Prison At ' Illegible ' Brady Print

[JPK Huson 1863]

I'm trying to make less of a mess of the photos I have saved, gosh what a silly project to start, talk about getting sidetracked, have been TRYING to remember for months to ask if anyone knew which one of the awful prisons this would have been. Looks to been on some bluffs, maybe, overlooking what, river or coastline? I say which awful prison since I have yet to discover a 'good' one, Federal or Confederate.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

I'm trying to make less of a mess of the photos I have saved, gosh what a silly project to start, talk about getting sidetracked, have been TRYING to remember for months to ask if anyone knew which one of the awful prisons this would have been. Looks to been on some bluffs, maybe, overlooking what, river or coastline? I say which awful prison since I have yet to discover a 'good' one, Federal or Confederate.

View attachment 13820

Johnson's Island, Ohio ? Fort Delaware ? Both were near water. Not sure about Point Lookout Maryland, sounds like it might have been near water ? Looks to me to be a facility that's been there awhile. So my guess would be a Federal Prison.

 

[Robert Gray]

This is the State Penitentiary at Richmond, Virginia. [National Archives]

 

[AndyHall]

The penitentiary was located west of downtown, roughly halfway between the State Capitol and Hollywood Cemetery, on the site now bounded by S. Belvidiere, Spring st. and the West Byrd St./Downtown Expressway. Afton Chemical has an office complex there now. The front of the old penitentiary faced south, toward Tredegar Iron Works and the James River; this view is from Gambles Hill looking NW.

 

[John Hartwell]

I've never heard of PoWs being held there. Was it ever used for military prisoners? The basic architecture of the place would seem to make it unsuitable for the huge numbers involved.

jno

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Ah. Thank you! I suppose since it's a Brady print, it would have been assumed to have been a prison used by the military? It'd seem odd to have entire warehouses stuffed with prisoners in Richmond, though, without anyone thinking to make use of the ready-built one, as small as it would be- maybe the Confederate government would have made use of it for it's own military? An office complex by a Chem company sounds about right- here on the forum there's a shot of ( Libby? One of them, think there were 3 tobacco warehouse prisons? Libby, Thunder Alley, Howard? ) a small welter of crowded alleys and parking lots where so many men sat out the war. I realize you can't save every, single landmark, but a nod to the past would be nice. If I were one of those men, ( and either side, believe me, where Elmira stood should be roped off ) I'd be haunting the place until someone had the time to remember what went on in this spot properly. I'm just not crazy about a bulldozer and asphalt as a memorial to what occured in these places.