Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Confederate Prisoners of War
Mathew Brady's photograph of three Southern prisoners posing on Seminary Ridge is among the most famous images of Confederate soldiers taken during the Civil War. The stone wall in front of you occupies the ground where the breastworks depicted in the photo once stood. Like more than 5,000 other Confederate soldiers captured by the Federal army during the battle, these men were eventually incarcerated in Northern prison facilities, such as Fort Delaware near Wilmington, Maryland, (sic) and Johnson's Island, on Lake Erie in Ohio.
Roughly 6,000 seriously wounded Confederate soldiers fell into Union hands after the Battle of Gettysburg. Several high-ranking Confederate officers recuperated at the Seminary Hospital before being transferred to prison, including, Generals James Kemper and Isaac Trimble, both of whom were wounded during Pickett's Charge, and Major Henry Kyd Douglas, an aide serving on the staff of General Edward Johnson. By the end of August, 41 Confederate patients remained at this hospital site.
Erected 2013 by The Seminary Ridge Historic Preservation Foundation. (Marker Number 15.)
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • War, US Civil . In addition, it is included in the Gettysburg - Seminary Ridge Historic Walking Tour series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 4, 1863.
Location. 39° 50.034′ N, 77° 14.685′ W. Marker is in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. Memorial is on Seminary Ridge Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Marker is located about 75 yards south of Buford Avenue (US Route 30). It sits in the northwest corner of the small parking lot on the east side of Seminary Ridge Avenue. It's almost directly across the street from North Hall, a small, white, wood-framed building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 238 Seminary Ridge Avenue, Gettysburg PA 17325, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ewell's Corps (a few steps from this marker); Stevens' Battery (within shouting distance of this marker); This Breastwork (within shouting distance of this marker); Elsie Singmaster (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg (within shouting distance of this marker); 95th New York Infantry (within shouting distance of this marker); Civilians on Seminary Ridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Habitat of Seminary Ridge (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lee's Headquarters At Gettysburg (about 300 feet away); Emanuel Bell Tower (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gettysburg.
More about this marker. This marker is Stop 15 on the Seminary Ridge Historic Walking Trail.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2013, by Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,301 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 14, 2013, by Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 5, 6. submitted on December 3, 2015, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.