A large tobacco warehouse that was located on the north side of Cary Street
between 18th & 19th Streets. Mainly used for civilian prisoners, it was
generally packed with murderers, cut-throats, thieves and other desperadoes.
Males suspected of disloyalty, spies and Union sympathizers were incarcerated
here. A large number of its inmates were under sentence of death. A few women
were held here, including the famous Dr. Mary E. Walker. Used by the Federals
for Confederate civilian "war criminals" after the surrender. Formerly the Greanor's, Palmer's, & Whitlock's Tobacco factories.
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/6/1861; officers for the
Maryland Zouaves are elected; G. W. Alexander is 1st Lieutenant (later
Castle Thunder commandant) |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
7/27/1861; slave of Wm. Greanor
was arrested for throwing a rock |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
10/3/1861; Ad to Marylanders from Adjt. G. W.
Alexander, proposing to form the Zarvona Zouaves |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
10/5/1861; Report of G. W. Alexander's MD
meeting, Convened at Adam's Bldg, 10th St. betw. Main & Cary. Meeting
brought to order by "Capt. Dugan, a fine specimen of a Marylander." Details
on GWA |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
10/9/1861;
Ad for G. W.
Alexander's Zarvona Zouave guerilla |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
10/21/1861;
update on
recruiting for Zarvona Zouaves. G. W. Alexander back in town. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
10/23/1861;
short letter of
thanks to donors from G. W. Alexander |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
11/26/1861;
Short note to 4
little girls from G. Washington Alexander, thanking them on behalf of
Zarvona Zouaves |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
2/22/1862; Capt. George W. Alexander of Baltimore arrived 2/21, and is
staying at the Powhatan Hotel |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
2/25/1862; Wind storm: slate blown off steeple of Broad Street M. E. Church,
also adjacent scaffolding; 100 yards of Petersburg RR bridge track and
flooring blown into the river; 50 old pines at Howard’s Grove fall – smash
into half dozen houses formerly used by 57 VA; tin roof at Greanor’s Factory
(future Castle Thunder), 18th St., blown off. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
3/6/1862; 21 prisoners at military prison – Samuel Maccubbin Chief of
Provost Marshal police & Baldwin T. Allen clerk of the prison |
|
Richmond
Whig |
3/6/1862; Samuel Macubbin has been
appointed Chief of Police, and Baldwin T. Allen has been appointed clerk of
the "prison in Lumpkins' Alley" [Castle Godwin] |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
3/7/1862; Charles Palmer has been released from custody |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
3/18/1862; Capt. Geo. W. Alexander appointed Assistant Provost Marshal; he
has not recovered fully from his injuries |
|
Richmond
Whig |
3/18/1862; Capt. Geo. W. Alexander
has been appointed Assistant Provost Marshal of Richmond |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
3/20/1862; G. W. Alexander raids house near corner of Cary & 13th.
Arrested “some 12 or 15 persons of bad character.” |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
3/21/1862; nice details on G. W. Alexander raid, 17th & Cary. Lts.
Turner, Emack & Semple assisted. Arrested every male on the block – 89 in
all. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
3/26/1862; paragraph lauding energy & judgment of G. W. Alexander |
|
Richmond
Whig |
4/3/1862; description of Capt.
Godwin and his police detectives. Godwin has his office on "Broad, corner of
Ninth street." Macubbin is "Chief of Confederate States Military Police" |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
4/8/1862; T. P. Turner and G. W. Alexander make dawn raid on bars, Cary
between 17th and 18th. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
4/24/1862; Lt. R. M. Booker has become one of the Assistant Provost Marshals
of the city – he had previously been one of the officers in charge of the
C.S. Military Prison on Main street |
|
Richmond
Whig |
4/28/1862; A. C. Godwin has
resigned as Provost Marshal, and G. W. Griswold is appointed in his place |
|
G. W. Alexander letter |
5/3/1862; letter from Alexander to
Godwin, containing a breakdown of the numbers of guards detailed at the
various prisons |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/20/1862; George W. Alexander carried the dispatches from Drewry’s Bluff to
Richmond; Lt. James H. Rochelle manned “gun No. 2” during the fight |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/21/1862; Castle Godwin update. Frederick Shaffer replaces Geo. Frebmyer as
warden - 60 prisoners, neat, clean, well-run, etc. G.W. Alexander praised |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/22/1862; kindly-treated poor woman names son after G. W. Alexander |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/22/1862; Alexander arrests fake officer at American Hotel |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/22/1862; G. W. Alexander says men are impersonating his officers |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/27/1862; account of shooting in front of Exchange ends fatally. Victim
belonged to G. W. Alexander |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
5/27/1862; Richard Barry, Caskie’s Mounted Rangers, shot by Provost Guard in
front of Seabrook’s Warehouse. Taken to Alexander Hospital on Franklin St. |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
5/27/1862; body servant of G. W. Alexander died
from an accidental gunshot wound |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/2/1862;
Extravagant story about detective Cashmeyer killing Yanks at Seven Pines |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/6/1862; City
Arms Hotel Hosp., 15th St., established by Capt. Alexander; McDaniel’s Jail
known as Castle Godwin |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/7/1862; poem by
G. W. Alexander, "The Dying Alabamian" |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/12/1862; 2 men
discharged from Castle Thunder (first mention of Castle Thunder?) |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/17/1862; Capt.
Bossieux’s Co doing provost duty. Arrested more than 50 AWOLs on Saturday |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
6/17/1862;
paragraph on G. W. Alexander, now AAG to Winder by late promotion |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
6/17/1862; Praise for Capt. G. W. Alexander,
and notes his promotion to Assistant Adjutant General to Gen. Winder. Notes
that he is one of the "handsomest men in the Confederate service." |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
6/26/1862; man makes a donation to Captain G.
W. Alexander for the benefits of the patients in the "Alexander Hospital." |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
7/3/1862; G. W.
Alexander at Castle Godwin says negro of Jas. Bates now confined there |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
7/3/1862;
“Strong-minded female” captured and interrogated by G. W. Alexander |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/8/1862; excellent details on
Richmond prisons: Libby, Barrett's, Greanor & Palmer's factories, Officer's
prison on 18th street. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/12/1862; Description of the
guards of the bridges over the James River (J. H. Greanor, commanding, owner
of the Greanor building of Castle Thunder) |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
8/2/1862; 600 Yankees have been
exchanged, including women from Castle Thunder; the sickest men from Belle
Isle and Libby are sent first; 4,100 remain on Belle Isle, and 400 at Libby
Prison |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
8/6/1862; it is contemplated to
remove prisoners from Castle Godwin to Greanor's factory (Castle Thunder) |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
8/8/1862; escaped federal officers
have been recaptured and put in Greanor prison |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
8/12/1862; Castle Thunder to be HQ
of provost-marshal; Castle Godwin to fade "into oblivion" |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
8/14/1862; Castle Godwin contains
250 prisoners - it is hoped that Greanor's factory (Castle Thunder) will
hold 1,000 |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
8/18/1862; Castle Godwin will be
evacuated today, the prisoners being removed to Greanor's factory (Castle
Thunder) |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
8/18/1862; Prisoners to be moved
from Castle Godwin to Greanor's Tobacco Factory (Castle Thunder) |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
8/19/1862; German
woman thrown into Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
8/19/1862; all Castle Godwin
prisoners (500-600) were removed to Castle Thunder yesterday |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
8/21/1862; movement of prisoners
from Castle Godwin to Castle Thunder. Lengthy description of Castle Thunder. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
8/22/1862; C. S. deserters have
been moved to Castle Thunder from Libby Prison - now Libby has only Yankee
prisoners |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
8/22/1862; guards for Castle
Thunder and Libby Prison are quartered at the Friends' Meeting House, corner
of 19th and Cary streets |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
8/22/1862; 15 unionists put in
Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
8/25/1862; prisoner at Castle
Thunder is shot while trying to escape, though not killed |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
8/28/1862; Wm.
Hines, arrested near Drewry’s Bluff & sent to Castle Thunder for trading
with Yankees |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
8/28/1862; B.
Wardwell, ice dealer, exonerated of disloyalty & released from Castle
Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
8/29/1862; A. B.
Martin, private in Washington Artillery, arrested at Spotswood for stealing
120 letters from post office. Sent to Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
8/29/1862; Dr.
Rucker still at Castle Thunder, under heavy guard |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/3/1862;
Blossingham the counterfeiter sent to Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/5/1862; Loafers
at corner of 14th and Main sent to Castle Thunder by Winder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/5/1862; Slave
of J. E. Johnston arrested for selling liquor to soldiers – sent to Castle
Thunder. Also a local white woman named Mary Gleason |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/5/1862; 2 North
Carolina soldiers jailed at Castle Thunder for disloyalty. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/5/1862; Jacob
Goldstein sent to Castle Thunder – passing bogus money |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
9/5/1862; Castle Thunder items |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/6/1862; prisoner shot by guard
at Libby Prison; guard put in Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/6/1862; loafers
from 14th Street & one other discharged from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/8/1862; List of
new Castle Thunder inmates, & their offenses. 50 inmates sent under guard to
rebuild a bridge over Rapidan, recently destroyed |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/8/1862;
Augustus Godfrey, King William Artillery deserter, caught and sent to Castle
Thunder |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/10/1862; 12th Va. soldier dies
in Castle Thunder hospital and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/10/1862; no new prisoners at
Castle Thunder or the cage |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/10/1862; no
changes 9/9 at Castle Thunder – said to be unusually quiet |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
9/10/1862; slave of James H. Grant breaks into
the house of a slave of William Greanor |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/11/1862; 26
POWs arrive, plus laundress of 26 Pa., who was sent to Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/12/1862; list
of commissioned officers POW at Williamsburg & arrived at Richmond. Two
“vivandiers” also caught & put into Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/12/1862;
Fauquier resident sent to Castle Thunder for refusing to take CSA currency |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/13/1862;
General Winder appoints “Lt. Early” to investigate cases of imprisoned CSA
soldiers & expedite their return to army. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/15/1862; 3,300 prisoners,
including 61 officers, have been exchanged at Aiken's Landing. Some of the
prisoners were women and deserters held in Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/15/1862; prisoner in Castle
Thunder has death sentence "respited" by President Davis |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/15/1862; 41
inmates arrive yesterday at Castle Thunder, 10 at Libby |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/16-17/1862; deranged man shot at
Castle Thunder while trying to escape and later dies |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/17/1862;
Patrick McGowan, E59VA, at Castle Thunder awaiting execution for desertion |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/17/1862; Geo.
Lindsey jailed at Castle Thunder as a spy |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/18/1862; more
than 600 prisoners at Castle Thunder. 5/6 are soldiers |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/18/1862; Wm. A.
White, soldier, put into Castle Thunder – has bogus money |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/18/1862; 3
disloyal Virginians at Castle Thunder traded for 3 loyal Virginians in
Yankee hands |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/20/1862; brief notices on recent Castle
Thunder prisoners |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/20/1862; 84 Castle Thunder
inmates have been taken to Winchester to be returned to their units |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/20/1862; 3
others jailed at Castle Thunder for various offenses |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/20/1862; Three
men at Castle Thunder to be executed – named. To occur next week at Camp
Lee, under G. W. Alexander’s supervision |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/22/1862; 2
soldiers in Castle Thunder for robbing citizen. Mayor forced to contemplate
extent of his authority in city over military personnel. Slave items and
prostitution as well. |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
9/22/1862; three deserters, confined at Castle
Thunder, to be shot at Camp Lee |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/23/1862; Davis
postpones three executions at Camp Lee (prisoners are at Castle Thunder) for
10 days |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/24/1862; soldier dies in Castle
Thunder and buried in Oakwood cemetery |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/25/1862; 15
deserters put in Castle Thunder – 130 to be released tomorrow |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/25/1862; G. W.
Alexander providing men to help collect firearms in city, for army use |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/26/1862; 18
deserters from Critcher’s Battn. sent to Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/26/1862; most
of men in Eastern District prison to be discharged & sent to army |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/27/1862; Jno.
Pendergrast (soldier) apprehended as thief – sent to Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/27/1862; Geo.
T. Twells, ex-Lieut. McCulloch Rangers, released from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/29/1862; 101 men from Castle
Thunder have been escorted to Winchester to be returned to their regiments.
Notes that the deserters will forfeit 3 months pays |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/29/1862; Dr. Rucker is placed in
close confinement in Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/29/1862; among
next batch of northbound prisoners will be A. McMillen & John May, ex-Castle
Godwin men now in Castle Thunder. Also Yankee females |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
9/30/1862;
enormous list from Winder of “negroes now confined in the Military Prisons,
in Richmond” – where from, who owned by (if slave) |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/1/1862; Jason
Brightwell, C10BnHA, into Castle Thunder for stealing a weapon from Mrs.
Miles Ambler, 10 miles below city. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/2/1862; 42
soldiers sent back to ANV from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/2/1862; 4
prisoners at Castle Thunder on bread and water, for theft |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/2/1862; 2
brawling sailors, 17th & Main, taken to Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/2/1862; B. W.
Rogers, soldier to be shot for desertion at Camp Lee, pardoned on account of
previous bravery. Two others, Patrick McGowan & John Kellaher, still to be
shot. |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
10/2/1862; one deserter, confined at Castle
Thunder, pardoned from death sentence. His two rap buddies will be hung soon
at Camp Lee |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/3/1862; Dr.
Wm. P. Rucker, at Castle Thunder with treason, murder, arson charges brought
before Judge on habeas corpus |
|
William A. Carrington CSR (M331) (no. 16) |
10/3/1862; inspection report for
Castle Thunder Hospital and Libby Prison Hospital |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/4/1862; more
on Dr. Rucker’s case – back to Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/4/1862; 51
Castle Thunder inmates returned to army |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/4/1862; D. W.
Rogers, pardoned from execution, has been respited only. Maybe same as John
Roach, crew of CSS Virginia |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/6/1862; John
Connors, La. soldier, sent to Castle Thunder for trespassing at Columbia
Hotel |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/6/1862; long
description of 10/4 execution of two 14th Va men: Patrick McGowan & John
Kelleher. Taken from Castle Thunder to Camp Lee in “large omnibus” of
Exchange Hotel, escorted by Wrenn’s Henrico cavalry. Part of Cyrus
Bossiuex’s Co. did the executing. G. W. Alexander in charge. D. W. Rogers, 1
Va., respited 14 days, & Owen Maguire, 1 Va gets 50 lashes. Whipping
performed by volunteer from Wrenn’s Co. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/7/1862;
Patrick Fagan kills James Morrissey with single punch. Both in Whitingham’s
Battery. Fagan taken to Castle Thunder. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/7/1862; 735
USA prisoners sent from Libby for exchange, leaving 212. The prison
hospital, lately at Palmer’s factory, will be moved “back to the west end of
the Libby building.” |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/7/1862;
Mayor’s Court: James Williams, drunk soldier, sent to Castle Thunder; Hoenniger
charges men with burglary, room #44 Spotswood Hotel; slave charged with
stealing money from guest at the Ballard House (discharged); free negro
without papers ordered whipped for smoking a cigar in the street; another
free negro threatens boy in Second Market & used “indecent language” –
ordered to be whipped. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/8/1862; Castle
Thunder hospital closed 10/7 & 60 plus patients there moved to Libby |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
10/9/1862; escaped Castle Thunder
prisoner has been recaptured in the city |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/10/1862; Great
description of failed escape attempt, Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/10/1862; 50
CSA prisoners – presumably Castle Thunder – to be sent to ANV today |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/11/1862;
Frances F. Jannison, of NY, arrested in Culpeper Co. as spy. Sent to Castle
Thunder. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
10/11/1862; Federal commandant of
the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C. has inspected Castle Thunder and
finds it favorable; alludes to Capt. Alexander's escape from Federal
authorities early in the war |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. IV, p. 917 |
10/13/1862; Mrs. Webster argues for
her release |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/15/1862; D. W.
Rogers, G1Va at Castle Thunder, to be shot at Camp Lee, 10/18 |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/16/1862;
friends of G. W. Alexander present him with “splendid” horse, saddle, bridle |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/16/1862; 2
Castle Thunder escapees recaught. – John Toley & Patrick Donviere |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/16/1862; 6 new
prisoners recd. 10/13 – Jas. Lynch, Barney McNamee & Wm. Rogers of
Whittingham’s Arty. (bread & water); F. L. Smith of Culpeper (disloyalty) &
J. H. Weeks/Wm. Weeks of Culpeper (piloting enemy) |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. IV, pp. 654-655 |
10/17/1862; reprint of
Richmond Dispatch, October 17, 1862 article regarding an escape
attempt. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/17/1862;
Escape attempt at Castle Thunder foiled. To benefit Rogers, the 1Va soldier
due to be shot. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/17/1862; 9th
Pa. Cavalry Colonel moved from Libby to Castle Thunder – under accusations
of bad behavior in Tennessee. Also 17 deserters arrived there from South & 4
1st Md. (US) Cavalry charged with murder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/18/1862; 3
Henrico citizens put in Castle Thunder for stealing govt. wood: Jno.
Kilgrove; Thos. & Robt. Oakley |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/18/1862; James
M. Levert sent to Castle Thunder – impersonating Provost Guard |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
10/21/1862; member of the 1st VA
Inf. escapes from Castle Thunder. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/22/1862; 17
deserters & stragglers added Castle Thunder yesterday |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
10/23/1862; T. P. Turner has been
promoted to Captain and will return to be commandant of Libby Prison. In the
meantime, Capt. Alexander will command both Libby and Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/23/1862; 42
deserters from NC put into Castle Thunder on 10/22. 100 inmates to head for
ANV today. J. T. Smith, robbery, to Castle Thunder yesterday. Also a bogus
Provost officer. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/23/1862; G. W.
Alexander adv – found stray mule |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
10/23/1862; Capt. G. W. Alexander has been
ordered to take charge of the Yankee prisoners in the city |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
10/23/1862; 64 deserters arrived at Castle
Thunder yesterday |
|
Richmond
Whig |
10/23/1862; Capt. G. W. Alexander has been ordered to
take charge of the Yankee prisoners in Richmond; 61 deserters arrived at
Castle Thunder yesterday |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/25/1862; List
of 5 women now at Castle Thunder. Also Wm. Patterson & Wm. Morris, 15 Va.,
deserters & Geo. H. Munford/Jos. Bradford, Dabney’s Hvy. Artillery, to be
court martialled |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. IV, pp. 660-661 |
10/27/1862; Major Jordan, 9th PA
Cavalry sent from Libby to Castle Thunder under charge of atrocities |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/27/1862; two
Yankee soldiers moved from Libby to Castle Thunder, to be tried as spies |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/27/1862; Jas.
Meaghan, 2nd Miss. Battn receives 50 lashes at Castle Thunder on 10/25 |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/27/1862; J. W.
Sanderson (5VaCav) to Castle Thunder for having forged furlough |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/27/1862;
elderly countryman sent to Castle Thunder from Fredericksburg, charged with
smuggling negroes |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/27/1862; Rev.
T. V. Moore preached at Castle Thunder on 10/26, from “impromptu pulpit” in
main room |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/28/1862; S. W.
McCammon, escapee from Castle Thunder, recaptured in Petersburg |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/28/1862;
Mayor's Court: many slave items; Jno. Flinn, of Castle Thunder, before Mayor
for theft in prison |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
10/28/1862; Mayor refuses to rule on a thief
from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
10/28/1862; notes that the neighborhood of
Castle Thunder is a very rowdy one, and that the vagabonds in Richmond could
make a "good-sized regiment" |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/29/1862; new
deserters confined at Castle Thunder – James Conway and H. Williams, F5Va.
Jno. Collins 13VaBn, & Wm. Conley, 18Va |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
10/30/1862; escape attempt at
Castle Thunder; notes on those admitted |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/30/1862;
George Rollins into Castle Thunder for breaking and entering |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
10/31/1862; Jno.
F. Parke, 44Va, at Castle Thunder, announced to be shot 11/3 at Camp Lee |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/1/1862; Lt.
Samuel H. Wyvill, forger, moved into city jail from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/1/1862; James
Tyrer & Chas. Green into Castle Thunder for fighting. Tyrer then beaten up
in Castle Thunder. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/1/1862; Other
new Castle Thunder inmates: 7 members of 42Miss., pretending to be members
of provost guard; six deserters from E6Va; 2 deserters from Johnson’s
Battery; 20 N.C. soldiers; Wm. H. Boice (drunk); Samuel H. Martin, F58Va,
AWOL; & Wm. E. Disney, forger. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/3/1862;
prisoners in NE wing Castle Thunder attempt to blow it up |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/3/1862; list
of new Castle Thunder inmates. 9 unnamed deserters from Camp Lee; some
disloyal Loudoun county men, & a few others |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/3/1862; member
of the 44th Va (Richmond Zouaves) reprieved from being shot at Camp Lee |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/3/1862; 50
Castle Thunder inmates to be returned to regiments |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/4/1862; list
of 8 men arrested by Capt. Wren’s cavalry for stealing Government wood. All
sent to Castle Thunder. |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
11/4/1862; 6
deserters taken to Castle Thunder, including Jas. Knight, 13 Va; Lewis Hall,
Montague’s Battery |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
11/10/1862; Castle Thunder details;
Hospital reviewed |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
11/19/1862; detailed account of bribery and
attempted escape at Castle Thunder |
|
RG 109, Ch. 9, Vol.
199.5, p. 33 |
11/19/1862; T. P. Turner enlists
the help of G. W. Alexander to catch an escaped Libby prisoner. E. Ross
signs as clerk |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
11/27/1862; description of the punishment of
"bucking" at Castle Thunder |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. V, pp. 774-775 |
12/1/1862; Letter from prisoner in
Castle Thunder arguing for his release |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. V, pp. 776-777 |
12/2/1862; Yankee soldier, alleged
to be a spy, argues for his exchange |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
12/10/1862; Castle Thunder will be a general
depot for all deserters and State prisoners in the Confederacy |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
12/11/1862; Scully and Lewis, confined at
Castle Thunder as spies, are to be released and sent North |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
12/13/1862; escape attempt from Castle Thunder
- perpetrators were in "Cell No. 1, first floor, north side." |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
12/16/1862; more disloyalists
confined in Castle Thunder |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. V, p. 787 |
12/16/1862; political prisoner J.
G. Anderson ordered released by the CS Sec. of War |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
12/18/1862; details on four new arrivals at
Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
12/18/1862; man who had escaped from Castle
Thunder twice before is recaptured in Rocketts |
|
Richmond Enquirer |
12/20/1862; man dies in Castle Thunder of "camp
disease" |
|
Richmond Enquirer |
12/24/1862; G. W. Alexander returns to his post
at Castle Thunder after some time at Fredericksburg with the Letcher
Artillery |
|
Richmond
Whig |
12/27/1862; Castle Thunder described
briefly - hospital is in the upper story, Dr. Coggin is in charge |
|
Richmond Enquirer |
12/29/1862; a plot by 150 prisoners in Castle
Thunder to assassinate the guard and escape is thwarted, and the ring-leader
is placed in irons and fed bread and water |
|
Richmond Enquirer |
12/31/1862; all but the ringleaders of the
Castle Thunder "mutiny" have been released and sent back to camp |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
1/5/1863; five inmates of Castle
Thunder have gotten sick with small pox, and taken to Howard's Grove |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
1/12/1863; lime is spread on the
floor at Castle Thunder and prevents Smallpox |
|
RG 109, Ch. 9, Vol.
199.5, p. 50 |
1/13/1863; T. P. Turner is ordered
to be on a board of inquiry to investigate an escape from Castle Thunder |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. V, pp. 212-213 |
1/25/1863; Ould addresses charge
that Fourth Regiment East Tennessee and other Tennessee and Ohio regts held
in Castle Thunder |
|
New York Times |
1/29/1863; prisoners at Castle Thunder attempt to burn it down. Alexander is
successful in putting the fire out. Mentions prison opposite Castle Thunder. |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. V, pp. 833-834 |
2/19/1863; supplies received |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
3/14/1863; two Confederate
deserters put in Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
3/25/1863; two soldiers, charged with shooting
two men, have been sent to Castle Thunder to await Court-Martial |
|
Official Records, Ser. I, Vol. X/1, p. 634 |
3/27/1863; captured yankee raiders
confined in Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
3/30/1863; Capt. Webster, under sentence of
death, attempts to escape from Castle Thunder, but sprains his ankle in the
jump, and doesn't get far before being recaptured |
|
Ohio boys in Dixie..., pp.24-25 |
3/1863; description of the
author's imprisonment in Richmond. Gives a rare description of the interior
of Castle Thunder |
|
RG 109, Ch. 6, Vol. 151, p. 10 |
9/1862 - 3/1863; Statistics of Eastern District
Hospital (Castle Thunder) - hospital closed after March, 1863 |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
4/3/1863; hospital at Castle
Thunder moved to 21st between Main & Cary |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. V, p. 866 |
4/4/1863; CSA House Resolution to
investigate Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
4/4/1863; Castle Thunder items |
|
Richmond
Daily Whig |
4/6/1863; escape attempt at Castle
Thunder |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
4/6/1863; the Richmond City
Battalion (25th Bn VA Inf) is understood to be leaving the city for active
service due to unsavory types infesting its ranks |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
4/7/1863; prisoner shot at Castle
Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
4/7/1863; deserter from the 54VA shot and
killed while trying to escape from Castle Thunder |
| Richmond
Daily Whig |
4/8/1863; prisoners killed |
|
Richmond Examiner |
4/8/1863; prisoner at Castle
Thunder was shot at and wounded after verbally abusing a guard |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
4/8/1863; two Yankee POWs, who had
taken an oath of allegiance to the CSA, attempted to escape back to Union
lines and were recaptured and sent to Libby, then to Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
4/9/1863; Castle Thunder items;
notes that two members of the city battalion (the guards for the Richmond
prisons) have been imprisoned for sleeping at their posts |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
4/9/1863; a portion of the
detective force stationed at Castle Thunder has been sent to work for the
Provost Marshal |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
4/11/1863; details of the execution of Captain
Webster, a Castle Thunder prisoner, at Camp Lee |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
4/15/1863; two prisoners escaped from the City
Jail; five men escaped from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
4/18/1863; Two artillerists,
including a man from Battery #2, who escaped from Castle Thunder have been
recaptured |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. V, pp. 518-520 |
4/24/1863; mentioned |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. V, pp. 871-924 |
April, 1863; Evidence taken before
the committee of the House of Representatives of the Confederate States
appointed to inquire into the treatment of prisoners at Castle Thunder (very
large) |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
5/1/1863; prison items; notes on
Castle Thunder and Libby Prison recent arrivals |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
5/6/1863; prisoners arrive at Castle Thunder
and Libby Prison; 554 prisoner sent by flag of truce to City Point; Libby
now has very few inmates "except political prisoners" |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
5/7/1863; prisoner is shot and
killed while trying to escape Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
5/11/1863; Castle Thunder
admittees; 1300 Yankees arrived yesterday - if this rate keeps up, Belle
Isle will be re-opened |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
5/11/1863; two prisoners at Castle
Thunder die of Small Pox |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
5/19/1863; prisoners try to tunnel
out of Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
5/20/1863; more escape attempts at
Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
5/21/1863; escape attempt at
Castle Thunder |
|
VHS 5/28/1863 |
5/28/1863; Sidney Smith Lee, commandant at
Drewry’s Bluff writes to enquire whether 3 Castle Thunder prisoners who
wrote to him might be released and allowed to enlist in the Navy. All three
were in prison for desertion. |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. V, pp. 736-737 |
6/3/1863; mentioned |
|
Richmond
Whig |
6/7/1864; details on a woman who
told "Beast" Butler that Mayor Mayo had been thrown into Castle Thunder
(false rumor) |
|
Richmond Enquirer |
6/12/1863; 600 prisoners at Castle
Thunder; prison has been improved lately. |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
6/27/1863; Castle Thunder escapee has been
recaptured |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, pp. 62-63 |
6/30/1863 - 7/2/1863; A flurry of
dispatches from Stanton regarding civilian prisoners |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
7/2/1863; attempted escape from
Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/2/1863; two deserters "lodged" in
Castle Thunder; mentions escape attempt by tunneling. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/6/1863; military prisoners form
the Castle Thunder Battalion. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/16/1863; Lt. Buford, aka Alice
Williams, sent to Mississippi from Castle Thunder. |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
7/16/1863; Lieut. Bufurd, aka Alice Williams,
has been released from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
7/21/1863; A member of the
Washington Artillery, a four-time escapee from Castle Thunder has been
recaptured and put back in Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
7/22/1863; an enormous bird is brought to
Castle Thunder - wing amputated, still manages to gouge out the eyeballs of
one of the Castle Thunder dogs |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
7/28/1863; prisoners at Castle
Thunder now have access to the "large plaza" attached to it |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, pp. 161-162 |
7/31/1863; Spencer Kellogg, charged
with being a spy and a deserter is held at Castle Thunder. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
8/6/1863; patient at Winder
Hospital detained at Castle Thunder with no charge and eventually released |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
8/8/1863; 100 prisoners arrive at
Libby Prison, 65 negroes incarcerated in Castle Thunder |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, p. 196 |
8/12/1863; more on Spencer Kellogg |
|
VHS 8/12/1863 |
8/12/1863; Isaac Carrington asks Lieut. Turner
at Libby for charges on Yankee prisoners who were sent to Castle Thunder
from there. One has been there since 9/25/1862 and was "Sent by Capt. Wirtz" |
|
Richmond Enquirer |
8/14/1863; details on a creative
escape attempt from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
8/21/1863; list of imprisoned
slaves at Castle Thunder and Libby Prison |
| Richmond
Daily Whig |
8/24/1863; purported letter from
prisoner |
|
VHS 8/24/1863 |
8/24/1863; two patients in the 1st Division of
Howard’s Grove Hospital are taken to Castle Thunder for "exciting a mutiny" |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
8/28/1863; another slave list from
Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
9/1/1863; Commandants of Libby and
Castle Thunder have been called back for duty, after leave of absence of 15
days |
|
VHS 9/8/1863 |
9/8/1863; four soldiers sent from Chaffin’s
Farm to Castle Thunder for attempting to desert to the enemy |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
9/12/1863; Castle Thunder praised |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, pp. 294-295 |
9/16/1863; questions of "horrible
treatment" at Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
9/26/1863; details of the
execution of Spencer Kellogg (convicted as a spy) at Camp Lee |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
10/1/1863; inmates are attempting to tunnel out
of Castle Thunder |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, p. 339 |
10/2/1863; details on certain
prisoners |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
10/3/1863; Gen. Winder wants to
move all POWs to from Castle Thunder to the Alms House (GH#1) |
|
VHS 10/4/1863 |
10/4/1863; Confederate Guard at Libby Prison is
imprisoned in Castle Thunder for "leaving his post without permission..&
trading with Yankee prisoners" |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
10/5/1863; Guard at Belle Isle put
in Castle Thunder for trading with prisoners |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, pp. 348-349 |
10/5/1863; Pennsylvanians from
Gettysburg confined in Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
10/5/1863; city wants Almshouse
(GH#1) back for the poor; Winder wants Almshouse for Castle Thunder
prisoners |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
10/5/1863; guard at Castle Thunder shoots three
other members of the City Battalion in a fight. Mentions a parade ground
near Libby Prison |
|
Richmond Enquirer |
10/9/1863; 3 guards at Libby Prison
put in Castle Thunder for trading with the prisoners |
|
Richmond
Daily Whig |
10/23/1863; prison break from
Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
10/23/1863; murder at Castle
Thunder |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, p. 431-432 |
10/27/1863; Meredith sends
counterfeit CS notes to be distributed amongst the prisoners; Ould foils the
plan |
|
Richmond
Daily Whig |
11/3/1863; escapee from Castle
Thunder reaches yankee lines |
|
VHS 11/3/1863 |
11/3/1863; J. R. Anderson
requests that one of his workers who is confined in Castle Thunder be
"returned to his employment." Apparently, this man attempted to desert to
the enemy |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
11/10/1863; case of G. W. Alexander
(Castle Thunder) for "defiant contempt of the authority" of the Confederate
States District Court, will be heard today |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
11/11/1863; details of trial of
Commandant G. W. Alexander (Castle Thunder) |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
11/14/1863; six Yankee prisoners in
Castle Thunder take the oath of allegiance and are released |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
11/16/1863; Yankees escape from
Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Daily Whig |
11/25/1863; defenders of Battery #9
assault a negro and are put in Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
11/26/1863; brief description of
the escape of a Yankee from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
12/16/1863; man claims he was
illegally detained by George W. Alexander, and is released |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
12/18/1863; G. W. Alexander,
commandant of Castle Thunder, is arrested for "malpractice in office" |
|
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, pp. 1086-87 |
12/16-18/1863; General Hospital #10
is ordered to be closed as hospital and used as quarters for guards at
Castle Thunder. |
|
Richmond
Daily Dispatch |
1/6/1864; two soldiers tried for
breaking into a warehouse near Castle Thunder to steal "yankee clothing." |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
1/12/1864; escape from Castle
Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
1/16/1864; 18 yankees escape from
building across street from Castle Thunder |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
1/20/1864; most of escapees from
building across street from Castle Thunder caught |
|
Richmond
Whig |
1/21/1864; large number of Castle
Thunder prisoners will be removed to Salisbury, N. C., under charge of the
Ambulance Corps |
|
Richmond
Whig |
1/22/1864; the departure of Castle
Thunder prisoners was put off for a day due to a railroad "hitch." Notes
that one of the prisoners got out of his ball and chain |
