Yeoman's in the Fork Blog

Escapes at Oglethorpe

During Foote’s Macon, GA confinement, he reports five escapes: June 27th (1 man), July 15th (3 men), and July 16th (1 man). He even references an escape on June 27th through the use of an elaborate tunnel system. Amazingly, he reports some 100 Union soldiers escaping on July 28th as they were being taken to Charleston via the railroad. That single tunnel-escape resulted in more free men than all the successful combined escapes from Libby prison.

Operation of Oglethorpe

Camp Oglethorpe was in operation from 1861 through 1864. It had a maximum capacity of 600 but saw its peak reach a threshold of nearly 2,000 Union souls. This prison was a converted fairgrounds facility. In May 1864 some 1,500 Union officers were taken prisoner in Camp Oglethorpe, doubtless many from the capture and Battle of Plymouth the month before. Arriving at Camp Oglethorpe

As the Union POWs reached Macon in mid May, Foote says they were packed 50-60 per railroad car. The tight quarters also brought it’s own challenges. Foote was robbed of all his Confederate money while in transit aboard the train on May 15th.

It took a couple days to reach the place where Camp Oglethorpe was set up, getting there on Tuesday the 17th of May. Foote’s diary says that they were “put in an open yard without shelter, one building for [the] sick & two for Generals and Staff. . . . all of the Plymouth Officers came in the yard today.” When Foote arrived at Oglethorpe there were roughly some 2,300 Union officers imprisoned. Foote’s experiences at Camp Oglethorpe

It only took Foote five days of being in Camp Oglethorpe before he mentions being sick in his diary. Many of the men suffered from chronic diseases like dysentery and scurvy due to poor sanitation and diet. His sickness escalated to an unremittant fever within days.

By late May, the Union prisoner population began swelling due to casualties in the Army of the Potomac engaged in Grant’s Overland Campaign. Foote mentions Generals Truman Seymour and Alexander Shaler coming in on Tuesday, May 24th. By the 25th of May Foote reported feeling better in terms of his fever but he acquired an eye infection on the 29th that caused some painful inflammation.

Enduring prison life at Oglethorpe

Besides enduring the challenging physical conditions as a prisoner of war, many soldiers also had to endure the emotional stresses. On June 3rd, a Friday, Foote records that Col. Egbert Olcott from the 121st New York Infantry came in and gave Foote news that his brother Frank was captured as well, and had his leg amputated. The news must have been devastating for Foote.

The next day, June 4th, a rainy day, Foote made an entry in his diary: “This place is decidedly better than Libby Prison. We get enough to eat here, of corn meal, bacon, rice & flour. The Generals and Staff draw their rations separately from the rest and get a little more.”

The next several days passed by in boredom and normalcy for Foote as his diary entries were sparse, often just mentioning it was raining, or hot; he washed his clothes, is feeling better, etc. But the entry on Saturday June 11th leaps from the small leather diary with disdain, “Rainy. Blue times. An Officer was shot this evening by a Sentinel, no provocation.”