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In the Guarded City: A Prisoner's Life
In many ways, the prison camp was like its own city with a library, hospital and market. The economy ran on tobacco and barter. Prisoners worked for the camp administration as carpenters, clerks, hospital attendants, waiters and cooks. Others ran their own businesses as barbers, tailors, hunters, teachers or makers of handmade jewelry. Still, it was a poor city where food and clothes were scarce and nearly everyone had lice. Many prisoners suffered from diseases like dysentery and smallpox and nearly everyone had scurvy.
 Prisoners with carpentry experience earned 10 cents a day, the top rate of pay, for building the camp’s wooden barracks. |  Sketch by prisoner W. NormanMost of the trade in camp took place in the open market near the mess hall. |
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 For many prisoners, rats were a source of both meat and money. Once the meat was gone, bones could be sold to make jewelry and the fur could be made into gloves. |  T.W. Hentz letter, Jan. 18, 1865“…I cannot buy any clothing here at all. If it will not be taxing you too much, I do wish that you would send me an overcoat (not fine) one more undershirt and two pair drawers (woolen)...” |
 The uncomfortable and humiliating barrel shirt, along with the ball and chain, sweatbox and solitary confinement, were some of the punishments given to prisoners who broke camp rules. |  Ball and chain from the prison camp |
 Iron handcuffs, 1860s |  Bible given to Thomas H. Cox while he was a prisoner at Elmira, inscribed “Presented to me by a lady while at this place Jan the 8th 1865” |
 Tin cup used by a prisoner at the Elmira prison camp |
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