Camp Ford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camp Ford |
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| Near Tyler, Texas | |
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The Price Raid by Samuel J. Reader shows Union prisoners on the way to Camp Ford in October 1864
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 Camp Ford
Location of Camp Ford
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| Coordinates | 32°23′44.13″N 95°16′7.28″W / 32.3955917°N 95.2686889°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1862 |
| Built by |  Confederate States Army |
| In use | 1862–1865 |
| Events | American Civil War |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders |
Col. R. R. Brown |
Camp Ford was a large POW camp located near Tyler, Texas. It was used during the American Civil War. This camp was the biggest prison run by the Confederate States Army west of the Mississippi River.
Contents
Camp Ford's History
Camp Ford first opened in the spring of 1862. It was a training camp for new soldiers joining the Confederate army. The camp was named after Col. John Salmon Ford. He was a Texas Ranger and helped organize soldiers for Texas.
The first Union prisoners arrived at Camp Ford in August 1863. These included officers captured in Louisiana. Naval personnel were also held there after their ships were taken. At first, the prisoners were kept outdoors. But in November 1863, about 800 new prisoners arrived. This caused a scare, as people worried about a mass escape.
Because of this, a military stockade was quickly built. It was a fenced area about 4 acres (16,000 square meters) in size.
Prison Population Grows
In April 1864, over 2,000 new prisoners were captured. This happened during battles in Louisiana, like the Battle of Mansfield and Battle of Pleasant Hill. After these battles, the stockade at Camp Ford was made four times bigger.
Many soldiers from the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment were among those sent to Camp Ford. This was the only Pennsylvania regiment in the Union's 1864 Red River campaign. More prisoners arrived from Arkansas. The prison's population reached its highest point in July 1864, with about 5,000 people.
The number of prisoners went down through exchanges. This happened in July and October 1864, and again in February 1865. The last 1,761 prisoners were exchanged on May 22, 1865.
What Camp Ford Looked Like
Visiting Camp Ford Today
Today, the original site of Camp Ford is a public historic park. Smith County, Texas, owns the park. The Smith County Historical Society helps manage it. This group works to find and save items related to Smith County's history.
The park has a kiosk, a paved walking path, and signs that explain the history. There is also a rebuilt cabin and a picnic area. You can find Camp Ford on US Highway 271. It is about 0.7 miles north of Loop 323 in Tyler, Texas.
