Summer to Winter 1864 | chemungcocivilwar

Elmira Prison Camp: Summer to Winter 1864

On July 6, 1864 the first 400 Confederate prisoners-of-war arrived at the camp. By August 18 the population was 9,262. From the beginning, the camp was ill prepared and undersupplied. Outbreaks of measles, scurvy and waterborne diseases overwhelmed the short-staffed hospital. The prison death toll jumped from 11 in July to 115 by the end of August. Winter came early with heavy snow on October 6. More than half the soldiers were housed in tents and shortages of food, warm clothing and blankets made prisoners even more likely to fall ill.

Incoming Prisoners Originally designed for 4,000 men in barracks and 1,000 in tents, the prison camp would house nearly 10,000 prisoners at one time.	Barracks door number from the prison camp, 1864
Railroad Station, Shohola, PA On July 15, 1864, a deadly train wreck near Shohola killed 48 Confederate prisoners and 17 Union guards on their way to Elmira.	Floor planof prison camp hospital The camp hospital had six wards to care for the prisoners but it was not staffed with a chief surgeon until early August.
Piece of a bed sheet used at the hospital in the Elmira prison camp	On September 28, 1864, prisoner W.A. Bavis wrote to Mrs. M.A. Richmond expressing his hope that rumors of prisoner exchanges were true. On October 11, about 1,400 parolees left the prison camp.
In mid October, when construction of winter barracks began, 5,190 prisoners were housed in tents.

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Confederate Prison Camp

Elmira Prison Camp: Summer to Winter 1864

Incoming Prisoners

Originally designed for 4,000 men in barracks and 1,000 in tents, the prison camp would house nearly 10,000 prisoners at one time.

Barracks door number from the prison camp, 1864

Railroad Station, Shohola, PA

On July 15, 1864, a deadly train wreck near Shohola killed 48 Confederate prisoners and 17 Union guards on their way to Elmira.

Floor planof prison camp hospital

The camp hospital had six wards to care for the prisoners but it was not staffed with a chief surgeon until early August.

Piece of a bed sheet used at the hospital in the Elmira prison camp

On September 28, 1864, prisoner W.A. Bavis wrote to Mrs. M.A. Richmond expressing his hope that rumors of prisoner exchanges were true. On October 11, about 1,400 parolees left the prison camp.

In mid October, when construction of winter barracks began, 5,190 prisoners were housed in tents.