In the last months of the Civil War, while Northern newspapers were reporting on alleged atrocities committed by Confederates at Andersonville, Southern newspapers were relatively quiet about the prison camp at Elmira in New York’ s Southern Tier. Some of the papers did print reports from paroled prisoners of from those who were able to write home on deaths of men from local communities who died at Elmira.
Daily Confederate
Thursday, Mar 23, 1865
Raleigh, NC
Vol: 2
Page: 3
Daily dispatch
Tuesday, Mar 07, 1865
Richmond, VA
Vol:28
Page:4
Daily Constitutionalist
Friday, Mar 31, 1865
Augusta, GA
Vol:XXII
Issue:226
Page:2
Charleston Tri-weekly Courier
Tuesday, Jan 24, 1865
Charleston, SC
Page:2
The final article comes from after the war. Soon after the surrender of the last Confederate armies, most prisoners held in Northern camps were released upon taking an oath of allegiance to the United States which included a statement recognizing that slavery had ended. Still, there were prisoners at Elmira weeks after most Confederates had boarded trains to be transported home at Federal government expense. This article from an Albany, New York newspaper criticizes the government for still having some prisoners at Elmira in July.
Daily Albany Argus
Friday, Jul 14, 1865
Albany, NY
Vol:XL
Issue:12263
Page:2
