Interpreting the latrines of the Johnson’s Island Civil War Military Prison

Abstract

Investigations of the prison compound latrines from the Johnson’s Island Civil War Military Prison site provide a unique opportunity to explore a multitude of questions related to military life and POW treatment during the American Civil War. Johnson’s Island (Ohio), a Union prison for Confederate officers, contained special use areas within the compound and their associated latrines which can be evaluated chronologically. Coupled with the extensive primary documentation existing for this prison, investigations to date have centered around how these unique latrines exhibit both the POW experience as well as changing Union policy towards prisoners. These latrines captured lost items, were the repository for primary and secondary deposits reflecting the material culture available to the prisoner at the time, and served as the staging areas for escape attempts.