Camp Ford, Tyler, TX    History

Early in the Civil War, there was not much of a need for prisons since most of the captured soldiers were exchanged and freed. There was even less of a need for a prison in the Confederate’s western region known as the Trans-Mississippi until the capture of New Orleans in 1862. Afterwards, General Nathaniel Banks decided to push inland into Louisiana where he was met by Confederate General Richard Taylor. On July 21, 1863, the Confederates began to make plans to accommodate their anticipated increase in Union prisoners by designating Camp Ford as a prison. Located in eastern Texas, just outside the city of Tyler, Camp Ford became the largest prison west of the Mississippi River. Reasons for selecting Tyler as the prison site included its transportation depot; CSA military headquarters and training camp; and distant location away from the Union forces.

Although it started off as a "minimum-security," open-area prison, Camp Ford quickly was transformed into a traditional facility. The infusion of Northern prisoners forced the Confederates to build walls in the fall of 1863 to contain their burgeoning population. Some of the first prisoners placed into Camp Ford came from General Richard Taylor’s capture of 48 Union soldiers at Terre Bonne near Brashear, Louisiana. Among those initial Union soldiers captured was the entire Company I of the 23^rd Connecticut Infantry who were led by Captain William Henry May (a rare photo of May as he left Camp Ford prison carrying his violin case).

The Union prison population continued to grow at Camp Ford over the next two years. During its use, the western Confederate prison held approximately 6,000 men, of whom 286 died. The deaths included 284 enlisted men, one officer, and one civilian. After General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, the likely demise of the Confederacy indicated to the Union prisoners that their freedom was imminent. On May 13^th, notification came that the Union prisoners were going to be paroled. Over the next couple of days, most of the Rebel guards disappeared. On May 17^th, wagons and provisions arrived and the remaining 1,800 Union soldiers walked away from Camp Ford and were escorted to Shreveport, Louisiana. From there, they were transported down the Red River to the Mississippi River and then to New Orleans.

Sources: Camp Ford C.S.A., The Story of Union Prisoners in Texas. Texas CW Centennial Advisory Committee: Austin, TX. 1964; Confederate Veteran. Volume 5, 1996; The Old Flag, GAR Dept. of Connecticut. 1914.

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