Florence Stockade facts for kids
The Florence Stockade was a prison camp for Union soldiers during the American Civil War. It was located near Florence, South Carolina. This camp was open for a short time, from September 1864 to February 1865. During these months, thousands of Union soldiers were held there. Sadly, about 2,800 of them died.
Quick facts for kids |
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Florence Stockade
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Site of the stockade
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| Nearest city | Florence, South Carolina, United States |
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| Built | 1864 |
| Architect | Confederate Army |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003669 |
| Added to NRHP | November 28, 1980 |
| Florence Stockade Prison | |
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| Part of American Civil War prison camps | |
| Florence, South Carolina, US | |
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| Type | Confederate Prison Camp |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Confederate States Government |
| Controlled by | Confederate Army |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Site history | |
| In use | September 1864-February 1865 |
| Demolished | 1865? |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Confederate soldiers, Union prisoners of war |
A Civil War Prison
The Florence Stockade was built and started operating in September 1864. This was during the last fall and winter of the Civil War. Lieutenant Colonel John Iverson was in overall command. The officer directly in charge of the stockade was Lieutenant Thomas Barrett.
Why the Prison Was Built
The Confederate Army needed more prisons. This became urgent after General Sherman captured Atlanta on September 1, 1864. The large Andersonville prison in Georgia was thought to be in Sherman's path. So, Confederate officials decided to move about 30,000 Union prisoners from Andersonville.
Florence was chosen because it had three railroads. It was also considered a safe location. To keep the prisoners calm during the move, they were told they would be released. Many prisoners who were too sick to travel were left behind at Andersonville.
Most of the first prisoners arrived in Florence after being taken to Charleston. From Charleston, they traveled 90 miles inland to Florence. The Florence Stockade was still being built when the first prisoners arrived.
Life Inside the Stockade
The Florence Stockade covered about 23.5 acres of land. A trench was dug around the outside. This was to stop prisoners from digging tunnels to escape. After about a month, there were about 12,000 prisoners. The death rate was high, with 20 to 30 deaths each day.
Supplies were very hard to find for both prisoners and guards. Many men had almost no clothes and no blankets. John McElroy, a former prisoner, wrote about his time there in 1879. He said that Florence was "much the worse place" compared to Andersonville. He believed it was more deadly.
Government records suggest that about one out of every three prisoners died there. One reason for this high death rate was that many prisoners were already very weak. They had come from the harsh Andersonville Prison.
Some prisoners, like John McElroy and Sgt. Robert H. Kellogg, wrote about Lieutenant Barrett's cruel actions. They described his inhumane behavior towards the prisoners.
Help and Aftermath
In the middle of October, the United States Sanitary Commission delivered supplies. This group helped soldiers during the war. Of all the prisoners held at Florence Stockade, 2,802 Union soldiers died there. Most were buried in unmarked trenches. After the war, this area became the Florence National Cemetery.
The Florence Stockade was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Today, the site is open to the public. It is part of the City of Florence Trail System. The City of Florence and a group called "Friends of the Florence Stockade" have created a walking tour. There is also an informational gazebo on site. It has a permanent display that tells the history of the stockade.
