Johnson's Island Prisoner of War Camp Collection

2000
Manuscript Collection #997
Creator(s)
Physical description
0.0125 Gigabytes
Preferred Citation
Johnson's Island Prisoner of War Camp Collection (#997), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
The collection is open for research. Original audiovisual media, digital media, and digital files are unavailable for use. Please contact Special Collections to request access copies.

A digital collection containing photographs of headstones of Confederate officers who died at Johnson Island, Ohio Prisoner of War Camp and a document detailing some biographical information of the officers.


Biographical/historical information

In 1861 the U.S. Army leased 40 acres of the island from Johnson to establish a Prisoner of War Camp. The camp was in operation from April 1862 to September 1865. There were a total of 12 prison blocks and one prison hospital. The camp was originally designed to house generals and soldiers, but before the camp opened, the decision was made to only have officers imprisoned. Overall, there were over 9,000 prisoners who were confined to twelve prison blocks. The average number of prisoners on the Island were 2,000 to 2,500. Prisoners were traded and twelve prisoners were able to escape. When the Civil War ended, the Prison Camp was decommissioned in September 1865.


Administrative information
Custodial History

March 5, 2004, 5 items, 0.01 cubic feet; Collection (ca. 1998-1999), including list of Confederate officers who died at the Johnson Island, Ohio prisoner of war camp, 1862-1865; photographs of gravestones in the prison camp cemetery of North Carolina Confederate officers buried there, 1861-1912; a transcript of "Out of Frozen Hell," a two-part arcticle by Roger Long, published in the Civil War Times Illustrated, March, May 1998, concerning escape attempts from Johnsons Island; and a compact disk. All physical documents deaccessioned 7-1-24. Digital files retained. Donor: Anonymous

Source of acquisition

Anonymous gift

Processing information

Encoded by Mark Custer, March 24, 2008

Updated by John Dunning, July 2024

Copyright notice

This material is made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Permission to cite, quote, or reproduce images or text is restricted. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to taking precautions against infringement of copyright and respecting the publication rights of reproduced materials. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Please contact Special Collections with any questions.


Related material

Joseph Kinsey Papers (Manuscript Collection #63) Note to Researchers: The related collection includes a diary that was written by Joseph Kinsey while he was in prison on Johnson's Island.


Key terms
Corporate Names
Confederate States of America. Army--Officers
Johnson Island Prison
Topical
Prisoner-of-war escapes--Ohio--Johnson Island
Places
Confederate States of America--Registers
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Prisoners and prisons

Container list

These are digital files. Original audiovisual media, digital media, and digital files are unavailable for use. Please contact Special Collections to request access copies.

Photographs of gravestones and biographical information of North Carolina Confederate officers