Built in 1862 Johnson's Island was a prisoner of war camp built to hold Confederate Officers. The prison was located on a 300 acre island in Lake Erie only three miles from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. The 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry would serve to guard at times over 3,000 incarcerated Confederate Officers, and over 15,000 prisoners would pass though the prison.
I plan to share many historical artifacts from Johnson's Island. I believe these artifacts help us understand what life was like on this island. Because the prison was built to hold Officers the living conditions though harsh were much better than other POW prisons during the Civil War. Johnson's Island had one of the lowest mortality rates of any Civil War prison.
The following are some great relics from Johnson's Island, Enjoy.
