This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Living Death In Civil War Prisons
A diary style account from Belle Isle prisoners describes rations of corn bread baked by trusted workers, lye water for stomach relief, and harsh living conditions. It notes Astor House inmates like John Ransom and Jimmy Devers, exchanges of clothing, scarce wood, cold death risks, and faint escape plots amid high prices for basic foods.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Belle Isle
Astor House
John Ransom
Rovinson
Sanitary Commisson
Ransom
Jess
Robinson
Jimmy Devers
Jimmy
Dim
Johnny Rebels