|
On an island in the
Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois sits a little-known piece of
Civil War history that is still active today and is a National Historic
Landmark. An act of Congress established the Rock Island Arsenal in 1862
and today it is the nation's largest government owned and operated
arsenal.
The island also housed the Rock Island Prison Barracks, a Confederate
prison camp which existed from December 1863 to July 1865. It was located
on a twelve acre site on the north central shore of the island. The prison
consisted of 84 wood framed barracks surrounded by a 12-foot high fence.
Barracks and out buildings were also provided for the Union guards,
headquarters buildings and a hospital complex.
A total of 12,192 Confederate prisoners were held at the camp with 8,954
the highest number held at any given time. A total of 1,964 prisoners died
here and are buried in the Confederate cemetery.
The Rock Island National Cemetery (not pictured) was established in 1863
as the post cemetery for Union prison guards whose graves ultimately
numbered 125. Subsequent burials have brought the cemetery to 70 acres and
some 29,000 burials.
The Arsenal Museum also holds an artifact from 1856 which involved Abraham
Lincoln as shown in pictures 16 and 17.
Following the Civil War the Rock Island Arsenal employees cleaned,
repaired and shipped Civil War-era infantry, cavalry and artillery
equipment to support troops on the western frontier.
Courtesy of Lee Hohenstein |
