CW Prisons
Civil War era prisons were not a place any soldier wanted to end up. Countless records and accounts of abuse, deprivation, and outright torture underscore the brutality that became associated with the vast majority of these holding pens for captured enemy combatants.
Recommended Reading
Northern (Union) Prisons
Arkansas
- Little Rock
California
- Mare’s Island
Delaware
- Fort Delaware
Florida
- Fort Jefferson (Dry Tortugas Islands)
- Fort Pickens
Kansas
- Fort Riley
Kentucky
- Columbus
- Lexington
- Louisville
- Paducah
Illinois
- Alton
- Camp Butler (Springfield)
- Camp Douglas (Chicago)
- Camp Douglas, Chicago
- Secret War Plans
- To Die in Chicago
- Rock Island
Indiana
- Camp Morton (Indianapolis)
- Evansville
- Fort Wayne
- Lafayette
- New Albany
- Richmond
- Terre Haute
Maryland
- Baltimore City Jail
- Camp Parole
- Camp Thunder
- Fort McHenry (Baltimore Bastille)
- Hope Slater
- Point Lookout (Camp Hoffman)
Massachusetts
- Fort Jefferson
- Fort Warren
Missouri
- Benton’s Barracks
- Gratiot State Penitentiary
- Guerrilla Prison (Bingham Building)
- Kansas City
- Missouri Penitentiary (Jefferson City)
- Myrtle State Prison (Lynch’s Slave Pen)
- St. Charles
- St. Louis
- Schofield Barracks
- Springfield
New Mexico
- Fort Craig
New York
- Albany Penitentiary
- Camp Chemung
- Castle Williams (Governor’s Island)
- David’s Island
- Edward’s Island
- Elmira
- Elmira, Civil War Death Camp (Guest Blog)
- Hamilton
- Fort Columbus (Governor’s Island )
- Fort Lafayette (American Bastille)
- Fort Schuyler
- Fort Wood (Bedloe’s Island)
- Hart’s Island
- Ludlow Street Jail
- New York City
- Riker’s Island
- Tombs Prison
- Ward’s Island
Ohio
- Camp Chase (Columbus)
- Camp Dennison
- McLean Barracks (Cincinnati)
- Johnson’s Island
- Ohio State Penitentiary
Pennsylvania
- Allegheny Penitentiary
- Camp Curtain
- Chester
- Fort Delaware
- Fort Mifflin
Tennessee
- Irving Block (Memphis)
- Nashville ( Tennessee State Penitentiary)
Virginia
- Fort Monroe
- Fort Norfolk
- Newport News
- Libby
Washington, D.C.
- Arsenal Penitentiary
- Carroll (Duff’s Green Row)
- Forest Hall (Georgetown)
- Old Capitol
- Washington County Jail
West Virginia
- Atheneum (Wheeling)
- Charleston
Wisconsin
- Camp Randell (Madison)
Atheneum prison. my grandfather confederate Adam c. Ewing was a pow here then transferred to deleware prison. what were conditions like? he survived and signed oath of allegience to u.s. in 1865.
My grandfather Adam C. Ewing was a POW at Atheneum Prison tthen was transferred to Deleware Prison. what were conditions like at both places?