By: Naida Walcheski

Intro Task Process Resources Evaluation Conclusion

The year is 1864 and you are a Confederate prisoner of war. You are being sent to the Elmira prison camp. Upon arrival you find there are no barracks left for you to sleep in. You are put I a tent with no heat in the middle of the

winter will you survive?

The Elmira Civil War prisoner of war camp had the highest death rate of any camp in the North. Should the Commandant, Colonel Hoffman, have been prosecuted for the deplorable living conditions and subsequent deaths of

Confederate prisoners of war?

Intro Task Process Resources Evaluation Conclusion

Each member of your cooperative group will choose or be assigned a role in the trial of Colonel Hoffman. The roles are: judge, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, witness for the defense, or witness for the

prosecution. When you have finished researching the camp and prepared for your part the group will hold a

trial with the rest of the class as the jury.

Intro Task Process Resources Evaluation Conclusion

Roles

• Judge- person who hears the evidence, controls the trial and passes the sentence.

• Prosecutor- person who gathers evidence against the defendant and presents it.

• Defense attorney- the person who presents evidence defending Col. Hoffman

• Jury- the students who do all the research, hear the evidence and give the verdict.

Process

• Read the following article about the Elmira Prison Camp (www.cityofelmira.net/history/prison_camp.html)

• Take notes that will help you in your role in the group.

Process

• Notes from the Chemung County Historical Society Journal, March 1985. “The Elmira Prison Camp” by Michael Horigan.

• On May 19th Lt-Col Seth Eastman, Commander of the Elmira Camp got orders from Col. Hoffman to prepare Barracks 3 for 8,000-10,000 prisoners. Eastman’s response on May 23rd stated that 4,000 men could be housed in the barracks and 1,000 in tents. He added the kitchen could cook daily for 5,000 daily.

• On June 22 Col. Hoffman told Eastman to enclose enough ground for barracks and tents for 10,000 men.

Process

• On July 14th Surgeon Charles Alexander submitted a report that stated Foster’s Pond was a potential source of disease and it should be drained. He also said the food was not good and there was a shortage of bed sacks and blankets.He also said the care for the sick was not good as there was only one local doctor. He asked for doctors to be assigned to the camp.

• On July 20th Col. Hoffman inspected the camp and was satisfied even though he had seen Surgeon Alexander’s report.

• Dr. Sanger was assigned with two doctors on August 8th. Three weeks later three more doctors arrived. Dr. Sanger sent reports to Col. Hoffman stating the pond was a major source of disease. He also complained about the poor food, not enough winter clothing and housing He was replaced after writing many reports complaining about the bad conditions at the camp.

• After he left, during the months of February, March and April 1865 the death rate became the highest of any Union prisoner camp but the reports said things were good.

Process• Col. Tracy the camp commander stated 2.2 ounces of vegetables a day per

prisoner was enough. He also gave a special order stating poor quality beef would be rejected but found no better meat so the prisoners got no meat.

• Secretary of War Stanton gave an order on May 5th 1864 to give limited food to prisoners because the Confederates mistreated some of our men they held as prisoners.

• The weather also had a terrible effect on the prisoners. Elmira had an extremely hot summer with little rain, a long bitterly cold winter and a flood that hit the camp in March 1865. In December of 1864, 900 prisoners were still sleeping in tents.

• Secretary Stanton also refused to let winter clothing to be delivered to the prisoners until February 9, 1865. The offer to send the clothes was made in August 1864. The clothing could only be sent when the south sent a large shipment of cotton to the north.

• The camp’s overall death rate was 24.4%, other Union prisons rates were11.7%, and the south’s death rate was 15.3%.

Elmira Prison Camp

• This is a picture of the Elmira prisoner of war camp www.civilwarhome.com/elmira

www.Censusdiggins.com/prison_elmirahtml

www.cityofelmira.net/history/prison_camp.html

www.angelfire.com/ny5/elmiraprison/index.html

Intro Task Process Resources Evaluation Conclusion

Intro Task Process Resources Evaluation Conclusion

WebQuest Rubric

• www.rubistar.4teachers.org/index_php?screen=ShowRubric&rubric_id=1578441&.

You have had the opportunity to learn about the Elmira Civil War Prison Camp and participate in a mock trial. You can learn more by visiting the Steele Memorial library and

the Chemung Historical Society.

Intro Task Process Resources Evaluation Conclusion

This WebQuest was designed to give students an authentic look at what caused the Elmira Prison Camp to have the highest death rate of any Union Camp and to see how our local history tied in with national history.

An alternative activity would be to change the person on trial or research another camps and compare it’s

conditions to Elmira’s.