Elmira Prison Camp- CSA

Brief History of Elmira Prison (Camp Chemung)
Compiled By Scott J. Payne


Elmira Barracks were built at the beginning of the Civil War as a general depotfor regiments recruited in southern New York State. The name given at this time was Camp Rathbun . As the war wore on and more and more soldiers were being acquired by both the Union and the Confederacy the need arose for more space to house these men. In July of 1864 Barracks 3 of Camp Chemung was converted into a prisoner of war camp.

Confederates who became guests at Camp Chemung remembered the camp simply as, Helmira. The camp was built about a mile and a quarter west of town, along the Chemung River. The site was believed to be healthy; it was level and having sandy soil resting on a layer of coarse gravel a few feet below the surface, afforded good drainage. Good water was obtained by two wells, and any deficiency was supplied from the river.

Camp Chemung existed as a prison for only 369 days (July 6, 1864 - July 11, 1865), yet it had the highest death rate, per capita, of any prison camp, Union or Confederate, 24 percent. 12,123 Confederates called the prison home, unfortunately close to 3,000 of these brave men never made it out alive.

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• Elmira Prison Camp
• Civil War
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• Tales of the Runaways

[hungarygator]

One of my G-G-Uncles was a POW at Helmira. Fortunately, the criminal commandant Col. Hoffman did not manage to murder him as he did about 1 out of every 4 POW's held there via means such as deliberate starvation, the withholding of medicine and adequate clothing. God Bless the victims of this and other federal death camps run the criminal Lincoln administration. Deo Vindice.

[MahayPL]

@7mikethebike I said northern prison camps ;-) Andersonville was a confederate prison

[7mikethebike]

@MahayPL according to wikipedia, the death rate of elmira was almost 25%, while the death rate at andersonville was almost 27%

[7mikethebike]

I have read that around one third of the total number of camp sumter prisoners was equaled by the number of Union deaths there. In yankee math, 1/3 > 1/4. Maybe in the confederacy they had a different math system.

[Unreconstructed8285]

@WarriorClass22 The feeling is mutual, yankee scum.

[behindthecamera]

@1965JLO The Elmira Correctional Facility is NOT the same property as the Elmira Prison Camp. The ECF is a former reform school. The prison camp was located on the banks of the Chemung River, quite a bit South of where the ECF stands. Elmira today is nothing like it was in the 1800's.

[MahayPL]

No matter what, it was really "Hellmira" - with the highest death rate of all northern prison camps.

[AMpufnstuf]

Elmira reformatory overshadowed all, with nearly 31,000 inmates, including

15,694 Catholics (half), and 10,968 Protestants, 4,000 Jews, 325 refusing

to answer, and 0 unbelievers.

[geistman8230]

Great video. I really love the history of the camp and make trips to the cemetery where the soldiers are buried all the time. So sad to think of what their time there must have been like. 

[1965JLO]

@PDAMfilms The prison is still there it's a max security male correctional facility. Hellmira is pretty must the same as it was in the 1800's. My husband has been in Elmira Prison for the last 10 years. The first time I was there, you could just feel the death all around you. Right next store is the cemetery where these soldiers where buried. It's in the middle of a neighborhood. You can see correctional officers walking to and from work. It;s the strangest place for a prison.