Civil War Prisons in Illinois

Names and Locations of Prisons in Illinois used during the Civil War

Alton Penitentiary

Alton - on Mississippi just north of St.Louis

smallest Illinois prison

escapes were not uncommon

Camp Butler

Springfield - central Illinois and the state capital

first prisoners were 2000 Confederates taken at Fort Donelson, TN

guarded by the 52nd Illinois Infantry

1500 prisoners arrived after the capture of Island No. 10, Missouri

over 850 Confederate soldiers are buried at Camp Butler

Camp Douglas

Chicago - near Lake Michigan in northeast Illinois

first prisoners were 8000 Confederates taken at Fort Donelson, TN

during war held over 18,000 men, with over 12,000 simultaneously in Dec 1864

Rock Island Prison

Rock Island - in Mississippi River in northwest Illinois

constructed 1863

one of the largest and most notorious prison camps in the North.

almost 2000 Confederate soldiers were buried here

References

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Last update: Saturday, 11-Nov-1995 21:32:45 CST