Yeoman's in the Fork Blog

Prisoners coming and going (escaping)

On June 14th another 44 officers came in from the Army of the Potomac according to Foote. A couple days later he “hears” that some officers that were taken from Camp Oglethorpe recently (see June 10th entry) were taken to Charleston. Unbeknownst to Foote, some six weeks later he would sent to Charleston as well; what would be his fourth location as a prisoner of war to the Confederacy.

The days passed by monotonously, drawing rations, bathing, cooking, sickly, better, shaving, more prisoners coming in, and then the drab sameness was broken on Sunday June 27th: “An officer escaped last night. Excitement today, the Reb Officers discovered several tunnels that our men had been digging. The Rebs were informed of the whereabouts of them by one of our own Officers.” Camp Oglethorpe would become well-known for the large number of successful escapes by Union prisoners due to an elaborate tunnel system. It is very interesting that a turncoat Union officer among the ranks was the apparent snitch with regards to the tunnel system being dug by the Union soldiers. The traitor had no doubt traded precious favors or privileges for the intelligence.