When the prison camp opened, Elmirans demanded protection from the threat of the prisoners and possible rescue by Southern forces. Their protectors were the nearly 3,000 men of the 1st, 16th and 19th Veteran Reserve Corps, the 54th New York Volunteers and a company of African-American troops. On duty, the guards patrolled the stockade fence and kept order inside the camp. Off duty, they played baseball, attended dances and drank. Among the prisoners, some guards gained a reputation for cruelty, others for friendliness and straight dealing. Many guards made friends and money as go-betweens selling prisoner-made jewelry outside the camp.