Part I Union Civil War Prison at Point Lookout, Maryland
There were many prison camps throughout the North and South during the Civil War. Many of them became as well known as the Civil War battles. Prison camps were setup in warehouses, military training camps, old forts, factories, and local city jails, state penitentiaries were also used on occasion. Even a church was pressed into service. Their names were, Castle Thunder, The Libby, Castle Pinchney, Old Capitol Prison, Fort McHenry, Fort Lafayette, Fort Columbus, Gratiot Street Prison, Johnson's Island, Camp Butler, Camp Randall, Camp Douglas Camp Morton, Camp Chase, Salisbury, Alton, Camp Parole, Rock Island, Fort Delaware, Fort Warren, Belle Isle, Andersonville Camp Sumter, Macon, Cahaba, Camp Ford, Elmira, Hart's Island, Millen, Beaufort, and others. Point Lookout (the largest Union prison) was where my 2nd Great Grandfather was taken after he was captured. Within these prisons over 56,000 men died. The death rate reached 10 percent a month. In less than five months, over a third of 10,000 perished.
As with all the Civil War many lessons from the past were not applicable and the prison system was no exception. The North and South were both facing burdens they were unprepared to adequately address. What follows is information I have gathered about the prison camp at Point Lookout, MD. Some of the information I obtained through Internet resources, some through books I have read.
The camp's Provost Marshall was Major. Brady assisted by Major. Gen. Benjamin Butler.
A federal prison camp for Confederates was built on Point Lookout, Maryland, at the extreme tip of St. Mary's County, on the barren peninsula where the Potomac River joins Chesapeake Bay. The camp was convenient to the battlefields in the East and therefore became the largest Union prison. The camp was established after the Battle of Gettysburg to incarcerate Confederate prisoners. The camp was in operation two years, July, 1863-June, 1865. The prison consisted of "two enclosures of flat sand, one about thirty and the other about ten acres, each surrounded by a fence fifteen feet high, without tree or shrub. The camp was only about 5' above sea level.
Because of the topography, drainage was poor, and the area was subject to extreme heat in the summer and cold in the winter. This exacerbated the problems created by inadequate food, clothing, fuel, housing, and medical care. As a result, approximately 4,000 prisoners died there over 22 months, a death rate of 25-30%.
Union Civil War Prison at Point Lookout, Maryland
I became interested in the Civil War prison camps during my research of family history. I found that my 2nd Great Grandfather was held prisoner at Point Lookout between July-1863-January 1864. He was captured after the battle of Gettysburg, while covering Robert E. Lee army of Northern Virginia. He was given the opportunity to get out of prison and serve with the 1st U.S. Volunteers in company “D” and finished his military career while serving with this unit in the Dakota Territory.
There were many prison camps throughout the North and South during the Civil War. Many of them became as well known as the Civil War battles. Prison camps were setup in warehouses, military training camps, old forts, factories, and local city jails, state penitentiaries were also used on occasion. Even a church was pressed into service. Their names were, Castle Thunder, The Libby, Castle Pinchney, Old Capitol Prison, Fort McHenry, Fort Lafayette, Fort Columbus, Gratiot Street Prison, Johnson's Island, Camp Butler, Camp Randall, Camp Douglas Camp Morton, Camp Chase, Salisbury, Alton, Camp Parole, Rock Island, Fort Delaware, Fort Warren, Belle Isle, Andersonville Camp Sumter, Macon, Cahaba, Camp Ford, Elmira, Hart's Island, Millen, Beaufort, and others. Point Lookout (the largest Union prison) was where my 2nd Great Grandfather was taken after he was captured. Within these prisons over 56,000 men died. The death rate reached 10 percent a month. In less than five months, over a third of 10,000 perished.
As with all the Civil War many lessons from the past were not applicable and the prison system was no exception. The North and South were both facing burdens they were unprepared to adequately address. What follows is information I have gathered about the prison camp at Point Lookout, MD. Some of the information I obtained through Internet resources, some through books I have read.
Map of Point Lookout Prison in Maryland
It is estimated that a total of over 50,000 men, both military and civilian, were held prisoner there. Although it was designed for 10,000 prisoners, during most of its existence it held 12,600 to 20,000 inmates.
The only remaining building left at Point Lookout Prison
