Inside Fort Warren, the most humane Confederate prison in Civil War America

Colonel Dimick’s Humane Confederate Prison at Fort Warren

Fort Warren on Georges Island wasn’t built to hold prisoners. Yet when the Civil War broke out in 1861, this Boston Harbor fort got a new job.

Under Colonel Justin Dimick, it housed over 2,300 Confederate POWs, including Vice President Alexander Stephens himself. Unlike other prison camps, Fort Warren gained fame for how well it treated captives.

Men could walk the grounds, play sports, read papers, and get goods from Boston. Despite many tries, no one ever made a clean escape.

The proof of Dimick’s kindness? Only 13 deaths among more than 1,000 prisoners – the war’s lowest prison death rate.

Today, you can explore this remarkable fortress where enemies became almost friends.

Boston’s Fort Became a Prison When War Broke Out

Fort Warren was built to protect Boston Harbor in 1861, but the Civil War changed its purpose. The fort was barely finished when it got a new job.

Instead of aiming cannons at enemy ships, it started holding Confederate prisoners. Massachusetts Governor John Andrew first sent artillery companies to guard the fort.

By October 1861, officials turned Fort Warren into a place for captured Confederate soldiers and political prisoners.

Colonel Dimick Never Expected So Many Prisoners

Justin Dimick took over Fort Warren on October 25, 1861. A West Point graduate who fought in the Mexican War, Dimick got ready for about 100 prisoners.

Six days later, the USS State of Maine showed up with 755 men – 600 Confederate soldiers and 155 political prisoners. The numbers caught everyone off guard.

With no proper setup, these prisoners spent their first night on the ship. Dimick rushed to find room inside the cold stone walls.

Bostonians Helped Their Southern Enemies

The first night was chaos for hundreds of unexpected prisoners. Men slept on cold stone floors in drafty rooms as winter neared.

Boston newspapers wrote about the “sad spectacle” of shivering Confederate prisoners without proper bedding. Then something odd happened – Boston people sent food, beds, blankets, and supplies for these enemy prisoners.

Local families gave comfort items to men fighting against the Union.

Prisoners Got Surprising Freedoms

Colonel Dimick created unusually kind conditions at Fort Warren. Prisoners walked freely around the grounds during daylight.

They read newspapers, met visitors under guard watch, and got packages from Boston supporters. Rich inmates ordered food from Boston restaurants while others ate military food.

Dimick often joined Confederate officers to hear prisoners’ concerts. He treated captives with respect rarely seen in prison camps.

Famous Rebels Landed at the Island Fort

The Trent Affair brought Confederate diplomats James Mason and John Slidell to Fort Warren in November 1861. They joined political prisoners including Baltimore’s mayor, Kentucky’s governor, and Maryland lawmakers.

In February 1862, General Simon Bolivar Buckner arrived after giving up Fort Donelson. Dimick faced a tough order to put Buckner, his old friend, in solitary confinement.

The colonel cried when carrying out this order against someone he respected.

Generals Filled the Stone Casemates

Fort Warren held many top Confederate military leaders. Generals Richard S. Ewell, Isaac R. Trimble, John Gregg, and Lloyd Tilghman lived behind its walls.

General Adam “Stovepipe” Johnson, known for using fake cannons made from stovepipes to trick Union forces, joined them. Confederate Postmaster General John Reagan stayed as a political prisoner.

The fort held over 2,300 total prisoners during the war, though most stayed briefly before prisoner swaps.

Enemies Wrote a Life-Saving Letter

Confederate officers gave Lieutenant Justin E. Dimick, the colonel’s son, a special gift when he left for battle.

They wrote a letter asking for kind treatment if the Union officer fell into Confederate hands. This unusual document showed their respect for Colonel Dimick’s fair treatment.

The younger Dimick carried this letter into battle at Chancellorsville in May 1863. Sadly, he got fatal wounds without ever needing to use the prisoners’ protection letter.

Six Men Nearly Pulled Off the Perfect Escape

On August 19, 1863, six officers from the captured CSS Atlanta made a bold break for freedom. Two drowned during the attempt.

Two got caught on Georges Island. Two actually reached the Maine coast before the Revenue Cutter Dobbin spotted them.

Their Confederate money gave them away. Despite several tries throughout the war, no prisoner ever fully escaped Fort Warren.

The island’s location made it nearly impossible to get away.

The Confederate Vice President Lived in the Basement

Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy, came to Fort Warren in May 1865. Guards put him in a damp basement room alone.

Stephens wrote, “For the first time in my life I had full realization of being a prisoner. ” Officials later moved him to an upper room with permission to walk the grounds between sunrise and sunset.

From his cell, Stephens wrote letters to President Johnson and others, asking for his release.

Almost Everyone Survived Fort Warren

Only 13 prisoners died among more than 1,000 Confederate captives during the entire war. This gave Fort Warren the lowest death rate of any Civil War prison camp, North or South.

Most deaths came from common sicknesses like tuberculosis, measles, and typhoid fever. The fort ran a small hospital in Bastion D rooms.

This survival record stands in stark contrast to notorious prison camps like Andersonville, where thousands died from disease, exposure, and starvation.

The Last Rebels Left in 1866

Alexander Stephens gained his freedom on October 13, 1865, after five months at Fort Warren. The final Confederate prisoners walked out in early 1866, ending the fort’s Civil War service.

Fort Warren never fired a shot in anger during the conflict.

It never fulfilled its original defensive purpose but served the Union cause by humanely housing Confederate prisoners.

Colonel Dimick’s compassionate leadership created a model for prisoner treatment that brought honor to both sides during America’s bloodiest conflict.

Visiting Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Massachusetts

You can reach Georges Island by ferry from Boston Long Wharf, Hingham, or Hull for about a 45-minute ride.

Fort Warren is free to explore through the National Park Service, with ranger tours at 11:15 AM and 1:15 PM or self-guided walks using exhibits and brochures. The 53-acre island operates June through October.

Fort Warren held over 2,300 Confederate prisoners during the Civil War, including Vice President Alexander Stephens, with only 13 deaths recorded.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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