Johnson's Island: A Prison for Confederate Officers

Civil War in the North

by Roger Pickenpaugh

In 1861, Lt. Col. William Hoffman was appointed to the post of commissary general of prisoners and urged to find a suitable site for the construction of what was expected to be the Union’s sole military prison. After inspecting four islands in Lake Erie, Hoffman came upon one in Sandusky Bay known as Johnson’s Island. With a large amount of fallen timber, forty acres of cleared land, and its proximity to Sandusky, Ohio, Johnson’s Island seemed the ideal location for the Union’s purpose. By the following spring, Johnson’s Island prison was born. Johnson’s Island tells the story of the camp from its planning stages until the end of the war. Because the facility housed only officers, several literate diary keepers were on hand; author Roger Pickenpaugh draws on their accounts, along with prison records, to provide a fascinating depiction of day-to-day life. Hunger, boredom, harsh conditions, and few luxuries were all the prisoners knew until the end of the war, when at last parts of Johnson’s Island were auctioned off, the post was ordered abandoned, and the island was mustered out of service. There has not been a book dedicated to Johnson’s Island since 1965. Roger Pickenpaugh presents an eloquent and knowledgeable overview of a prison that played a tremendous role in the lives of countless soldiers. It is a book sure to interest Civil War buffs and scholars alike.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

136 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2016

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dry, but overall an interesting account of Johnson's Island, a prison for confederate officers located near Sandusky, Ohio.

One thing that would have made this book better would have been a map or maps of the area, including the island.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well organized and well written narrative on the lifespan of the confederate prison at Johnson’s Island, mostly through the words of those who were there. I did not find it dry as another reviewer said but rather well done.

[Clayton Goad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little history of the prison. It was a bit short, and an addition of maps and pictures or drawings would have been nice. Learning about it from the words of men imprisoned there was nice.

[Kent Dorr]

Excellent overview of the history of the Confederate prison at Johnsons Island at Sandusky Ohio. I visited the site prior to reading this book and was given a tour of what has been preserved by Dr Bush of Heidelberg University. Dr Bush has been doing research on the site for 28 years. He and his team are currently excavating the site of the prison hospital as well as one of the latrines.