17 former Confederate soldiers and officers were at the Ohio Penitentiary in 1897. The name of the newspaper article was "Soldiers of the Prison" "Hold one of Most Unique Reunions Upon Which the Sun Ever Shone" "The Blue and the Gray" There were a total of 79 former Civil War soldiers 62 being former Union soldiers and 17 Confederate. They were allowed to hold their own Memorial Day in 1897 in the prison yard but within the walls of the prison. Another veteran was allowed to join them but he was a Mexican War Veteran. Since their names and units were listed I did check a couple of them and they were according to their Compiled Military Service Records in the War. Not surprising their Military Records were less than standard. For example a Captain John Boatwright was listed as being with Company K 11th South Carolina Infantry. He does have a War record and in 1863 General Beauregard is going to suspend Captain Boatwright from duty and rank. What charges he had when he was put into the Ohio Penitentiary is not known. Another former Confederate was W.S. Johnson of Company C 26th Georgia Infantry. He was discharged from the Confederate Army in 1862. Some of these 17 Confederates would probably die at the Ohio Pen and probably without headstones. I found this to be an interesting part of history as I'm sure some of these soldiers would just appear to fade away into history. If 17 former Confederates were in prison in 1897 in Columbus, Ohio how many would be in prison in other states?