Johnson's Island
Encyclopedia
Johnson's Island is a 300 acres (121.4 ha) island in Sandusky Bay
, located on the coast of Lake Erie
, 3 miles (5 km) from the city of Sandusky, Ohio
. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp
for Confederate
officers captured during the American Civil War
. Johnson's Island was the only Union
prison
exclusively for Southern officers but it also held regular soldiers. During its three years of operation, more than 15,000 men were incarcerated there.
s, which were also closer to Canada
in the event of a prison break. Woods of hickory
and oak
trees could provide lumber
and fuel. The U.S. government leased half the island from private owner Leonard B. Johnson for $500 a year, and for the duration of the war carefully controlled access to the island.
The 16.5 acres (66,773.2 m²) prison opened in April 1862. A 15 feet (4.6 m)-high (5 m) wooden stockade
surrounded 12 two-story prisoner housing barracks
, a hospital
, latrines, sutler
’s stand, three wells, a pest house, and two large mess halls (added in August 1864). More than 40 buildings stood outside the prison walls, including barns, stables, a limekiln
, forts, barracks for officers, and a powder magazine. They were used by the 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
, which guarded the prison.
Among the prominent Confederate generals imprisoned on Johnson's Island were Isaac R. Trimble
and James J. Archer
(both captured at the Battle of Gettysburg
), William Beall
, Thomas Benton Smith
, Edward "Allegheny" Johnson
and Missouri
cavalryman M. Jeff Thompson
. Lieutenant Christopher Columbus Nash
, later the sheriff
of Grant Parish
, Louisiana
, who directed the suppression of the Colfax Riot in 1873, was also imprisoned at Johnson's Island.
The prisoners had a lively community, with amateur theatrical performances, publishing, and crafts projects available.
After the unraveling of a Confederate espionage
ring which had been plotting the seizure of the Great Lakes
warship USS Michigan and a mass breakout of prisoners, Forts Johnson and Hill were constructed over the winter of 1864–65. They were not operational until March 1865, in the war's final months, when the prisoner population peaked at 3,200. More than 15,000 men passed through Johnson’s Island until it was closed in September 1865. Wardens lost only about 200 prisoners as a result of the harsh Ohio winters, food and fuel shortages, and disease. Johnson's Island had one of the lowest mortality rates of any Civil War prison. Confederates made many escape attempts, including efforts by some to walk across the frozen Lake Erie to freedom in Canada. A handful of escapes were successful.
, and some were razed after falling into disrepair. Efforts in 1897 to turn the island into a resort
(as with nearby Cedar Point
) failed, and the land was used for farming
and rock quarrying
. Many lakeside homes have since been built, and the island is now quite developed with two subdivisions. Most of the Civil War-related sites, excepting the cemetery, have since been destroyed and built over.
In 1990 Johnson’s Island was designated a National Historic Landmark
. A causeway
was built to connect it with the mainland. The Confederate cemetery, as well as Fort Hill in the interior of the island, are accessible to the public. Ground-penetrating radar
studies have proved that several graves lie outside its fence. Heidelberg College
conducts yearly archeology digs at the prison site.
, is dedicated to the history of Johnson's Island and run by the Johnson Island Preservation Society. Opened in 2001, the museum exhibits focus on the island's history as a Civil War POW camp and later uses as a pleasure resort and a quarry. The museum is open on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Sandusky Bay
Sandusky Bay is a body of water situated in between Erie, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties in the U.S. state of Ohio and just to the south of Lake Erie. Sandusky Bay runs from Muddy Creek Bay to Cedar Point, which is part of Sandusky....
, located on the coast of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
, 3 miles (5 km) from the city of Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
for Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
officers captured during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Johnson's Island was the only Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
exclusively for Southern officers but it also held regular soldiers. During its three years of operation, more than 15,000 men were incarcerated there.
Civil War years
In late 1861, Federal officials selected Johnson’s Island as the site for a prisoner of war camp to hold up to 2,500 captured Confederate officers. The island offered easy access by ship for supplies to construct and maintain a prison and its population. Sandusky Bay offered more protection from the elements than on other nearby islandIsland
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s, which were also closer to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the event of a prison break. Woods of hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trees could provide lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and fuel. The U.S. government leased half the island from private owner Leonard B. Johnson for $500 a year, and for the duration of the war carefully controlled access to the island.
The 16.5 acres (66,773.2 m²) prison opened in April 1862. A 15 feet (4.6 m)-high (5 m) wooden stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
surrounded 12 two-story prisoner housing barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
, a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, latrines, sutler
Sutler
A sutler or victualer is a civilian merchant who sells provisions to an army in the field, in camp or in quarters. The sutler sold wares from the back of a wagon or a temporary tent, allowing them to travel along with an army or to remote military outposts...
’s stand, three wells, a pest house, and two large mess halls (added in August 1864). More than 40 buildings stood outside the prison walls, including barns, stables, a limekiln
Limekiln
A lime kiln is used to produce quicklime through the calcination of limestone . The chemical equation for this reaction is...
, forts, barracks for officers, and a powder magazine. They were used by the 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
128th Ohio Infantry
The 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 128th Ohio Infantry was organized in Columbus and Johnson's Island, Ohio and mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel Charles W. Hill...
, which guarded the prison.
Among the prominent Confederate generals imprisoned on Johnson's Island were Isaac R. Trimble
Isaac R. Trimble
Isaac Ridgeway Trimble was a United States Army officer, a civil engineer, a prominent railroad construction superintendent and executive, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War, most famous for his leadership role in the assault known as Pickett's Charge at the Battle of...
and James J. Archer
James J. Archer
James Jay Archer was a lawyer and an officer in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War, and he later served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
(both captured at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
), William Beall
William Beall
William Nelson Rector Beall was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He is most noted for his supply efforts on behalf of Confederate prisoners of war.-Early life and career:...
, Thomas Benton Smith
Thomas Benton Smith
Thomas Benton Smith was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, Edward "Allegheny" Johnson
Edward Johnson (general)
Edward Johnson , also known as Allegheny Johnson , was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
cavalryman M. Jeff Thompson
M. Jeff Thompson
Meriwether Jeff Thompson was a brigadier general in the Missouri State Guard during the American Civil War. He served the Confederate Army as a cavalry commander, and had the unusual distinction of having a ship in the Confederate Navy named for him.-Early life:*Father: Meriwether Thompson b....
. Lieutenant Christopher Columbus Nash
Christopher Columbus Nash
Christopher Columbus Nash was a merchant and a Democratic sheriff in Grant Parish, Louisiana, who in 1873 led a company of white militiamen to regain control of the parish courthouse in Colfax, which had been seized by armed African-American insurgents...
, later the sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Grant Parish
Grant Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,698 people, 7,073 households, and 5,276 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 8,531 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, who directed the suppression of the Colfax Riot in 1873, was also imprisoned at Johnson's Island.
The prisoners had a lively community, with amateur theatrical performances, publishing, and crafts projects available.
After the unraveling of a Confederate espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
ring which had been plotting the seizure of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
warship USS Michigan and a mass breakout of prisoners, Forts Johnson and Hill were constructed over the winter of 1864–65. They were not operational until March 1865, in the war's final months, when the prisoner population peaked at 3,200. More than 15,000 men passed through Johnson’s Island until it was closed in September 1865. Wardens lost only about 200 prisoners as a result of the harsh Ohio winters, food and fuel shortages, and disease. Johnson's Island had one of the lowest mortality rates of any Civil War prison. Confederates made many escape attempts, including efforts by some to walk across the frozen Lake Erie to freedom in Canada. A handful of escapes were successful.
Postbellum
After the war, the prison camp was abandoned and control reverted to the owner. Most of the buildings were auctioned off by the ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and some were razed after falling into disrepair. Efforts in 1897 to turn the island into a resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
(as with nearby Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
) failed, and the land was used for farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and rock quarrying
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
. Many lakeside homes have since been built, and the island is now quite developed with two subdivisions. Most of the Civil War-related sites, excepting the cemetery, have since been destroyed and built over.
In 1990 Johnson’s Island was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. A causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
was built to connect it with the mainland. The Confederate cemetery, as well as Fort Hill in the interior of the island, are accessible to the public. Ground-penetrating radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
studies have proved that several graves lie outside its fence. Heidelberg College
Heidelberg College
Heidelberg University is a private liberal arts college located in the city of Tiffin, Ohio in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1850, it was known as Heidelberg College until 1889 and from 1926 to 2009.- History :...
conducts yearly archeology digs at the prison site.
Johnson's Island Museum
The Johnson's Island Museum and information center, located on the mainland in Sandusky, OhioSandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
, is dedicated to the history of Johnson's Island and run by the Johnson Island Preservation Society. Opened in 2001, the museum exhibits focus on the island's history as a Civil War POW camp and later uses as a pleasure resort and a quarry. The museum is open on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
See also
- List of Civil War POW Prisons and Camps
- Prisoner of war mail
- Davids' IslandDavids' Island (New York)Davids' Island is a island off the coast of New Rochelle, New York, in Long Island Sound. Currently uninhabited, in the past it was the site of Fort Slocum. Plans are to preserve the island as public parkland under the Westchester County Parks system. The island is home to the endangered Kemp’s...
External links
- Johnson's Island Memorial Project
- Johnson's Island Preservation Society - includes Johnson's Island Museum
- Roy Swartz's Johnson's Island Page