Camp Douglas was among the largest POW camps on the Union side during the Civil War. Although it was originally a training camp for Union soldiers, it soon became a detention center as well about a year after the start of the war. It became a permanent POW camp at the start of 1863 until the end of the war. It was notable for its horrific living conditions and high death rate among prisoners.
In 1861, President Lincoln called upon the nation for 42,000 volunteers, as well as an army expansion of 23,000 soldiers and a naval expansion of 18,000 sailors. Each Union state began organizing and preparing for this surge of troops, and Illinois was no exception. Chicago was suggested as a location for a training camp, as it contained a large amount of civilians who wanted to join. Additionally, it was an ideal location because it was located by Lake Michigan which could supply plenty of water, and the Illinois rail yards, which could bring in food and supplies each day. Senator Stephen Douglas has just donated a plot of land south of the city to University of Chicago’s campus, but it was decided that the land would be better used as a training camp. The camp was later named Camp Douglas in the Senator’s honor.
Governor Richard Yates put Colonel Joseph H. Tucker in charge of building the camp, as well as naming him the first commander. The original barracks were completed in November 1861, and could house about 4,000 volunteers. Conditions in the camp were poor; and by the following February in 1862, at least 40 had died from disease. Also, conduct and discipline was an issue in the camp. Because they were volunteers instead of official enlisted men, many believed they could bend the rules. There were many instances of drunks causing mayhem on a regular basis as well as accounts of disorderly conduct in and outside of the camp. In February of 1862, Fort Donelson was captured by General Grant, with a considerable amount of prisoners taken (about 13,000). This sudden acquisition of prisoners of war meant that they needed to go somewhere to be taken care of until the end of the conflict, and Camp Douglas was seen as a perfect candidate.
When the idea was passed to the Col. Tucker, he said that the camp could hold about 8,000-9,000 prisoners, and the decision was made. However, Tucker did not take into account the differences in structure, equipment and facilities between a training camp and a prison camp. This mistake would come to surface again later when prisoners began arriving regularly. Initially about 4,500 prisoners were sent to Camp Douglas. This was not enough to overwhelm the staff and integrity of the camp, but it was still enough to put pressure on those in charge. For instance, there was a number of POW’s who were sick and in need of medical attention, but died because of the inadequate facilities at the camp. As the prisoners came in, the newly-trained soldiers came out. Gradually, the number of prisoners exceeded the number of enlisted men/volunteers, and on February 23rd, 1862, the rest of the Union troops left the camp (save for a small force to guard the prisoners) and the camp was converted to a prison camp. The change in people also brought a change in command. Colonel James A. Mulligan was given charge of the camp as Tucker was ordered to Springfield.
The first prisoners were treated adequately, but the insufficiency and poorly-prepared staff and facilities made things difficult. Sewers were not built in the camp until 1863, and availability of food gradually deteriorated. As summer approached, the conditions in the camp worsened. Water shortages and malnutrition led to epidemics among the prisoners as well as the guards. The death toll continued to rise, with as many as one out of every eight prisoners dying from a diverse array of illnesses. These problems were noticed by the local communities, and a relief committee was soon put together to combat this issue. Mulligan was more than willing to work on this problem, as he had been a POW himself, and was treated well in Confederate conditions. Having been treated respectfully, he wanted to return the favor to the thousands of prisoners he was now in charge of. The relief committee managed to donate blankets, food, supplies, tools and equipment to help make life in the camps a little better. Despite this assistance, the conditions continued to fall apart. After the battle of Shiloh, Camp Douglas held almost 9,000 prisoners and overcrowding was being a major issue. The number of escapees was increasing as well, but because of the large camp population, little was done to stop it.
Colonel William Hoffman was a higher-up in the military who was also in charge of managing the camps in the Union. He learned about the conditions and issues at Camp Douglas, and began fundraising efforts for construction of new facilities and barracks in the camps. However, the more pressing issue was sanitation, and almost all of the money raised went to a camp sewer system much later in June of 1863. The new system provided immense relief to the conditions of the camp, but malnutrition and misconduct were still major problems. While escapes were still happening, prisoners who were caught were punished harshly. Citizens who were believed to be assisting with escapes were arrested and detained for extended periods of time. However, conditions continued to get better in 1862 when about 1,000 prisoners took an oath of allegiance to the Union and were set free by their captors. A large amount of prisoners were also exchanged in the Dix-Hill prisoner cartel exchange in July 1862. Despite being “improved and better”, conditions in the camp were still horrific, with almost a thousand men dying of disease in September alone.
In January of 1863, General Jacob Ammen was given command of Camp Douglas. The Battle of Stones River had given the Union several thousand Confederate POW’s, and they were to be sent to Camp Douglas. Upon arriving, roughly 2,500 prisoners were extremely diseased and weak. In an official report in February, General Ammen stated that most of the new prisoners were too sick and ill to handle the conditions at the camp, despite the improvements. Unfortunately, the report fell on deaf ears, and 387men out of 3,884 prisoners died from disease and poor conditions. The frigid temperatures of winter also contributed to many of the deaths as most of the men were not given appropriate clothing for winter. Smallpox was rampant in the camps and led to a combined total of 38 deaths between prisoners and guards in March of 1863. At this point in the war, sources claim that anywhere from 1,400 to 1,700 men had died at Camp Douglas. Records consistently show that typhoid fever, pneumonia and winter weather was the main cause of death, not mistreatment by the guards and soldiers.
By September of 1863, about 4,300 prisoners were interred at Camp Douglas. This number would jump to 6,000 by October, putting strain on the resources of the camp once again. The sewer system had begun to be implemented at this time. It turns out that cost was not a major issue, as many prisoners and even a few guards willingly volunteered to help construct and dig the system. Additionally, they were paid in clothing and tobacco, which only added to the incentive. More minor relief was added as well, with the new supply of cooking and eating utensils, tools and lumber items. These items were used immediately for desperately-needed construction and repairs of facilities within the camp. With the (somewhat) improving conditions, more emphasis was put on the security of the camp and the conduct of the prisoners. More executions occurred, and torture became a common tool to gather information about escape attempts and “black market” trading and exchange inside the camp. Ironically, these punishments led to worse conditions. In one instance, a large group of prisoners had escaped by tunneling out. As a result, the commander ordered that all floors be ripped out of the barracks with only dirt and mud left to walk on. The consequences of this were higher rates of illness and overall mortality.
January 1864 experienced subzero temperatures as low as -15 F, which led to the deaths of even more prisoners. During this month, Dr. Edward Kittoe from the surgeon general’s office deemed the camp unfit for use and living in, yet it remained in operation. The only major change was that 40 acres of buildings and barracks were added to the camp in order to help improve conditions. Having been constructed by malnourished and diseased prisoners, the barracks were less than ideal for living in. In March of 1864, Colonel James Strong was named as the new commander of Camp Douglas, and living conditions improved immensely. He put a restriction on working hours for prisoners, ordered the construction of a large hospital, ordered a constant supply of hot water, and laundry facilities were made. The number of water hydrants supplying the camp jumped from 3 to 12, making access to crucial water easier for prisoners as well as guards. However, as the conditions of the camps improved, so did abuse of prisoners. Strong gave patrols more powers and put dangerous guards in charge of entire barracks. To put it briefly, Col. Strong implemented heavy discipline, but also make major improvements to the camps and the lives of the men living in it.
Camp Douglas Conspiracy
The Camp Douglas Conspiracy was an alleged plan by Confederates to attack the camp and free as many prisoners as possible. The supposed date of the assault was to be in November of 1864, but no such attack happened. Most civil war and Illinois historians do not agree of the validity of the conspiracy: little evidence has been found to support the claim. There were Confederate movements in Canada and parts of Chicago, but they were in extremely small numbers, nowhere near enough to attack a Union prison camp. While the Confederate agents and spies did cause trouble, nothing was ever made certain, and the Camp Douglas Conspiracy will remain as an argument among historians.
End of the War
By the end of the Civil War, the prison had functioning sewer systems and bath and laundry equipment. Despite having experienced a severe epidemic of scurvy in the previous months, the camp was showing great signs of improvement by the end of the war. Many prisoners ended up signing an oath of allegiance in order to get out and home sooner, while the rest were sent home with the exception of notable officers. Afterward, the camp was decommissioned and demolished. The demolition was completed by the end of 1865. During the entirely of the war, about 26,000 prisoners had passed through Camp Douglas in one way or another.
Governor Richard Yates put Colonel Joseph H. Tucker in charge of building the camp, as well as naming him the first commander. The original barracks were completed in November 1861, and could house about 4,000 volunteers. Conditions in the camp were poor; and by the following February in 1862, at least 40 had died from disease. Also, conduct and discipline was an issue in the camp. Because they were volunteers instead of official enlisted men, many believed they could bend the rules. There were many instances of drunks causing mayhem on a regular basis as well as accounts of disorderly conduct in and outside of the camp. In February of 1862, Fort Donelson was captured by General Grant, with a considerable amount of prisoners taken (about 13,000). This sudden acquisition of prisoners of war meant that they needed to go somewhere to be taken care of until the end of the conflict, and Camp Douglas was seen as a perfect candidate.
When the idea was passed to the Col. Tucker, he said that the camp could hold about 8,000-9,000 prisoners, and the decision was made. However, Tucker did not take into account the differences in structure, equipment and facilities between a training camp and a prison camp. This mistake would come to surface again later when prisoners began arriving regularly. Initially about 4,500 prisoners were sent to Camp Douglas. This was not enough to overwhelm the staff and integrity of the camp, but it was still enough to put pressure on those in charge. For instance, there was a number of POW’s who were sick and in need of medical attention, but died because of the inadequate facilities at the camp. As the prisoners came in, the newly-trained soldiers came out. Gradually, the number of prisoners exceeded the number of enlisted men/volunteers, and on February 23rd, 1862, the rest of the Union troops left the camp (save for a small force to guard the prisoners) and the camp was converted to a prison camp. The change in people also brought a change in command. Colonel James A. Mulligan was given charge of the camp as Tucker was ordered to Springfield.
The first prisoners were treated adequately, but the insufficiency and poorly-prepared staff and facilities made things difficult. Sewers were not built in the camp until 1863, and availability of food gradually deteriorated. As summer approached, the conditions in the camp worsened. Water shortages and malnutrition led to epidemics among the prisoners as well as the guards. The death toll continued to rise, with as many as one out of every eight prisoners dying from a diverse array of illnesses. These problems were noticed by the local communities, and a relief committee was soon put together to combat this issue. Mulligan was more than willing to work on this problem, as he had been a POW himself, and was treated well in Confederate conditions. Having been treated respectfully, he wanted to return the favor to the thousands of prisoners he was now in charge of. The relief committee managed to donate blankets, food, supplies, tools and equipment to help make life in the camps a little better. Despite this assistance, the conditions continued to fall apart. After the battle of Shiloh, Camp Douglas held almost 9,000 prisoners and overcrowding was being a major issue. The number of escapees was increasing as well, but because of the large camp population, little was done to stop it.
Colonel William Hoffman was a higher-up in the military who was also in charge of managing the camps in the Union. He learned about the conditions and issues at Camp Douglas, and began fundraising efforts for construction of new facilities and barracks in the camps. However, the more pressing issue was sanitation, and almost all of the money raised went to a camp sewer system much later in June of 1863. The new system provided immense relief to the conditions of the camp, but malnutrition and misconduct were still major problems. While escapes were still happening, prisoners who were caught were punished harshly. Citizens who were believed to be assisting with escapes were arrested and detained for extended periods of time. However, conditions continued to get better in 1862 when about 1,000 prisoners took an oath of allegiance to the Union and were set free by their captors. A large amount of prisoners were also exchanged in the Dix-Hill prisoner cartel exchange in July 1862. Despite being “improved and better”, conditions in the camp were still horrific, with almost a thousand men dying of disease in September alone.
In January of 1863, General Jacob Ammen was given command of Camp Douglas. The Battle of Stones River had given the Union several thousand Confederate POW’s, and they were to be sent to Camp Douglas. Upon arriving, roughly 2,500 prisoners were extremely diseased and weak. In an official report in February, General Ammen stated that most of the new prisoners were too sick and ill to handle the conditions at the camp, despite the improvements. Unfortunately, the report fell on deaf ears, and 387men out of 3,884 prisoners died from disease and poor conditions. The frigid temperatures of winter also contributed to many of the deaths as most of the men were not given appropriate clothing for winter. Smallpox was rampant in the camps and led to a combined total of 38 deaths between prisoners and guards in March of 1863. At this point in the war, sources claim that anywhere from 1,400 to 1,700 men had died at Camp Douglas. Records consistently show that typhoid fever, pneumonia and winter weather was the main cause of death, not mistreatment by the guards and soldiers.
By September of 1863, about 4,300 prisoners were interred at Camp Douglas. This number would jump to 6,000 by October, putting strain on the resources of the camp once again. The sewer system had begun to be implemented at this time. It turns out that cost was not a major issue, as many prisoners and even a few guards willingly volunteered to help construct and dig the system. Additionally, they were paid in clothing and tobacco, which only added to the incentive. More minor relief was added as well, with the new supply of cooking and eating utensils, tools and lumber items. These items were used immediately for desperately-needed construction and repairs of facilities within the camp. With the (somewhat) improving conditions, more emphasis was put on the security of the camp and the conduct of the prisoners. More executions occurred, and torture became a common tool to gather information about escape attempts and “black market” trading and exchange inside the camp. Ironically, these punishments led to worse conditions. In one instance, a large group of prisoners had escaped by tunneling out. As a result, the commander ordered that all floors be ripped out of the barracks with only dirt and mud left to walk on. The consequences of this were higher rates of illness and overall mortality.
January 1864 experienced subzero temperatures as low as -15 F, which led to the deaths of even more prisoners. During this month, Dr. Edward Kittoe from the surgeon general’s office deemed the camp unfit for use and living in, yet it remained in operation. The only major change was that 40 acres of buildings and barracks were added to the camp in order to help improve conditions. Having been constructed by malnourished and diseased prisoners, the barracks were less than ideal for living in. In March of 1864, Colonel James Strong was named as the new commander of Camp Douglas, and living conditions improved immensely. He put a restriction on working hours for prisoners, ordered the construction of a large hospital, ordered a constant supply of hot water, and laundry facilities were made. The number of water hydrants supplying the camp jumped from 3 to 12, making access to crucial water easier for prisoners as well as guards. However, as the conditions of the camps improved, so did abuse of prisoners. Strong gave patrols more powers and put dangerous guards in charge of entire barracks. To put it briefly, Col. Strong implemented heavy discipline, but also make major improvements to the camps and the lives of the men living in it.
Camp Douglas Conspiracy
The Camp Douglas Conspiracy was an alleged plan by Confederates to attack the camp and free as many prisoners as possible. The supposed date of the assault was to be in November of 1864, but no such attack happened. Most civil war and Illinois historians do not agree of the validity of the conspiracy: little evidence has been found to support the claim. There were Confederate movements in Canada and parts of Chicago, but they were in extremely small numbers, nowhere near enough to attack a Union prison camp. While the Confederate agents and spies did cause trouble, nothing was ever made certain, and the Camp Douglas Conspiracy will remain as an argument among historians.
End of the War
By the end of the Civil War, the prison had functioning sewer systems and bath and laundry equipment. Despite having experienced a severe epidemic of scurvy in the previous months, the camp was showing great signs of improvement by the end of the war. Many prisoners ended up signing an oath of allegiance in order to get out and home sooner, while the rest were sent home with the exception of notable officers. Afterward, the camp was decommissioned and demolished. The demolition was completed by the end of 1865. During the entirely of the war, about 26,000 prisoners had passed through Camp Douglas in one way or another.