![]() ![]() The Union achieved few military successes in 1861, which meant the commissary general had few prisoners with whom to deal. Hoffman had plenty of time to devote to the construction of the new prison. Meigs approved the site, and the commissary general of prisoners set to work. It also came with a low lease price, which appealed to Hoffman, who had developed a reputation as a very frugal officer. ![]() The three hundred-acre island offered forty acres of cleared land, and the felled timber could be utilized as fuel. Because of its location just two and three-quarter miles from the mainland, it would be easy to transport both captives and supplies. Hoffman visited a number of islands before recommending Johnson’s Island in Sandusky Bay as the best site for a military prison. In October Meigs dispatched his new commissary general of prisoners to Lake Erie. During the secession crisis Hoffman’s Texas command had been surrendered by his superior, General David Twiggs, although Hoffman and his comrades were soon paroled and sent north. He even had brief experience as a military captive. His duties in the frontier army had included the erection of Fort Bridger and the rebuilding of Fort Laramie. Hoffman brought a wealth of practical experience to his position that would aid him in overseeing the construction and operation of prison facilities. For the post of commissary general of prisoners he selected Lieutenant Colonel William Hoffman, a career soldier, West Point class of 1829. Cameron approved the quartermaster general’s recommendations, and Meigs began putting them into effect. Nine days after Meigs sent his message to Cameron the Battle of First Manassas exploded the idea of a short, painless war. The second was the selection of a site, preferably on an island in Lake Erie, for what Meigs believed would be the primary Northern prison. The first was the appointment of a commissary general of prisoners, an officer who would carry out Union prison policies and supervise Northern prisons. ![]() On July 12, 1861, in a message to Secretary of War Simon Cameron, he predicted that in “the conflict now commenced it is likely to be expected that the United States will have to take care of large numbers of prisoners of war.” He added that “arrangements should be at once made for their accommodation.” Toward that end, Meigs made two recommendations. One of them was General Montgomery Meigs, the Union’s newly appointed Quartermaster General. This was particularly true of the North’s political leaders, most of whom, chanting “On to Richmond!” believed the war would be a quick and relatively bloodless affair.Īmong the top military brass there were a few realists. When the Civil War began in April 1861, prisoners and prison policy were not high priorities for Union officials. ![]()
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