sylvia Likens Murder Case, (Nov. 11, 1923 May 28, 2001). Two new, but incomplete, hospital wards were opened in December 1863, increasing the hospital's capacity to 160 patients. Memoirs, on the other hand can be uncertain sources because memories can change over time, and can be affected by time, the memories of others, and changes in how societies would view specific memories. Not placed in context, pleasant is one of the main words in his diary entries during those twenty-four days. The 36-acre (150,000m2) tract of partially wooded farmland north of the city loosely bordered present-day Central Avenue and Nineteenth, Twenty-second, and Talbott Streets. [47][54], In 1962, the Indiana Civil War Centennial Commission erected a state historical marker in the 1900 block of North Alabama Street, near the site of Camp Morton.[55]. site.). The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System currently includes information about two Civil War prisons: Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, once a temporary home to more than 15,000 Confederate soldiers; and Andersonville prison camp in Andersonville, Georgia, where more than 45,000 Union soldiers were confined. If an image is displaying, you can download it yourself. [50], A monument at Indianapolis's Greenlawn Cemetery was erected to honor the Confederate soldiers who were buried there. Local newspapers frequently published articles about the local prisons, the prisoners, and events that took place inside, and anything about the prisons that would affect the local citizenry. Large boilers were bought from farmers to replace camp kettles for cooking meals in economic quanities. Attempts to escape were rare while Owen was commandant. For the Norwegian coal mining encampment, see. Union & Confederate Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865. Following a general prisoner exchange in August 1862, Camp Morton reverted to a troop facility until early 1863, when it was reestablished as a prison and placed under army administration, commanded by Col. William Hoffman, Union Commisary General of Prisoners. Elmira, N.Y. -- reel 72. Camp Morton, Indiana . After numerous complaints from the local townspeople, this practice was stopped. [20], Confederate officers who had commissions were separated from their men and quartered in a barracks on Washington Street and elsewhere in the city until they could be moved to the prison camps in Ohio and Massachusetts. Additional Confederate prisoners came in August 1863, raising the total at the camp to nearly three thousand. Clay W. Holmes. The 60th Regiment Massachusetts Veteran Volunteers on guard. Although new barracks were quickly built, like the old halls, they were cheap and drafty. The campsite reverted to use as the state fairgrounds. Only 1,408 prisoners remained at the camp in April. Cutter, E. P. , Former Owner. and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Winslow and Moore, p. 107, 110, 115, and 127128. More were held temporarily in Lafayette and Terre Haute. To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our [38], When Stevens took command, the camp's condition had badly deteriorated. On July 23, 1863, eleven hundred of Morgan's men who had been captured during the raid were brought to Camp Morton. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument, http://www.csa-dixie.com/csa/prisoners/t59.htm, 1963 Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum gas explosion, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Camp_Morton&oldid=1153852160, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, Union soldiers, Confederate prisoners of war, This page was last edited on 8 May 2023, at 18:14. He was reported wounded and missing in action as of May 12, 1864. The first camp commandant was Col. Richard D. Owen of the 60th Indiana Regiment. A number of rebel troops managed to escape from Camp Morton by means of tunnels and breaches of the stockade walls. A hundred more arrived a week later. One of these places was Camp Morton in Indianapolis, Indiana at what was the newly built Indiana State Fairgrounds. In the work, Haunted by Atrocity, Benjamin Cloyd points to embellished memories coming out of Andersonville in the post-war years, and the issues they have created. Conditions at the prison continued to grow worse as time went along. Fort Delaware, Del., Military Prison -- reels 53-64. [14], Confederate prisoners from the area around Chattanooga, Tennessee, arrived at the overcrowded camp at the end of 1863. While Camp Morton had an estimated maximum capacity of only 3,000 prisoners, it at one point held a total of 5,000 prisoners, and an estimated 9,000 prisoners passed through its gates: 1,763 of those men would die while incarcerated there. [9] Existing buildings could not house all the incoming troops, so new sheds were built with bunks; however, the soldiers had to bathe in Fall Creek. These works include the diary of Arthur G. Sedgwick and the diary of First Lieutenant George R. Lodge, held at Libby Prison. Punishments included a reduction of rations. [52], A bronze bust of Colonel Richard Owen, designed by Belle Kinney Scholz, the daughter of a Confederate soldier, is installed on the main floor of the Indiana Statehouse as a tribute to Owen's service as commandant at Camp Morton in 1862. Thereafter, camp commanders constructed rough barracks to replace cow sheds. Colonel James Biddle, Seventy-first Indiana Volunteers, became commandant of the camp. Both the Union and Confederacy quickly formed or converted camps in which to house prisoners. 1863-1865 Role 2-Vol 2. all prisoners. The prisoners complained of being housed in these structures. However, the Union defeat at the first battle of Bull Run in July 1861 made real the probability of a long conflict. Housing for the prisoners consisted of 5 large, wood-frame fair buildings toward the center of the prison area. About this Item Title Rebel prisoners, Camp Morton, Indianapolis Summary Photograph shows Confederate prisoners of war at Camp Morton. [18], On February 22, the first Confederate prisoners arrived by train at Indianapolis. Seven hundred extra blankets and many shoes had been issued. No. Arizona has some of the harshest sentencing laws in the country, and its prison system has been mired in scandal and disorder for more than a decade. Later that Camp Morton became part of a prisoner of war system. Several escape tunnels were discovered and collapsed as escape attempts began. More could be accommodated in an emergency. Department of the Cumberland, Nashville, Tenn. -- reels 40-52. Winslow and Moore, p. 2526, 4344, and 4849. It was estimated that at least 9,000 prisoners passed through the camp gates during its 25 months of operation. Duplication Services Web site. In addition, he used the word "weather" twenty-five times, "prisoners" eighteen times, and "money" nineteen times. Despite this, Camp Morton has been mostly lost to time and memory for multiple reasons. Stalls were converted into sleeping quarters for the prisoners and additional barracks and latrines were built. [27], Although later expanded, the hospital on Camp Morton's grounds was not large enough to serve all the camp's prisoners.