BACKGROUND:

As early as June of 1861, the Confederate Secretary of War LeRoy P. Walker wrote to Governor John W. Ellis seeking a location to house potential Federal prisoners of war (POWs). Warren Winslow, chairman of North Carolina's Military Board, had earlier suggested to the Confederate government that a place might be found at Alamance, between Hillsborough and Greensborough, "where large buildings have been located and prisoners might be supported at a moderate cost." However, the owner of the Alamance facility declined to allow his property to be used as a prison, and neither Hillsborough nor Greensborough offered any alternatives.

Winslow had also "ascertained that Salisbury, to which place there are railroad communications north, south, and west and where supplies are cheap, a very large and commodious building could be purchased at $15,000." In his estimation, this former cotton factory could house 1,500 to 2,000 prisoners, and could hopefully be resold after the war for a sum from $30,000 to $50,000. Governor Henry T Clark, who had succeeded John W. Ellis upon his untimely death, noted that he thought this subject should be kept from the public until the transaction was complete.

In late July of 1861, Gov. Henry T. Clark sent Col. William Johnston, the State's Commissary General, to examine the prospective property. The main factory building was a three-story structure measuring roughly ninety (90) by fifty (50) feet, "with an engine house at one end, constructed of good brick. Six (6) four-room brick buildings, described by Col. Johnston as "tenements" and a "larger superintendent's house of framed materials, with a smith shop and two or three (2-3) inferior buildings" were included on the property. Gov. Clark forwarded Col. Johnston's report to Secretary Walker noting that money would be needed to remodel the buildings. He addeed that "I shall meet with great difficulty in providing a suitable guard, as volunteers for the war entertain greatest repugnance to such a confinement themselves, and it would be very difficult in effecting exchanges which would prove mutually beneficial."

Negotiations ended with the purchase of the property in November of 1861. Judah P. Benjamin, who had replaced LeRoy P. Walker as Secretary of War, directed Gov. Henry T. Clark to raise a special service company of 80-100 volunteers as a guard. In mid-November of 1861, the Confederate Quartermaster General sent Capt. Henry McCoy to Salisbury to secure the new CSA property and to get the buildings ready for the expected POWs and the proposed Guards.

Gov. Henry T. Clark appointed Trinity College president Braxton Craven as commandant over the Trinity Guards, a cadet company from the college that was first appointed as the Guard for the Salisbury Prison. The initial group of POWs arrived on December 9, 1861. Capt. Braxton Craven reported to Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin that he had two (2) companies on duty. Secretary Benjamin ordered these two (2) companies to be mustered into Confederate service, however, Secretary Benjamin declined to confirm Capt. Braxton Craven as permanent Commandant over the post. Both Capt. Braxton Craven and his cadets had accepted the assignment under the stipulation that they would not have to enter Confederate service; and they resigned soon thereafter in January of 1862 - Capt. Braxton Craven on January 15th, and his subordinate, Capt. Aaron Townsend, on January 30th.

The second company under Capt. Braxton Craven was led by Capt. Charles W. Bradshaw of Davidson County, and he was offered the opportunity to go to Raleigh and join a new regiment being formed there, or remain at Salisbury, enroll additional men, and enlist for the war to continue at the Salisbury Prison; Capt. Bradshaw chose the latter option.

As of February 1, 1862, Maj. George C. Gibbs was now the new Commandant at Salisbury Confederate Prison, and he assembled (or was assigned) four (4) companies of military troops into a small battalion, from mid-December of 1861 to February 28, 1862:

Company A - Rowan County - Capt. Charles W. Bradshaw (November 26, 1861).
Company B - Rowan County - Capt. William H. Crawford (January 30, 1862).
Company C - Rowan, Davie, and Iredell Counties - Capt. Joseph M. Roark (February 4, 1862).
Company D - Stanly County - Capt. Davidson Underwood (February 28, 1862).

Maj. Gibbs's four (4) companies had originally enlisted for twelve (12) months, as was North Carolina law at the time, and it was simply known as Maj. George C. Gibbs' NC Prison Guard Battalion. In early 1862, the State Government decided to create the 42nd NC Regiment with these four (4) companies as the genesis of the new regiment, and to add six (6) more companies to fill out the regiment. On April 22, 1862, most of Maj. (now Colonel) George C. Gibbs' men re-enlisted "for three years or the duration of the war" (which was the new law) in the newly-created 42nd NC Regiment. However, not all did.

THE SALISBURY PRISON GUARD BATTALION CREATED:

On May 1, 1862, most of those who chose not to remain with the 42nd NC Regiment re-enlisted with Capt. William H. Howard of Rowan County (he had been a 1st Lieutenant in Company C of the Gibbs' Prison Guard Battalion), and this new company became known as Capt. William H. Howard's Company (NC Prison Guards) for a short duration. This group now took over guarding Federal prisoners at the Salisbury Confederate Prison. Capt. Archibald C. Godwin replaced Maj. George C. Gibbs as Commandant of the prison, also on May 1, 1862.

In June of 1862, negotiations between Confederate and Federal commanders in Eastern North Carolina agreed to an exchange of prisoners. Federal Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside calculated that 1,400 prisoners from the Salisbury Confederate Prison had been turned over to him, and at that time only forty-nine (49) Federal officers were all that remained at the prison.

In July of 1862, the new 57th NC Regiment was organized with Capt. Archibald C. Godwin elected as its Colonel on July 17, 1862, and Capt. William H. Howard's Company was assigned as Company A. His successor as Commandant of Salisbury Confederate Prison was chosen in late September - Capt. Henry McCoy - who had been the original prison Quartermaster sent from Richmond, VA. In January of 1863, Capt. McCoy applied for promotion to the rank of Major, and reported that he had two (2) companies under his command. These were commanded by Capt. Samuel B. Waters (commissioned September 1, 1862) and Capt. C. D. Freeman of Tuscaloosa, AL (a prison guard company that arrived in late October of 1862). Capt. McCoy's promotion was denied, reasons not provided.

In early May of 1863, Capt. McCoy and the two (2) companies under his command were ordered into the field to support Maj. Gen. Daniel H. Hill (NC), who was ordered to retake Washington, NC. Col. John A. Bradshaw of the 76th NC Militia was assigned to take over guarding POWs at Salisbury Confederate Prison. From available correspondence, it is clear that Capt. Henry McCoy did not wish to leave the prison for field duty, as he communicated via telegraph with Governor Zebulon B. Vance several iterations, as well as with Confederate Assistant Adjutant General W.S. Winder. Capt. McCoy was still at the prison on May 25, 1863 when he telegraphed A.A.G. Winder, but his two (2) companies departed the prison three (3) days earlier on May 22, 1863. Capt. Waters and Capt. Freeman's units were both at Weldon at the time of the May-June 1863 Muster Rolls. Capt. Freeman's unit was also identified at Kinston during October of 1863. His August 31st Muster Roll identifies six (6) officers and 95 men present for duty out of an aggregate present and absent of 202 men.

Capt. Samuel B. Waters resigned on May 12, 1863 due to poor health; it was accepted on June 5, 1863. 1st Lt. Elon G. Blackmer was promoted to Captain of this unit. Also in August of 1863, Capt. Blackmer's company and Capt. Freeman's company were both embroiled in a controversy due to the organization of a new Regiment. Maj. Gen. William H.C. Whiting (VA), who had replaced Maj. Gen. Daniel H. Hill (NC) as commander of the Department of North Carolina ordered that the 66th NC Regiment be created via the consolidation of several smaller units, which included Capt. Blackmer's and Capt. Freeman's companies, among others. Capt. Freeman requested that his company be assigned to an Alabama regiment. Capt. Blackmer strongly noted that his unit had been organized as "Local Defense," and a re-assignment to the 66th NC Regiment would violate the terms of their enlistment. Capt. Blackmer was forced into the 66th NC Regiment, but Capt. Freeman continued at Salisbury Confederate Prison without interruption.

Capt. Henry McCoy was relieved as commandant at his own request on October 6, 1863. He was replaced by Capt. Swift Galloway, of Brunswick County. Two (2) new companies were created to guard the prison. 1st Lt. Henry P. Allen of Capt. C. D. Freeman's company was commissioned as Captain on December 1, 1863 and led the first of the two (2) new companies. The second company was authorized on December 13, 1863 and organized on March 4, 1864 and offered to Capt. Swift Galloway. Capt. Galloway declined because it was not back-dated and because of his lingering injury. 1st Lt. Edward D. Snead was promoted to Captain on April 25, 1864. An attempt by a William W. Beard to organize a third company for the prison was not successful. By late May of 1864, Capt. Freeman's Company (Company A) consisted of 110 men; Capt. Allen's Company (Company B) had 108 men; and Capt. Snead's Company (Company C) had 112 men. They guarded 689 prisoners, only 20 of whom at that time were POWs. The remainder included 95 Federal deserters, 164 Southern political prisoners, and 310 Confederate soldiers serving sentences of court martial.

By May of 1864, Capt. Swift Galloway was replaced as commandant and post commander by Capt. George W. Alexander, from Maryland. Soon after his appointment, Capt. Alexander formally charged Capt. Edward D. Snead and two (2) other officers, 1st Lt. George A. Latham and 2nd Lt. Charles H. Snead of Capt. Allen's Company, with violation of the Confederate Articles of War. Lt. Snead was charged with organizing and leading a so-called mutiny and of delivering an "inflammatory speech" to the men. Capt. Snead was accused of attending, aiding, and abetting a mutinous meeting where these actions took place. He was charged with not only failing to break up the meeting, but for conversing with the soliders and even offering them his assistance. He was also accused of defying an arrest order to remain in his quarters by going outside to address a portion of the garrison. Lt. Latham was charged with leading members of the garrison "in an excited state" to Alexander's headquarters, where he "behaved in an insubordinate manner" until arrested.

The cases against these three (3) officers were still developing when Capt. George W. Alexander was relieved on duty in early June of 1864. His replacement was Col. John A. Gilmer, Jr. of the 27th NC Regiment, who was suffering from severe wounds received at the battle of Bristoe Station, VA on October 14, 1863. Capt. Alexander asked Col. Gilmer to keep the three (3) officers under arrest and to proceed with the cases against them. Col. Gilmer agreed, but when he forwarded the paperwork to Capt. Alexander for his signature, he never received it back By late July, Col. Gilmer had decided that something was not right about the charges against the three (3) officers. Col. Gilmer discussed this with several other officers, who convinced him that the charges would never be sustained, and that Capt. Alexander brought the charges out of personal reasons. Col. Gilmer requested to the Confederate Adjutant & Inspector General that the charges be withdrawn and that the officers be returned to duty. This apparently happened as both lieutenants served until the end of the war, and Capt. Snead was documented "present" through October 1864.

In June of 1864, Lt. Col. Archer Anderson inspected the post and reported his findings to General Braxton Bragg (LA). The three (3) companies numbered about 200 men, considerably less than what was reported in late May. Lt. Col. Anderson found that Capt. Freeman's Company was organized for "General Service," while the other two (2) companies were organized for "Local Service," and recruited "professedly from non-conscripts." At this point in time, there were 550 prisoners to guard.

Also in June of 1864, Federal Maj. Gen. John C. Schofield sent Col. George W. Kirk, a Tennessee Unionist, with about 130 men on a daring raid from Morristown, TN to destroy the bridge of the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR), over the Yadkin River near the town of Salisbury. Col. Kirk had a secondary target - free the Federal prisoners at the Salisbury Confederate Prison. Although Col. Kirk had some brushes with the North Carolina Home Guard on June 29-30, 1864, the Confederate response was quite weak. Among those sent to catch the Unionist Raider was Capt. C. D. Freeman and his company; it is possible that another company was sent as well. Former Commandant Capt. Swift Galloway led a new company organized by the citizens of Salisbury to aid in the pursuit. Capt. C. D. Freeman's Company with the Home Guard and a few other straggling units overtook Col. Kirk near Piedmont Springs, in northern Burke County, on June 30th. A sharp skirmish ensued, but Col. Kirk successfully defended his position then withdrew.

In August of 1864, Col. John A. Gilmer, Jr. was ordered to return to the 27th NC Regiment. His replacement at Salisbury Confederate Prison was Maj. John Gee, from Florida. Apparently, this appointment was coordinated by General Braxton Bragg and Adjutant & Inspector General Samuel Cooper. Just prior to his arrival at Salisbury, the Battalion was led by Capt. C. D. Freeman.

During this timeframe, a crisis developed at the prison. The capture of Atlanta by Federal Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman threatened the security of the Confederate POW Camp at Andersonville, GA, while a large number of prisoners captured in the many battles/skirmishes in Virginia during the late Summer of 1864 led to an overflow of Federal prisoners at many other prisons. In addition, the Dix-Hill prisoner exchange cartel broke down, increasing the overcrowding even further. The result was a large transfer to POWs to Salisbury from Andersonville, Richmond, and other locations. By October 5, 1864, nearly 5,000 prisoners had been added to those already confined at Salisbury; the population was over 10,000 by the end of October. Food, clothing, and housing shortages soon made living conditions unbearable. Disease was rampant, and as the onset of cold weather added to the miserable conditions. Some POWs operated in gangs to prey upon other POWs, beating them and robbing them of their meager possessions. The prison authorities could do nothing to stop these muggers.

Lt. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes (NC), commander of the North Carolina Reserve Corps ordered the 4th NC Senior Reserves to Salisbury on October 4th, with instructions to Col. John F. Hoke of that regiment to take command of all troops at Salisbury. Lt. Col. George C. Stowe's Battalion of NC Senior Reserves (later merged into the 5th NC Senior Reserves) was also ordered to Salisbury, and it remained at least until October 20th. The 9th NC Battalion-Junior Reserves and the 68th NC Regiment were also sent to Salisbury in early October of 1864. One estimate indicated that there were "several thousand" Confederate troops camped around Salisbury by the end of October.

Maj. John Gee was still officially in command of the post and the prison, and technically still had authority over all the troops assigned to both. Not only was he outranked by Col. John F. Hoke, but Lt. Gen. Holmes's orders to Col. Hoke to assume command of "all troops at Salisbury" raised questions about the actual reach of Maj. Gee's authority and orders. The stage was set for much administrative conflict that would affect the smooth operations of the prison.

However, other records indicate that Capt. C. D. Freeman of 2nd Company A was appointed, via Special Order, as the new Commandant over the Salisbury Confederate Prison on September 10, 1864. It is clear from other records that this had to be a "temporary command" only, for Major John Gee is named in many later records.

Scarcely had all these new units encamped around Salisbury before most of them received new orders to decamp and prepare to march. The Federals were going after Fort Fisher, the Cape Fear, and ultimately Wilmington. The 9th NC Battalion-Junior Reserves and the 68th NC Regiment were immediately ordered to Wilmington. On October 28, Capt. Henry P. Allen and Capt. Edward D. Snead were ordered to Wilmington as soon as other troops arrived to replace them at Salisbury Confederate Prison. Apparently, orders for the 68th NC Regiment to depart were countermanded; they were still in Salisbury during December of 1864. There is also no evidence that Capt. Allen's and Capt. Snead's companies every left the prison, even though other units had arrived that could have replaced them.

Lt. Col. George C. Stowe's Battaion of NC Senior Reserves were now merged into the newly-created 5th NC Senior Reserves, and this new regiment was sent back to Salisbury to replace the 9th NC Battalion-Junior Reserves. Col. Adolphus A. Moss's Battalion of NC Senior Reserves (soon to be merged into the 6th NC Senior Reserves) was ordered to Salisbury, and it left Lexington on October 29th. Thus, by the end of October of 1864, the garrison at the Salisbury Confederate Prison included the Salisbury Prison Guard Battalion, the 4th NC Senior Reserves, the 5th NC Senior Reserves, and Col. Adolphus A. Moss's Battalion of NC Senior Reserves.

With the ever-growing population and too many other factors to list here, the tense situation at Salisbury Confederate Prison exploded on November 25, 1864. Around 2:00 p.m, between 100 and 200 prisoners rushed one of the gates during a changing of the guard. A few guards were killed, while several others were injured as the prisoners overpowered them. Grabbing the available weapons from the dead guards, some prisoners opened fire on the guards stationed along the stockade parapet. Many guards simply dropped their weapons and fled, while others, probably paralyzed by the unexpected uproar, refused to open fire upon the rushing prisoners. Eventually they woke up. Two (2) six-pounder field pieces on the stockade wall were soon brought into action. The combined musket, rifle, and artillery fire killed and wounded several prisoners, and closed down the riot

The uprising led to calls for re-inforcements, and one report, dated November 27th, stated that there were "little over 500 men currently available for the task, as half of Major Geen's force has been taken away." This claim was pure hyperbole; all of the units assigned to the prison garrison since late October were still on duty. The immediate result of the prison riot was the assignment of Brig. Gen. Bradley T. Johnson (MD) as the new Commandant of Salisbury Confederate Prison on November 28, 1864, and he assumed command on December 17, 1864. Maj. John Gee remained in direct command of the prison in a subordinate role, at least until February of 1865, as he is mentioned as Commandant in a mid-February 1865 report filed by Assistant Adjutant & Inspector General T.W. Hall.

Federal Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's further operations through the South continued to stress the Confederate military prison system. By the end of 1864, Maj. Gen. Sherman had taken Atlanta and Savannah, GA, and by early 1865 he was in the Carolinas. This situation required the CSA to examine what to do with Federal prisoners held at Salisbury Confederate Prison, along with all other prisons in three (3) states. Salisbury Confederate Prison continued to grow more crowded during the Winter of 1864-1865. CSA Commissary General Lucius B. Northrop claimed that nearly 13,000 were there in January of 1865, but he soon gave a more accurate number of around 5,500 in mid-February of 1865.

After the fall of Savannah, GA, questions were raised about whether to move Federal prisoners from Columbia and Florence, SC to Andersonville, GA. If these were removed, then it would free up the SC Reserve forces. There was also talk about moving prisoners at Salisbury to Charlotte, but nothing was decided through early February of 1865, when Greensborough and Raleigh were added to the list of places to send the South Carolina prisoners. Rumors of a possible strike agains Salisbury from Eastern Tennessee or from Confederate deserters supposedly gathering in Yadkin County, NC.

By mid-February of 1865, it was finally decided to move the incoming South Carolina prisoners and those now in Salisbury Confederate Prison to Wilmington for the purpose of a large exchange with the Federals. Various delays were caused by Federal officials long debated how they should handle this potential exchange, while the Confederats dithered over such matters as transportation and the routes that should be taken.

By later February, the details fell into place, and the exchange commenced. There were 13, 531 Federal prisoners in North Carolina in need of exchange, including many recently sent from South Carolina. Of these, 5, 149 were at Salisbury Confederate Prison. The 2,279 sick and wounded were sent vial rail to Richmond in four (4) detachments. The remainder went to the Northeast Cape Fear River escorted by the 4th NC Senior Reserves. This nearly emptied Salisbury Conderate Prison and left the Salisbury Prison Guard Battalion, of "near three hundred" with very little to do. Brig. Gen. Bradley T. Johnson (MD) was ordered by the Adjutant & Inspector General's Office for the Salisbury Prison Guard Battalion to report to General Braxton Bragg (LA) in the eastern part of the State as soon as replacement units arrived in Salisbury.

A sharp skirmish was fought near Salisbury on April 12, 1865, and Federal Maj. Gen. George Stoneman routed the Confederates and captured the town. The Salisbury Prison Guard Battalion most likely participated in this action, but their exact role has not been documented.

Following the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston on April 26, 1865, 89 officers and men of the Salisbury Prison Guard Battalion surrendered and were paroled at Salisbury on May 1-2, 1865. Fifty-five (55) others were paroled or took the Oath of Allegiance at various places ranging from Greensborough to Alabama between May 1 and mid-June of 1865.