Local History Collections

(Description ID: 595454)

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums

Johnson’s Island Confederate Prison Papers

LH-250

Introduction
Historical Sketch
Scope and Content
Inventory

Introduction
The material was donated to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in 1992 by Irene T. McKay, the creator of the collection. Further information about Johnson’s Island can be found in the Center’s Local History file, the Charles E. Frohman Collection, and the Local History manuscript collections.

Historical Sketch
Located in Sandusky Bay on Lake Erie, Johnson’s Island Prison was created in 1862. Major William S. Pierson took command of the first Confederate prisoners, numbering between five and six hundred. By war’s end, 3000 Confederate officers, including 7 generals, were imprisoned on the 300-acre site. In 1863, Confederate Captain Charles H. Cole escaped from the island to Canada. With information supplied by the Rebel cavalry officer, a plot to free the prisoners was put in place. Confederate Navy Captain John Yates Beall led the 1864 rescue mission. Captured, Beall was tried and hanged in New York in February 1865.

Scope and Content
The collection consists of photocopies and typed transcripts of over one hundred manuscripts and published articles focusing on the Confederate Prison located on Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie. Included are diaries, letters, and memoirs penned by prisoners of war shortly after the conflict; articles from newspapers, books, and periodicals written as recently as 1965; records from the War of the Rebellion, the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies; and pamphlets published by military organizations. Nearly all of the material was abstracted from primary and secondary sources found in Ohio libraries and repositories. A name index and a chronological index of the material are included.

Inventory
Ac. 5205

WAR OF THE REBELLION: A COMPILATION OF THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE ARMIES

1. p. 1-50

2. p. 50a-190

3. p. 191-260

4. p. 261-341

5. CONFEDERATE VETERAN MAGAZINE

6. CONFEDERATE VETERAN MAGAZINE

7. CAMP, FIELD, AND PRISON LIFE by W. A. Wash

8. PUBLICATION OF BUFFALO HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 9, p.1-81
    NARRATIVE OF PRISON LIFE, Henry E. Shepherd, p.82-102
    OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HIST. SOC., Vol. 26, p.103-113
    PHILO PARSONS, Mss. #1481 (WRHS), p.114-124
    JOHN BROWN, JR. L.V. BIERCE (WRHS), p.125-133
    H. A. WISE, CHIEF OF BUREAU OF ORDINANCE, p.134

9. SCRAPS FROM THE PRISON TABLE AT CAMP CHASE AND
    JOHNSON'S ISLAND by Joe Barbiere, Lt. Col. CSA, 1868. p.135-208
    CENTURY ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY MAGAZINE, Vol. 19 "Plain Living at Johnson's Island"
        by H. Carpenter, p.209-248
10. HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO, Vol. IV, Civil War Era, E. H. Roseboom. p.249-250
      THE NATION, A WEEKLY JOURNAL, "The Prisoners of the Civil War," Vol. 50, p.251-252
      HISTORY OF OHIO, Charles B. Galbreath, 1925. p.253-258
      HISTORY OF THE GREAT LAKES by J. H. Beers, 1899. p.259-260
      ANNALS OF CLEVELAND "Cleveland Leader" files, 1937. p.261
      LAKE ERIE by Harlan Hatcher, 1945. p.267-276.
      SKETCHES AND STORIES OF THE LAKE ERIE ISLANDS by L. J. Ryall, p.277-290
      HISTORY OF OHIO BY E. O. Randall & D. J. Ryan, Vol. IV, p.291-297
      HISTORICAL COLLECTION OF OHIO by Henry Howe, Vol. I, Erie Co., 1888. p.298-300
      PRISON ECHOES OF THE GREAT REBELLION, D. R. Hurdley, 1874. p.301-376

11. MILITARY REMINISCENCES OF THE CIVIL WAR, J. D. Cox, Vol. II, 1900. p.375-389
      ALABAMA REVIEW, Vol. 11-12, 1958-1959. p.390-408
      SOUTHERN HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS, Vol. VIII, 1880. p.409-420
      HARPER'S NEW MONTHLY, Vol. 47, 1873. p.421-433
      STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE CO., OHIO, Peeke, 1916. p.434-440
      MCCLURE'S MAGAZINE, "Lottery of Death," Lt. J. M. Stradling, p.441-447
      THE PRISONERS' FAREWELL TO JOHNSON'S ISLAND OR A VALEDICTORY TO THE
         YMCA OF JOHNSON'S ISLAND, OHIO. I. L., Hicks, 1872. p.448-450

12. OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE ARMIES, Series II E.,
         p.451-504
      NY MOLLUS, " Prisoners of War 1861-1865" T. Sturgis, 1912. p.505-508
      PRISONERS OF WAR AND MILITARY PRISONS, B. Isham, 1890. p.509- 517
      STORY OF CAMP CHASE, Wm. H. Knauss, 1906. p.518-558

13. SOUTHERN HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS, 1905-06. p.559-571
      OHIO IN THE WAR, HER STATESMEN, GENERALS, AND SOLDIERS, by Whitelaw Reid,
         1895. p.572-576
      CIVIL WAR IN SONG AND STORY by Frank Moore, 1889. p.577-578
      HISTORY OF THE YMCA IN NA by Howard Hopkins, 1951. p.579
      FOUR YEARS UNDER MARSE ROBERT, Robert Stiles, 1903. p.500-584
      STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY, TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION by C. S.
         Van Tassel, 1929. p. 585-588
      HISTORY OF MORGAN'S CAVALRY by Basil W. Duke, p.589-590
      PORTION OF MY LIFE by W. M. Norman, 1959. p. 591-595
      MEMORIAL OF THE FEDERAL PRISON OF JOHNSON'S ISLAND, LAKE ERIE, OHIO,
         1862-1864. p. 596-621
      GENERAL WILLIAM S. PIERSON (pamphlet) Joseph S. Catlery, 1950. p.622-629
      PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR, VOL. VII F. T. Miller, p.630-631

14. HISTORIES OF THE SEVERAL REGIMENTS AND BATTERIES FROM NORTH
      CAROLINA IN THE GREAT WAR, VOL. IV Col. Thos. S. Kenan, p.631-650
      CIVIL WAR HISTORY. NO. 2 - CIVIL WAR PRISONS William B. Hesseltine, p.651-653
      MILITARY HISTORY OF OHIO: ILLUSTRATED SOLDIERS' EDITION, Hardesty, p.654
      HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR. Frank Leslie's Illustrated, p.655-656
      BLUE & GRAY: NORTH & SOUTH. D. M. Kelsey, 1907. p.657-672
      FOUR YEARS ON THE FIRING LINE. James C. Nisbet, 1963. p.673-679
      CAPT. LOVE E. GILBERT LETTER, p.680.
      LETTERS TO HELEN BULLITT FROM HENRY MASSIE BULLITT, p.681-682
      PAPERS OF JOHN C. CARTER, p.683.
      COPIES OF MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS 1863-1865 [Prisoners]. p. 684-689.
      PIERSON'S ACCOUNT BOOK. p.690-691
      RECOLLECTIONS: THE CIVIL WAR EXPERIENCE OF EDWARD D. DIXON, n.d.
         p.692-p.293?
      CAPTURE AND IMPRISONMENT OF LUTHER R. MILLS, PROFESSOR OF
         MATHEMATICS AT WAKE FOREST FOR MORE THAN FORTY YEARS, p.694-698
      HOUSE UNDIVIDED: THE STORY OF FREEMASONRY AND THE CIVIL WAR, p.706-707
      MEMOIR OF JOHN YATES BEALL. Daniel B. Lucas, p.708-720

15. GEORGE W. JONES PAPERS, p.721-724
      EARLY HISTORY OF JOHNSON'S ISLAND. May Hesselback, p.725.
      JOSEPH BARBIERE LETTER, p.726
      THOMAS FLETCHER LETTER, p.727
      W. MARSHALL RIVES LETTER, p.728
      B. W. BURROUGHS, p.729-730
      JOHNNY REB ON JOHNSON'S ISLAND, Richardson, p.731-734
      DIARY OF V. S. MURPHY 11/30/64 - 2/16/65, p.735-748
      HENRY WATSON, JR. PAPERS, p.748a-752
      JAMES A. RIDDICK PAPERS, p.752a-752b
      ABISHAI W. ROBERTS, p.753-758
      ON JOHNSON'S ISLAND. Maj. Henry Kyd Douglas, p.759-760
      WILLIAM G. WOODS PAPERS, p.761
      ROBERT AND NEWTON D. WOODY PAPERS, p.762
      STEM FAMILY COLLECTION, p.763-768
      STAMP'S MAGAZINE, "HOW IT HAPPENED". Raymond M. Wilkinson. 8/1/1953, p.769-770
      FREMONT, OHIO NEWSPAPER ARTICLES, p.771-779

UNINDEXED ARTICLES
      BLUE & GRAY. J. P. Austin, 1899
      SEA DOGS OF THE SIXTIES. J. D. Hill, 1935
      THE CONDITIONS AT JOHNSON'S ISLAND PRISON DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
         Charles R. Shultz, 1960
      THE BUGLE BLAST. E.S.S. Rouse, 1864
      CONFEDERATE OPERATIONS IN CANADA AND NEW YORK. John W. Headley, 1906

16. CONFEDERATE VETERAN. "COLUMBIAD BATTERY," June 1907
      PHILO PARSONS, THE CAPTURE OF PHILO PARSONS AND THE ISLAND
      QUEEN ON LAKE ERIE 1864 AND EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE CAPTURE. D. K.
         Huntington OHIO MAGAZINE, "JOHNSON'S ISLAND IN WAR DAYS,". S. N. Cook,
         Sept. 1906
      REMINISCENCES OF A REBEL. W. F. Dunaway. 1913
      HAM CHAMBERLAYNE, VIRGINIAN, LETTERS AND PAPERS OF AN ARTILLERY
         OFFICER IN THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE. C. G. Chamberlayne, 1932.
      LIFE OF THE 23RD PA. VOLUNTEER INFANTRY., Birney's Zouaves, Civil War
      ARTICLES FROM "SANDUSKY REGISTER" PAPERS 1861-1862

17. CHRONOLOGICAL DATE INDEX

18. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

19. PUBLISHED NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

20. NAME INDEX (on index cards)