The 5th Massachusetts Colored Cavalry was one of several Black soldier units sent to guard prisoners at Point Lookout. They were mustered into service on January 9th, 1864. The 5th was transferred to Point Lookout in July 1864 to reinforce the . . . — — Map (db m297365) HM
Colonel Henry Brewerton's last report detailed the final disposition of Point Lookout's earthwork project (fort construction)- "Operations were brought to a close on the 3rd of May 1865, at which time four, 12-pounder Napoleon guns were . . . — — Map (db m297354) HM
Change on the Chesapeake
The Chesapeake Bay is actually the "sunken" Susquehanna River. After the last ice age, meltwater flooded the river and created the bay, the world's largest estuary. But the bay is tricky for large boats to navigate. . . . — — Map (db m297443) HM
On June 10, 1865 J.H. Thompson, former POW camp head surgeon, notified the public that Pt. Lookout had been “abandoned”. This notice was published in the St. Mary’s Gazette. The St. Mary’s Beacon newspaper had been seized during the war by the . . . — — Map (db m60276) HM
Located near the midpoint of the Chesapeake Bay, Point Lookout was an ideal location for coal storage and buoy repair. Coal was used to heat lighthouses and keeper residences in the middle bay, and to fuel steam-powered service ships known as . . . — — Map (db m297437) HM
Buoys before 1950
Wooden Spar Buoy
Until the 1950s, spar buoys—like the replica behind you—dominated the Chesapeake Bay. Buoys like these were repaired in the shed where you now stand. We still use spars—now they are made of . . . — — Map (db m297485) HM
By the end of the Civil War in 1865, the military bases at Point Lookout had grown into a small city. Besides the hospitals and prison camp, you could find dockyards, saw mills and warehouses - even a railroad, a post office and newspaper. . . . — — Map (db m8934) HM
You are now standing within the walls of the Civil War prison pen. Even though the camp is generally referred to as "Point Lookout", it was officially named, "Camp Hoffman" in honor of Union Colonel William Hoffman, Commissary General Prisoners . . . — — Map (db m297544) HM
Capt. L.R. Peyton was killed by Sgt. Edwin Young Co. A 2nd New Hampshire Volunteers on the day of his arrival at Pt. Lookout. From the board of inquiry conducted March 22, 1864 Sgt. Young testimony…
"In the course of my duties . . . — — Map (db m297224) HM
Alfred Parkins, a prisoner in the "bull pen" as the quarters of the privates is designated, came to see Lt. Arrington. Parkins says there is great destitution and suffering in the "pen". Their food is insufficient, many are in rags and without . . . — — Map (db m297235) HM
Officially designated by the Army Corps of Engineers as "Fort #3," this earthen redoubt is the only remaining fort of three that were constructed here at Point Lookout during the civil War. Logistically, the fort is 60 yards square and was . . . — — Map (db m297345) HM
Discarded into the water and recovered in 2020, these concrete posts are from the four cemeteries near Tanners Creek at Point Lookout, Maryland.
The federal government consolidated four cemeteries between the years 1867 and 1868.
Three . . . — — Map (db m297219) HM
To the memory of
→•←
seventeen
— unknown —
Confederate dead,
who fell in front of
Washington, D.C.
July 12, 1864.
— by their —
comrades. — — Map (db m76032) WM
During the Civil War, thousands of enslaved African-Americans escaped from captivity in the South to liberty in the North. The grounds before you once sheltered these freedom-seekers, know at that time as “Contraband”.
Conditions in the . . . — — Map (db m104760) HM
This site, where the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River merge, was an observation post for Americans during the War of 1812. It was also staging area for local militia in early summer of 1813.
Two- to Three-thousand British troops occupied the . . . — — Map (db m62446) HM
It is hard to imagine this tranquil site as a place of sickness, suffering and death. Yet during the Civil War, five graveyards marked Point Lookout.
Why so many graves? In 1863, Union forces chose this isolated spot for a prisoner of war camp. . . . — — Map (db m60286) HM
Imagine defending this isolated peninsula during the Civil War. There were threats from within (from thousands of prisoners) and from without (by Confederate soldiers trying to free their comrades or gain territory). What's more, a pro-Southern . . . — — Map (db m104758) HM
Imagine defending this isolated peninsula during the Civil War. There were threats from within (from thousands of prisoners) and from without (by Confederate soldiers trying to free their comrades or gain territory). What's more, a pro-Southern . . . — — Map (db m297343) HM
Ecosystem Engineers
Oysters are a bivalve shellfish that attach to rocks, piers, or old generations of shells creating large reefs or beds. These reefs provide habitats for a variety of aquatic wildlife and feeding grounds . . . — — Map (db m297539) HM
The addition of buoy and coal sheds turned the Point into an important coal storage and buoy repair station. But the new buildings hindered the critical task of its fog bell: signaling the location of the shore during low visibility conditions. . . . — — Map (db m297488) HM
Standing before you is Fort Lincoln, the main Union fortification on the peninsula. As a key defense stronghold, Fort Lincoln, also known as Fort #2, was cleverly designed to resist attack.
To defend against artillery fire or direct infantry . . . — — Map (db m104759) HM
The Coast Guard on the Point
During World War II (1941-1945), the U.S. Coast Guard assigned a crew of young male recruits to Point Lookout to assist the keepers in their duties and to monitor bay traffic. The crew detachment remained at . . . — — Map (db m297440) HM
This monument was originally at the Grace Church Cemetery, at the corner of Grace Church Road and Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland. It was rededicated at Confederate Memorial Park on October 9, 2020.
Until its relocation to . . . — — Map (db m297269) HM
This granite stone fell off the transport barge into the Chesapeake Bay in 1910 while the federal monument at the Confederate cemetery was in the process of construction.
Recovered by James Philip Fenwick and Louis Hamilton Mayor. . . . — — Map (db m297217) HM
You are standing on the site of Hammond General Hospital, opened at Point Lookout, Maryland, in August 1862. It is named for Surgeon General William A. Hammond, who transformed the antiquated Army Medical Bureau into a professional organization. . . . — — Map (db m297374) HM
The Daughters of Charity (left) was a Catholic religious order that provided volunteer nurses as they came to prominence during the Civil War. Several hundred volunteers served both the Union and the Confederate Armies. These nurses staffed . . . — — Map (db m297492) HM
Henry Oldham Robertson was wounded July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg. He stayed at the Cashtown, Pennsylvania hospital until he was transferred to Hammond General Hospital, Point Lookout, Maryland October 4th, 1863. He left Point Lookout Prison Camp . . . — — Map (db m297234) HM
Letter written home from
Sgt. Enos E. Barkdell Co. H 139th Ohio Reg.
Dear family, I received your letter of the 26th of June this morning and I tell you I was glad to hear from you… We have as good a bed to sleep on as you have . . . — — Map (db m297228) HM
…It takes the "ATON" system
Buoys, day beacons, fog signals, range markers, radio beacons and (in the past) light ships are also Aids to Navigation (ATON). Together, they make a system that helps mariners pinpoint their location and safely . . . — — Map (db m297447) HM
Divided loyalties and ironies tore at Marylanders’ hearts throughout the Civil War: enslaved African-Americans and free United States Colored Troops; spies and smugglers; civilians imprisoned without trial to protect freedom; neighbors and . . . — — Map (db m1000) HM
Repairing buoys was monotonous and repetitive, but important. Using a scraper and a lot of elbow grease, keepers removed the old paint and barnacles, then applied a new coat. Iron parts, number boards, channel lights and bells were likely fixed . . . — — Map (db m297484) HM
For 136 years, the Point lookout Lighthouse helped generations of Chesapeake Bay mariners avoid shoals, navigate through dense fog, and find the Potomac River’s mouth. The beam shone until 1966, when an automated light off Point Lookout assumed . . . — — Map (db m104740) HM
Like all other lighthouses, Point Lookout's light required around-the-clock staffing. To save funds, the light tower was combined with a house. Keepers lived in the home below and spent their days cleaning the lens, checking the oil supply, . . . — — Map (db m297434) HM
Pt. Lookout P.O.W. Feb 13, 1864 - June 23, 1864
One of the randomly selected 600 Confederate officers to be used as a hitman shield for 45 days by Federal forces on Morris Island, S.C.
"Landed at Pt. Lookout Feb 13, 1864. . . . — — Map (db m297242) HM
Mary Ellen Whalen was born a slave in 1829 in White Marsh, Maryland. Affectionately known as "Aunt Pigeon," she was commissioned as a cook by the Union Quartermaster at Point Lookout Prison Camp.
Camp regulations prohibited prisoners from . . . — — Map (db m297265) HM
The U.S. Government, located in Washington D.C., was surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. Since Virginia had already joined the Confederacy, it was critical in the survival of the Union that Maryland not be allowed to secede. The State was . . . — — Map (db m168932) HM
The Maryland Flagpole
In 1860, the people of Maryland were opposed to secession but supportive of states' rights. Events unfolding in April of 1861 soon swayed Marylanders' views favorably toward secession. The attempt to . . . — — Map (db m297218) HM
No state's role in the War Between the States is more misunderstood than that of Maryland often described as a Union state. It must be noted that this status was imposed with the force of arms and military might. . . . — — Map (db m297273) HM WM
The engraved bricks you see around the P.O.W. monument have been donated by descendants of the prisoners, veterans' organizations and individuals. The names on the bricks represent a small percentage of the documented 52,264 POW's imprisoned at . . . — — Map (db m297264) HM
By the early 20th century, the Lighthouse Board and Service adopted additional designs for buoys. These included metal nun and can buoys, lighted buoys, and whistle and bell buoys. Many of these varieties are still in use today. Bells are now . . . — — Map (db m297482) HM
Point Lookout is a witness to much of our nation’s history. As you survey the vast expanse of Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River, remember those who have come before.
Early Inhabitants
Five thousand years ago, Native Americans first . . . — — Map (db m104745) HM
Point Lookout's history dates long before Captain John Smith arrived in 1608. Here, where the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River meet, has changed roles many times given its location. The State of Maryland's mission is to preserve and . . . — — Map (db m297542) HM
Erected by the United States to mark the burial place of Confederate Soldiers and Sailors who died at Point Lookout, Md., while prisoners of war and were there buried to the number of 3384, but whose remains were subsequently removed, either to . . . — — Map (db m927) HM
Erected by the State of Maryland in memory of the Confederate Soldiers who died Prisoners of War at Point Lookout, from March 1st, 1864, to June 30th, 1865.
(north face) “At the call of Patriotism and duty they encountered the . . . — — Map (db m943) HM
Camp Hoffman Prison
The Union prison at Camp Hoffman, Maryland — called Point Lookout — opened in 1863. A 15-foot-high plank fence surrounded the 40-acre prison compound. The first prisoners arrived in July 1863-Confederates . . . — — Map (db m128948) HM WM
This monument is dedicated to the memory of those soldiers, sailors, and hospital attendants from both North and South, who were here at Point Lookout from July 1862 to July 1865.
This monument marks the general location of the Hammond Hospital — — Map (db m60284) HM
This memorial plaza is to honor the sacrifices of the 52,264 Confederate soldiers, sailors and civilians imprisoned near here during the War Between the States. Point Lookout prison camp was established immediately following the Battle of . . . — — Map (db m60250) HM
Point Lookout was the site of the largest prison camp of the Civil War. Between 1863 and 1865 the Federal Government held over 50,000 captured Confederate soldiers here. — — Map (db m297369) HM
History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived but if faced with courage, need not be lived again. - Maya Angelo
To the memories of our past
Who are patient and who wait,
True and faithful to the last,
For Easter morning . . . — — Map (db m128949) WM
After the battle of Gettysburg, the Union established a prisoner-of-war depot near here. Confederate soldiers and Maryland civilians were imprisoned and guarded by 400 Union troops, with only tents for protection. 3,384 prisoners died. — — Map (db m60283) HM
After the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union established a prisoner-of-war depot near here. Confederate soldiers and Maryland civilians were imprisoned and guarded by 400 Union troops. With only tents for protection, 3,384 prisoners died. — — Map (db m998) HM
Point Lookout received a radio beacon monitoring system in 1937. This station monitored radio beacons in the middle section of the bay. Radio beacons allowed mariners to more accurately pinpoint their location, especially during poor visibility. . . . — — Map (db m297439) HM
Hammond General Hospital, opened at Point Lookout, Maryland, in August 1862, was named for Surgeon General William A. Hammond. The massive structure, built to accommodate 1,400 amen, was set on piles about two to three feet above ground and . . . — — Map (db m1001) HM
Prison authorities provided a bulletin board just inside the pen near the camp post office for posting war news and prison announcements of a general nature. The bulletin board provided notice to those prisoners who received letters and packages . . . — — Map (db m297372) HM
Here you see a partial reconstruction of Camp Hoffman, the largest Union prison camp for Confederate soldiers. Built after the Battle of Gettysburg, it was planned to hold 10,000 prisoners. However, more than five times that number—52,000 in . . . — — Map (db m128950) HM
Better to be Sutler than President"
A camp sutler was a civilian merchant who sold provisions to field forces or at a prison camp. The Camp Hoffman sutler was located here, just outside the stockade, near the prison's main gate. To . . . — — Map (db m297370) HM
"I have not seen one smile or heard a hearty laugh since I have been here. Everyone moves around in almost sullen silence, with a sad countenance, and the whole crew looks as if they had just returned from a big funeral." — Prisoner . . . — — Map (db m297367) HM
…Major A.G. Brady as I saw and knew him would have the sole distinction of having impressed his brutal image, his cowardly and inhuman conduct to the prisoners in his keeping, as the lowest and most consummate villain of which history makes . . . — — Map (db m297229) HM
"We received a cup of thin soup and a small piece of bakers' bread with a small slice of pickled pork. The ration never changed. How they could be so rotten we never understood. Only one meat was served each day. Many men contracted scurvy." . . . — — Map (db m297230) HM
Pvt. Joseph P. Bashaw Co. I 7th Tenn Infantry
"I was captured and carried to Pt. Lookout Prison, where I took chronic dysentery without treatment, I came near dying before they sent me to a hospital where I began to improve a little, but what I . . . — — Map (db m297240) HM
…Upon the whole, prison life was very monotonous. It was such and unhealthy camp that the prisoners considered that they had a better chance for their lives fighting in the army.
The food, while good was very scant. Breakfast consisted of . . . — — Map (db m312019) HM
A native of Cambridge, Maryland, Pvt. Laird crossed into Va. to enlist on July 21, 1861
While confined at Pt. Lookout Pvt. Laird was elected Sgt. Major by his fellow prisoners to serve as Mediator between the prisoners and Union officials. . . . — — Map (db m297270) HM
Standing before you is Redoubt #3, a Union fortification on the peninsula. This redoubt was one of three designed to resist a potential attack from Confederate forces as well as to prevent possible breakouts from the prisoners of war camp held at . . . — — Map (db m297349) HM
Cedar spar buoys were subject to damage from rot, rough seas and collisions and required near-constant maintenance. Lighthouse tenders picked up damaged buoys throughout the bay and delivered them to Point Lookout. Workers used a hook to load . . . — — Map (db m297483) HM
The grassy area in front of you was once the site of a major resort. The geared wheels peeking out of the grass are all that remain. They were part of a power plant that provided lighting for the resort’ buildings and power for its water . . . — — Map (db m60316) HM
The grassy area in front of you was once part of a major resort and the geared wheels peeking out of the grass are all that remain. They were once part of a power plant that provided lighting for the resort's buildings and power for its water . . . — — Map (db m297277) HM
… The 25th Christmas Day and it was clear and cold. I was both cold and hungry all day. Only got a piece of bread and a cup of coffee for breakfast and a small slice of meat and a cup of soup and 5 crackers for dinner. Supper we had none. . . . — — Map (db m297227) HM
"Our prison was situated on the point between the Potomac which is 6 miles wide and the Chesapeake which is so wide that you cannot see across it. We were in tents with a parapet made of plank around us. There were about 40 acres inside the . . . — — Map (db m297263) HM
… Our tents were miserable affairs, being full of holes and very rotten. They were of the "Sibley pattern," and into each one of these sixteen men were crowded. In order to lay down at night, the men were compelled to lay so close together as to . . . — — Map (db m297233) HM
Sgt. Peyton P. Maddox Co. C 9th La. Infantry
Letter dated Dec 16, 1863
"Our rations are short and we are very much in need of clothing. I thought that I had seen hard times before but I never known what hard times were before. I would give . . . — — Map (db m297238) HM
Centuries of storms, fogs, shoals, collisions, combat, poor judgement and bad luck have plagued local mariners. Gazing across Point Lookout's waters, we can only wonder how many of their wrecks litter the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay and the . . . — — Map (db m8935) HM
Entered into the community 28th March 1861
Received the Holy Habit 8th September 1861
Sister Mary Consolata Conlan was one of the twenty-five Daughters of Charity from Emmitsburg, Maryland who cared for the sick, wounded and dying at Point . . . — — Map (db m297267) HM
Smallpox was one of the leading causes of death at Point Lookout for both prisoners and guards. Highly contagious particularly in closely confined populations, such as the prison and surrounding camps, smallpox ran rampant and almost unstoppable . . . — — Map (db m297276) HM
Near this location during the Civil War was the smallpox hospital where thousands of people were quarantined.
Highly contagious, horrible to behold and often fatal, smallpox was a dreaded disease. When the scourge hit the prison camp, officials . . . — — Map (db m60285) HM
In April 1848, seventy-seven slaves boarded a schooner, The Pearl, anchored in Washington, D.C., arranged by anti-slavery activist, William L. Chapin. Captains Daniel Drayton and Edmund Sayres intended to sail down the Potomac River and up . . . — — Map (db m297340) HM
In April 1848, the Chesapeake Bay's stormy weather doomed a maritime dash to freedom by 77 slaves from Washington D.C.
Anti-slavery activist William L. Chapin had arranged for the schooner Pearl to spirit the 77 to New York and . . . — — Map (db m62551) HM
"The Express sailed from Baltimore… The weather was very rough and the steamboat was pitching badly. The gale increased to a frightful extent and the steamboat was tossed helplessly about … Again and again waves swept over her and . . . — — Map (db m297490) HM
Pictured here is an example of a soldier in the United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) stationed here at Point Lookout. The U.S.C.T. units posted here during the war guarded the prisoners of war, and conducted foot and mounted patrols throughout . . . — — Map (db m297363) HM
Soldiers who were not longer physically able to suffer the rigors of active campaigning, but were still fit to serve the Union Army, were transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps (VRC). VRC soldiers were given a distinctive sky-blue uniform. . . . — — Map (db m297362) HM
This is where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay. A naval officer once described the Point as a "bleak, barren sand beach." Yet it was an ideal location for a beacon to guide mariners traveling both the bay and the river. Authorized in . . . — — Map (db m297433) HM
The pilings in front of you are all that remain of Point Lookout's 250-foot-long wharf. Lighthouse tender ships (or "tenders") laden with supplies, coal and buoys needing repairs docked here. Workers used a crane to hoist cargo onto the wharf's . . . — — Map (db m297435) HM
Pvt. Wilbur W. Grambling, twenty-one years of age, captured in the Wilderness Campaign in May 1864 was imprisoned at the elmira Prison Camp also known as "Hellmira." In his diaries, he recorded his observations of the prisoners that were . . . — — Map (db m297236) HM
Shaped like tapered telephone poles, spar buoys (like this replica) were the most common buoy type found on the Chesapeake Bay before World War II. They also made up the majority of buoys repaired at Point Lookout.
Made of white cedar and . . . — — Map (db m297448) HM
