A Guard's Life | chemungcocivilwar

On Watch: A Guard's Life

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.

Guard House The guards ran on 24-hour shifts with over 300 men on duty at a time, rotating between the main gate, picket duty, rear guard, outside patrol, in-camp patrol and rest periods.	The men of the Veteran Reserve Corps were considered too wounded to fight, but not to guard prisoners.
Camp of the 54th New York Guards The housing conditions for the enlisted guards were almost the same as for their prisoners.	Overcoat worn by an enlisted Union soldier during the Civil War, 1860s
Rifle carried by a soldier in the 89th regt. New York Volunteers when he was a guard at the Elmira prison camp, 1865	Detail of rifle carried by a soldier in the 89th regt. New York Volunteers when he was a guard at the Elmira prison camp, 1865
19000301-3 Detail of rifle carried by a soldier in the 89th regt. New York Volunteers when he was a guard at the Elmira prison camp, 1865	The Southerners’ resentment of African-American guards resulted in a shooting incident on July 31, 1864.
Melvin Conklin After a successful tunnel escape, guard Melvin Conklin acted as an undercover spy within the prison camp. There were no more successful breakouts.	Glass bead necklace made by a prisoner and sold outside of the prison by a guard

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Confederate Prison Camp

On Watch: A Guard's Life

Guard House

The guards ran on 24-hour shifts with over 300 men on duty at a time, rotating between the main gate, picket duty, rear guard, outside patrol, in-camp patrol and rest periods.

The men of the Veteran Reserve Corps were considered too wounded to fight, but not to guard prisoners.

Camp of the 54th New York Guards

The housing conditions for the enlisted guards were almost the same as for their prisoners.

Overcoat worn by an enlisted Union soldier during the Civil War, 1860s

Rifle carried by a soldier in the 89th regt. New York Volunteers when he was a guard at the Elmira prison camp, 1865

Detail of rifle carried by a soldier in the 89th regt. New York Volunteers when he was a guard at the Elmira prison camp, 1865

19000301-3

Detail of rifle carried by a soldier in the 89th regt. New York Volunteers when he was a guard at the Elmira prison camp, 1865

The Southerners’ resentment of African-American guards resulted in a shooting incident on July 31, 1864.

Melvin Conklin

After a successful tunnel escape, guard Melvin Conklin acted as an undercover spy within the prison camp. There were no more successful breakouts.

Glass bead necklace made by a prisoner and sold outside of the prison by a guard