Richmond (Virginia) Prisons 1861 - 62 Civil WarTrue First Edition with Part two listing the Name, Rank, Company, Regiment and State of the Four Thousand Who Were Confined There.

Author: William H. Jeffrey
Illustrations: B/W Plates
Dated: 1893
Pages: 271
Publisher: The Republican Press
Edition: 1st
Size: 8vo
Binding: Hardcover
Type: History - American
Subject: Civil War Prisons - Richmond VA
Provenance: Hill House

Notes & Literature: Richmond, Virginia, housed a notorious prison system during the early years of the Civil War (1861-1862). Initially, Confederate authorities relied on a confiscated tobacco warehouse, now known as Libby Prison, to hold captured Union soldiers. This location proved to be readily defensible due to its isolation and access by rail and water. However, as the war intensified in 1862, particularly following the bloody Seven Days Battles, the influx of Union prisoners quickly overwhelmed Libby's capacity. This resulted in overcrowding and harsh conditions for the inmates. Libby Prison soon became the central processing facility for captured Union POWs, serving as a temporary holding area before transferring them to other prisons around Richmond. These early years of Richmond's prison system exposed the unpreparedness of the Confederacy to handle large numbers of prisoners, foreshadowing the bleak realities of POW life that would persist throughout the war.

Condition Report: Good Plus

Subject References: RBB12