Camp Morton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Camp Morton
Part of American Civil War prison camps
Indianapolis (Marion County), Indiana, United States
Type	Training Camp and Union Prison Camp
Site information
Owner	Marion County, Indiana government, U.S. Government
Controlled by	Union Army
Site history
Built	1861
In use	February 22, 1862 – June 12, 1865
Demolished	1891
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Garrison information
Occupants	Union soldiers, Confederate prisoners of war

Camp Morton was an important military training ground and a Union prisoner-of-war camp in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the American Civil War. It was named after Indiana's governor, Oliver Morton.

Before the war, the site was used for the Indiana State Fair. When the war began, Camp Morton first became a training camp for Union soldiers. The first troops arrived in April 1861. After major battles like Fort Donelson and Battle of Shiloh, it was turned into a prison camp. The first Confederate prisoners arrived on February 22, 1862. The last prisoners were released on June 12, 1865.

After the war, the land went back to being the state fairgrounds. In 1891, the property was sold. It was then developed into a neighborhood called Morton Place. This area is now part of the Herron-Morton Place Historic District.

Camp Morton covered about 36-acre (150,000 m²) of land. It was one of the largest Union prison camps for Confederate soldiers. Between 1862 and 1865, the camp usually held about 3,214 prisoners. About fifty prisoners died each month. In July 1864, the prison population reached its highest at 4,999. More than 1,700 prisoners died at the camp during its four years of operation.

Today, the military buildings of Camp Morton are gone. However, the remains of 1,616 Confederate soldiers who died there are buried at Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery. Several monuments and markers remember Camp Morton. These include a statue of Richard Owen, a camp leader, at the Indiana Statehouse. There are also memorials for the Confederate prisoners at Garfield Park and Crown Hill. The memorial at Garfield Park was removed on June 8, 2020.

Camp Morton: A Union Training Site

Camp Morton served as a training camp for Union soldiers. This was from April 1861 to February 1862. Two days after the first shots of the Civil War at Fort Sumter, Indiana's governor, Oliver Morton, offered to raise ten thousand troops. This was in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call for volunteers.

Governor Morton and his adjutant general, Lew Wallace, chose the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. This site had been the state fairgrounds since 1859. It was also known as Henderson's Grove. The 36-acre (150,000 m²) of land was north of the city.

After becoming a military camp, it was renamed Camp Morton. This honored Governor Morton. The first recruits arrived on April 17, 1861. This was just four days after Fort Sumter surrendered. The camp's buildings were quickly changed for military use. Cattle and horse stalls became barracks. The dining hall became a commissary. New sheds were built for more troops. Soldiers had to bathe in Fall Creek. The camp had some early challenges. But it became organized within a few weeks. Many people in Indianapolis found the camp interesting to visit.

Camp Morton: A Civil War Prison

Indianapolis's Camp Morton was one of the largest Union prison camps. It held Confederate noncommissioned officers and privates. Other big prison camps included Camp Douglas in Illinois and Camp Chase in Ohio. Confederate generals were sent to Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. Other officers went to Johnson's Island in Ohio.

When Camp Morton first became a prison in 1862, Indiana controlled it. Later, the U.S. government took over. The camp reopened in 1863. It was meant for sick prisoners, but others were held there too. From July 1863 until the last prisoner was released on June 12, 1865, the camp held about 3,214 prisoners. About fifty prisoners died each month. In July 1864, the number of prisoners reached 4,999. The highest number of deaths in one month was 133.

Converting to a Prison Camp (1862)

On February 17, 1862, Governor Morton told Union general Henry W. Halleck that Indianapolis could hold three thousand prisoners. This was after the fall of Fort Donelson. Captain James A. Ekin was in charge of changing Camp Morton into a prison. Stalls became sleeping areas. New barracks and bathrooms were built. A wooden wall was put up around the camp. It had strong gates and a path for guards. At first, there was no hospital inside the camp. Prisoners were treated at other Indianapolis facilities.

The first Confederate prisoners arrived on February 22 by train. More prisoners came over the next few days. The total reached 3,700 men. Local people helped provide food, clothing, and care. Many prisoners died. In March 1862, 144 prisoners died. By April 1, the camp had five thousand people, including prisoners and guards. More prisoners arrived later, including a thousand from the Battle of Shiloh.

Confederate officers were kept separate from their men. They stayed in barracks in the city. Then they were moved to prison camps in Ohio and Massachusetts. Noncommissioned officers and privates went to Camp Morton. Many prisoners were sick or weak from battles. They were not used to the cold northern weather. Many fell ill and were taken to makeshift hospitals outside the camp.

Colonel Richard Owen became the camp's leader. He served until June 20, 1862. Owen created his own rules for the camp. These rules were used as a model for other camps. Owen's policies were strict but fair. He allowed prisoners to have some self-governance. Local leaders sometimes criticized this. Early problems included sharing food and supplies fairly. A camp bakery was built. It gave prisoners a place to work and earn money. They could buy small items with this money.

Prisoners had recreational activities. They formed music and theater groups. They also attended band concerts. Books and magazines were available. A photographer took pictures of prisoners to send to their families. Other activities included ballgames and whittling. Visitors were not allowed. Communication between prisoners and guards or citizens was also forbidden. But mail and small packages were delivered after being checked. Escape attempts were rare under Owen. Only thirteen out of 4,200 prisoners escaped during his time.

The camp hospital was not big enough for all prisoners. Indianapolis's City Hospital treated Union troops. Only a few Confederate prisoners went there at first. More facilities for prisoners were set up on Meridian Street. These were called Military Hospital Number 2 and Number 3. Some prisoners were cared for in private homes. There were no major outbreaks of disease. But there were reports of dysentery, typhoid fever, and pneumonia.

David Garland Rose took over as commandant on June 19, 1862. He made the camp rules stricter. New volunteers from Indiana served as guards. On August 22, 1862, prisoner exchanges were arranged. Camp Morton's prisoners were sent to Vicksburg, Mississippi. There, they were exchanged for Union prisoners. The remaining Confederate prisoners left by September 1862. After this, Camp Morton was used for training Union troops.

Later Years (1863–1865)

By 1863, Camp Morton's buildings needed repairs. But little money was spent on them. Colonel James Biddle became the camp's leader. His soldiers had been captured and released. They were waiting at Camp Morton for a prisoner exchange. These soldiers helped guard the camp. New prisoners arrived between January and March 1863. In April, these prisoners were sent to City Point, Virginia. In June, a new group arrived from Gallatin, Tennessee.

In July, Confederate general John Hunt Morgan led a raid into Indiana. This worried Indianapolis residents. But Morgan turned east toward Ohio. He never reached Indianapolis. On July 23, 1863, eleven hundred of Morgan's captured men arrived at Camp Morton. A hundred more came a week later. More prisoners arrived in August 1863. The total reached almost three thousand. In mid-August, over eleven hundred prisoners, including most of Morgan's men, were moved to Chicago's Camp Douglas.

Escape attempts became more common after Owen left. Some plans were complex, involving tunnels or uprisings. A few men escaped using wooden planks or ladders. About thirty-five men escaped between April and October 1863. But others failed. Guards offered extra food to prisoners who reported escape plans.

In July 1863, Captain Albert J. Guthridge took charge. Colonel Ambrose A. Stevens became commandant on October 22, 1863. Stevens remained in charge until the war ended.

When Stevens took command, the camp was in bad shape. A medical inspector reported that the camp had 2,362 prisoners. The death rate was high. The report said prisoners had enough food, clothing, and water. But the buildings were old and poorly kept. It also noted bad drainage and loose discipline. Stevens helped improve the camp. He provided blankets, better food, and medical care. But the winter of 1863–1864 was very cold. Ninety-one prisoners died in November 1863, and 104 in December. The camp hospital improved that winter. It was expanded to hold 160 patients. More could be added in an emergency. A total of 263 prisoners died that winter.

More Confederate prisoners arrived at the end of 1863. The camp became very crowded. Blankets and clothing were given to those who needed them most. Camp food was enough, but it lacked fresh vegetables. Prisoners cooked for themselves. They could buy small amounts of food from the camp store.

A new military prison was built at the end of 1863. It could hold sixty prisoners. In January 1864, thirty men were held there. Despite this new prison, inmates still tried to escape. Punishments included less food.

In July 1864, the number of Confederate prisoners reached 4,999. Overcrowded barracks and summer heat caused more illnesses. These included cases of malaria. Drinking water from Fall Creek contained limestone. This caused diarrhea among the men. New wards were added to the hospital. But only small repairs were made to the old barracks.

In the final months of the war, in February and March 1865, two thousand prisoners left Camp Morton. This was part of a prisoner exchange. Another six hundred prisoners were soon released. Only 1,408 prisoners remained in April. After Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, many prisoners were released. Only 308 prisoners were left on June 1, 1865. The last Confederate prisoners were freed on June 12, 1865. Seven Union soldiers who had deserted were also freed. Forty members of the Veteran Reserve Corps were dishonorably discharged.

Confederate Burials

Graves of the Confederate prisoners at Crown Hill Cemetery

It is believed that about 1,700 prisoners died at Camp Morton. This was between 1862 and 1865. Confederate prisoners were buried in wooden coffins. They were placed in trenches on five lots near the City Cemetery. This cemetery later became Greenlawn Cemetery. The graves were marked with wooden boards. These boards had numbers painted on them. Over time, the numbers wore away. Some Confederates buried in Indianapolis were later moved. Their remains were returned to their families. However, the remains of 1,616 Confederate prisoners stayed at Greenlawn.

In 1866, a fire destroyed the cemetery office. This meant the records showing the exact burial spots were lost. In the 1870s, new railroad tracks were built. This caused the Confederate remains to be moved. They were reburied in a mass grave at Greenlawn. In 1906, the U.S. government sent Colonel William Elliot to find the mass grave. In 1912, the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument was built there. It honored the 1,616 prisoners. The monument was moved to Indianapolis's Garfield Park in 1928.

The remains from the Confederate gravesite were moved again. This happened in 1931. They were moved to Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery. They were buried in a mass grave in Section 32. This area is now known as the Confederate Mound. In 1993, the names of each fallen Confederate were carved onto ten bronze plaques.

Other Uses of the Site

After the last prisoners left, the remaining property at Camp Morton was sold. This happened at a public auction in July 1865. The buildings were empty by August 2. The city spent three thousand dollars to fix up the property. The State Board of Agriculture later received money for property damages from the federal government.

The Indiana State Fair returned to the site in 1868. It stayed there until 1891. In November 1891, the State Board of Agriculture sold the land. Three Indianapolis businessmen bought it for $275,100. In 1891, the State Board of Agriculture bought new land for the state fairgrounds. This is where it is located today.

New streets and drainage ditches were built on the former Camp Morton site. It was planned and developed as a neighborhood called Morton Place. After 1890, the Herron-Morton Place neighborhood became known for its connection to then-president Benjamin Harrison.

Memorials

A bronze statue of Colonel Richard Owen is in the Indiana Statehouse. It was designed by Belle Kinney Scholz. She was the daughter of a Confederate soldier. This statue honors Owen's fair treatment of prisoners at Camp Morton in 1862. People from the South gave money for this memorial. Owen later became the first president of Purdue University in 1873. The memorial was dedicated on June 9, 1913. Its inscription says: "Tribute by Confederate prisoners of war and their friends for his courtesy and kindness."

In 1916, students and teachers from Indianapolis Public School 45 put up a stone monument. It marks the camp's location at Alabama and Nineteenth Streets.

A monument at Indianapolis's Greenlawn Cemetery honored the Confederate soldiers buried there. This monument was moved to Garfield Park in 1928.

A monument and ten bronze plaques are at Confederate Mound. This is in Section 32 of Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery. They honor the Confederate prisoners of war. Their remains were moved to Crown Hill in 1931. The names of 1,616 prisoners are on the plaques.

In 1962, the Indiana Civil War Centennial Commission put up a historical marker. It is in the 1900 block of North Alabama Street. This is near the site of Camp Morton.