Elmira in Chemung County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Civil War Monument
Camp Rathbun May 1861 - 1864
and
the Confederate prisoners of war
incarcerated at Camp Chemung
July 1864 - July 1865
Flagstaff located
inside main entrance to the camp
N.W. corner of property at
722 Winsor Ave.
Donated by Paul and Norma Searles
Dedicated under auspices
Chemung Valley Living History Center Inc.
Mayor James Hare, City of Elmira, N.Y.
May 3, 1992
Erected 1992 by Chemung Valley Living History Center and City of Elmira.
Topics. This historical marker and monument is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1861.
Location. 42° 4.947′ N, 76° 49.295′ W. Marker is in Elmira, New York, in Chemung County. Marker is at the intersection of Winsor Avenue and Hoffman Street, on the right when traveling east on Winsor Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Elmira NY 14905, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Elmira Prison Camp 1864 - 1865 (a few steps from this marker); Upon This Spot Stood The Original Flagstaff (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Elmira Prison Camp 1864-65 (approx. ¼ mile away); Grace Episcopal Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Grace Episcopal Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Old Second Street Cemetery (approx. 0.8 miles away); Crystal Eastman (approx. 0.8 miles away); Spanish War Veterans (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elmira.
Also see . . .
1. Original Location of Flagpole. Civil War Album website entry:
Page 5 of an excellent tour of the prison site from Civil War album. The page (and preceding page 4) interprets the site of the flagpole. (Submitted on June 24, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. Elmira Prison Camp 1864-1865. Chemung County History website entry:
At the beginning of the Civil War, Elmira had been a military recruiting depot where soldiers attended basic training. Later in the war Elmira was chosen as a draft rendezvous, and then a new prisoner of war camp. The first prisoners arrived at the camp on July 6, 1864. The last prisoners left the camp on July 11, 1865. (Submitted on November 4, 2015, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
3. Elmira Prison. Wikipedia entry:
Elmira Prison was a prisoner-of-war camp constructed by the Union Army in Elmira, New York, during the American Civil War to house captive Confederate soldiers. (Submitted on November 4, 2015, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 23, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 24, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,547 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 24, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on November 4, 2015, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. 3. submitted on June 24, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4. submitted on June 23, 2014, by Scott J. Payne of Deposit, New York. 5. submitted on November 4, 2015, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.