Columbia Military Prison
Deaths of Union Officers



Harper's Weekly
April 1, 1865
Page 197

Across the river from Columbia is Camp Sorghum, where our prisoners were kept. Our artist has numbered the graves, and we give below the names to correspond. These men were nearly all murdered by the rebels.

No Full Name Rank Unit Co Date Died Where & When captured
  ??, Harry Lieutenant     Oct/Nov  
  Bender, William H. ( W. P. ) Captain 123 Ohio Infantry I 8 Oct 15-Jun-63 @ Winchester, VA
4 Eckings, Thomas K. ( C. K. ) Lieutenant 3 New Jersey Infantry A   08-May-64 @ Spottsylvania, VA
2 Fairfield ( Fairchild ), Otto B. ( O. P. ) ( L. D. ) Lieutenant 89 Ohio Infantry B 8 Nov 00-Sep-63 @ Chickamauga, GA
3 Flansburg ( Flamsburgh ) (Hansbury ), David Captain 4 Indiana Battery, Light Artillery   22 Nov 20-Sep-63 @ Chickamauga, GA
  Francis, John L. Captain 135 Ohio Infantry F 3 Oct 03-Jul-64 @ Wilderness, VA
1 Halderman ( Hulderman ), John Lieutenant 129 Illinois Infantry D 13 Nov  
  Henderson, John H. Lieutenant 14 Illinois Infantry D   04-Oct-64 @ Acworth, GA
7 Jackson, John Lieutenant 4 Indiana Cavalry I 21 Nov 07-May-64 @ Wilderness, VA
  Jackson, Robert W. Lieutenant 21 Wisconsin Infantry C   20-Sep-63 @ Chickamauga, GA
  Kauff, Jairus 2nd Lieutenant 143 Pennsylvania Infantry I 31 Oct Wilderness, VA
  Parker, Robert Bates ( Edward B. ) 2nd Lieutenant 1 Vermont Heavy Artillery B 13 Oct 23-Jun-64 @ Petersburg, VA
5 Spafford, Ara ( Asa ) ( A. C. ) Lieutenant 21 Ohio Infantry C 14 Oct 20-Sep-63 @ Chickamauga, GA
  Stahf, D. Andrew Lieutenant 49 Pennsylvania Infantry   26 Sept  
  Turbayne, George Lieutenant 66 New York Infantry F/C   17-Jun-64 @ Petersburg, VA
6 Wenrick, James E. Captain 19 Pennsylvania Cavalry E   08-Apr-64 @ Memphis, TN
  Young ( Youniz ), Alvin George Lieutenant 4 Pennsylvania Cavalry F   24-Jun-64 @ Yellow Tavern, VA

Note:
I am quite sure that more than these 17 officers died in Columbia than these but have no records to list. The drawing made in Feb or March 1865 indicates maybe 20 or so headstones but there could have been more or some not marked, It is a drawing and the rubble in the background purports to be the remains of the camp. Every POW Report I have read states they burned the camp before they were moved into the State Lunatic Asylum. Contrary to the Harper Weekly statement, most appear to have died of disease (yellow fever), the reason the POW's were moved from Charelston to Columbia. Know exceptions are Lieutenant Parker, who was mauled by blound hounds in a failed escaped attempt, and Lieutenant's Young and Turbayne, who were shot for being too close to "dead line". Union officers claim thet were no closer than others had been or were but the CSA soldier was not disciplined or rewarded. I feel reasonably certain these were the only non-diesae deaths at Columbia. First hand reports state that there was plenty of random firing into the camp, especially at night, but I have not other reported deaths. It may have been done to keep their "heads down".
There is an account that there "many" men buried when they first arrived from Charleston and shortly thereafter, with no proper markings being allowed But only Lieutant Stahl appears to have been buried in that period. My feeling is that there were more who died and their graves and names are known but to God.
I have been criticizied for a lighter touch on my site and I accept that as valid. I am a native Columbian and have probably at least one great great grandfather who served here as a guard. I am feel neither pride nor shame for that fact. From all my readings, this was not a bad POW Camp for the period, But nothing can be sadder than the death of any man, especially a man fighting for what he believes is right, who ends his life in a POW camp. The frustration must be unbearable. For that reason, I have listed these men as a group, in addition with the other POW's. They deserve special notice for the total price paid.

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