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Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas

I was unable to access the Google book reference you posted below. So I got out my copy of George Levy’s “To Die in Chicago: Confederate Prisoners at Camp Douglas 1862-1865" (Evanston Publishing, 1994) and have extracted some information on clothing issues to the prisoners at Camp Douglas that will interest you. Some other publisher has the rights now, but I believe this to be a reliable work on the history of Camp Douglas.

Camp Douglas was built as a Union army camp of instruction and organization in 1861. Money was spent in 1862 and early 1863 to repair and maintain the barracks. This would explain the high quality barracks buildings seen in the “1863” photo. The first Confederate prisoners to be held there arrived in early 1862 after the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson. By the summer of 1862, there were about 8,000 POWs accumulated at Camp Douglas. The Dix-Hill Cartel was signed 22 JUL 1862 and orders received from the War Department on 28 AUG 1862 to parole and deliver the POWs at Camp Douglas. Some 7,200 paroled prisoners of war were delivered to Confederate authorities at Vicksburg from Camp Douglas in early September 1862. Camp Douglas did not house large numbers of Confederate POWs again until August 1863.

Discussion of clothing issues during this period indicate that the State of Illinois ordered the camp commander to issue clothing, and equipment to the prisoners around 21 FEB 1862. This order was quickly countermanded by the War Department because Camp Douglas was a Federal facility and State Adjutant Generals did not give orders to U. S. Officers. Levy wrote that during the first week in March, the army delivered three tons of corn meal to Camp Douglas plus large quantities of blankets, clothing, shoes and eating utensils. He did not elaborate on the clothing. It is possible that gray Illinois State Militia uniforms were discarded and given out to the prisoners.

Some other quotes from Levy:

“Public sympathy for the prisoners was aroused in Chicago, and Reverend Tuttle, the Post Chaplain, was elected chairman of a relief committee. Collections were taken up in the churches. Reverend Tuttle wrote after the war that “I suppose I distributed clothing from Kentucky, the first year, to the amount of $100,000, It was mainly among the sick and dying.”

My guess is that the good Reverend is giving himself a little too much credit, but civilian supplied clothing was a very important source for the prisoners at Fort Delaware and other camps as well. It saved the Union War Department money!!!

Levy continued: “The army reject-clothing promised in February never arrived, and on 24 JUL 1862, Colonel Tucker made an emergency requisition for clothing. [Tucker wrote] ‘Many of the prisoners are destitute and without a change of clothing, while others have portions of citizen’s dress which they had received before I assumed command [21 FEB 1862].’ He [Tucker] wished to replace their civilian clothing with captured Confederate uniforms, which in case of an escape would be easily recognized.”

“On August 13, Hoffman went ahead without Tucker and ordered 3,000 each of pants, hats, coats, and shirts. This shipment met half the prisoners’ needs. Another set of 3,000 each was stopped later in August because exchange appeared imminent.”

The Federal War Department reluctantly honored the Dix-Hill Cartel from its signing on 22 JUL 1862 until the month of July 1863. According to Levy, the last of the Confederate POWs left Camp Douglas on 29 SEP 1862. After that, it was pressed into service as a Parole Camp for Union soldiers returned North under the Dix-Hill Cartel. Under the Dix-Hill Cartel, POWs were to be paroled and returned to their own side within "ten days of capture, or as soons as practicble thereafter" so there were very few Confederate POWs held at Camp Douglas from October 1862 through July 1863. A decision was made by the War Department to embark upon a war of attrition against the Confederate South in the spring of 1863 and Camp Douglas was to be put in order to house up to 10,000 POWs. The first to arrive were Morgan’s Raiders in August 1863.

Levy quoted from a T. D. Henry writing in the Southern Historical Society Papers: “Generally they (Morgan’s Raiders) are far better looking men than any of the secesh prisoners we had here before” a reporter conceded. “Those butternut suits and shapeless slouched hats, would make an ugly man of anybody. All the colors of Joseph’s coats were represented in their wearing apparel: the butternut was worn by the careless quiet looking individuals, who had their horse blankets and tin cups strung across their shoulders. But the keen, black eyed out-and-out ‘raiders’ of the dare devil stripe, had either a suit of black broadcloth, or a portion of our own soldier’s blue uniform.”

Photos I have seen of Morgan's Officers taken at Fort Delaware in the spring of 1864 show most of them wearing regulation Confederate uniform.

Confederate prisoners began to accumulate again at Camp Douglas and by October 1863, there were a little over 6,000 POWs on hand. According to Levy, following an inspection by Dr. A. M. Clark, Medical Inspector of Prisons in October 1863, Colonel DeLand (the newest camp commander) “issued 1,000 blankets, 1,000 jackets, 1,000 pairs of pants, 2,000 woolen shirts, 2,000 pairs of drawers, 2000 pairs of socks, and 1,000 pairs of shoes to the prisoners.” Hoffman was said to have instructed DeLand to cut off the skirts, trimmings, and buttons from the army clothing before issuing to prisoners.

Assuming that the year of the Camp Douglas prisoners photo is correctly identified as 1863, it would be my guess that it was taken in October of 1863 and that you do see some Union army coats either from recent issue, or worn by Confederate soldiers when captured. Some of Morgan’s men were likely still there in black broadcloth coats too.

This is about half of the references I found to prisoners’ clothing in Levy’s book. But it covers the claimed period of the photo. I haven’t read Levy’s book in some time. Think I will do that over the coming winter months.

Happy New Year!!

Hugh

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Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
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Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Re: Confederate Prisoner Photo - Camp Douglas
Descendants Certificates