Johnson's Island Watercolor Drawing

Johnson's Island Watercolor Drawing

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons

This watercolor drawing, painted on the back of an illegible letter, was created by an unknown Confederate prisoner held at Johnson's Island Prison. Prisoners were permitted to send and receive an unlimited number of letters, although the length was limited to one page. Johnson's Island, the site of a Civil War prison camp, is located in Sandusky Bay. Lieutenant Colonel William Hoffman leased the island from Leonard B. Johnson in 1861 for use as a prison camp for Confederate prisoners. Due to the abundant natural resources on the island, the conditions were not as harsh as those in many Southern prison camps. However, prisoners did suffer from disease, poor nutrition, and exposure to harsh Lake Erie winters. Created to hold Confederate officers, the prison housed about 3, 000 prisoners by the end of the war.

unknown

Sandusky Library/Follett House Museum, Johnson's Island Prison Collection (archives/manuscripts)

circa 1862 - 1865

Callie McCune

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http://www.ohiomemory.org/u?/p267401coll36,12007

Johnson's Island, Erie County (Ohio), Sandusky (Ohio)

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