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Captain Charles A. Reynolds
The US Quartermaster Department sent Captain Charles A. Reynolds to oversee the construction of a prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers on the island of Rock Island. He was ordered to construct a camp large enough to house 10,000 prisoners of war. When completed, it covered 12 acres on the north side of the island. It consisted of 84 wood framed barracks, each 22 feet wide by 100 feet long, surrounded by a 12 foot high fence. -
Confederate Soldier Prisoners First Arrive
Although the camp was not completed, the first 468 Confederate soldier prisoners arrived by train. Shipped from the railroad station at Chattanooga, Tennessee, these soldiers had been captured at The Battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge on November 24 -25, 1863. When they arrived at the western end of the island, local citizens gathered to watch them as they marched to the camp. -
COL Adolphus J. Johnson
COL Adolphus J. Johnson assumed the position of Commanding Officer of the Rock Island Barracks. He served for the twenty months that the prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers was operated by the Quartermaster Department. During his tenure, MJR Charles P. Kingsbury was also assigned to the island for the Ordnance Department and served as the first Commanding Officer of Rock Island Arsenal. -
Galvanized Yankees
President Abraham Lincoln announced an Amnesty Proclamation for Confederate soldiers. Any prisoner who pledged allegiance to the United States and agreed to enlist in Union military service, was granted amnesty. These soldiers were inducted into the US Navy or into the US Army for frontier service in the west. During the time the Rock Island Barracks was in operation, approximately 3,000 or about a quarter of the total prison population became “Galvanized Yankees.”
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Clocktower Building
The cornerstone of the Clock Tower Building, the first permanent government structure on the island, was laid on April 20, 1864. This was the only one of three buildings designed by Major Charles P. Kingsbury to be built. -
Camp Life
John F. Gisch was a Confederate prisoner of war at Rock Island Prison Barracks. He was a member of Company A, 24th Alabama Infantry Regiment. He was captured at the Battle of Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863. He arrived at the Rock Island Prison Barracks on December 9, 1863 and was assigned to Barrack 17. He was released from confinement on June 17, 1865. During his time at the camp, Gisch created watercolors that accurately depict camp life. -
108th Regiment arrive to guard
The 108th Regiment, US Colored Troops arrived to serve as guards at the Rock Island Barracks. This regiment, comprised of former slaves from Kentucky, remained at the camp until May 1865. -
Colonel Thomas J. Rodman
When Colonel Thomas J. Rodman, a Brevet Brigadier General, came to Rock Island Arsenal, he redesigned the arsenal on a much grander scale. For his contributions as the Commanding Officer from 1865 to 1871, he is known as “The Father of Rock Island Arsenal.” -
Confederate Cemetery
Although the Civil War ended on April 9, 1865, the last two prisoners were not released from the prison hospital until three months later. In the twenty months the camp was operational, the Rock Island Barracks had held a total of 12,192 prisoners. Today, you can visit the Confederate Cemetery, the final resting place for the 1,964 Confederate prisoners who died at the camp. -
Stone Shop Construction
Arsenal workmen constructing one of the ten stone shops illustrate the construction technique of the roof of the building. Because iron, Fink trusses were used, columns were not needed for support. This created an open bay in the attic of the building. -
Earliest Known RIA Group Photograph
One of the earliest known group photographs of Rock Island Arsenal employees shows shop personnel in 1873. J.H. Drayton, seated at the far left, was Superintendent of Manufacturing from December 11, 1865 to December 1, 1904. Emil Beck, seated third from the left, was Superintendent of the Tin Shop from February 24, 1868 to August 20, 1920. -
Stone Shops Under Construction
The ten stone shops designed by Colonel Thomas J. Rodman were constructed from 1866 to 1893. Shops G and I (Buildings 108 and 110), seen here, were under construction in 1878. -
