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Prison opposite Castle Thunder |
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Often misidentified as Castle Lightning. This building was located across the street from Castle Thunder, on the south side of Cary street, between 18th and 19th. Formerly the tobacco warehouse of Palmer & Allison. Used as a provost prison (deserters, drunks, etc.) as well as a receptacle for Yankee deserters. Seriously threatened by fire which leveled the Confederate Coffee Factory in February 1864. Images
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| 1865 photograph of a commissary warehouse, prison opposite Castle Thunder, and Libby Prison in the distance. |
| Richmond Dispatch | 11/12/1860; Palmer & Allison’s tobacco factory, Cary St., "2d door above 19th st.," adv for lost money |
| Richmond Dispatch | 8/12/1861; Ad for Singer's Barrel factory, Cary bw 18th & 19th |
| Richmond Dispatch | 1/17/1863; 1600 prisoners arrive from the western theater; notes the number of prisoners in the following prisons: Mayo's factory, prison opposite Castle Thunder, and Libby Prison |
| 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. |
| Richmond Examiner | 7/21/1863; Yankee prisoner at "the prison opposite Castle Thunder" is shot by the guard for leaning out the window. |
| Richmond Sentinel | 7/22/1863; Yankee prisoner in the building opposite Castle Thunder is shot by a sentinel |
| Richmond Sentinel | 1/20/1864; most of escapees from building across street from Castle Thunder caught |
| Richmond Whig | 1/16/1864; eighteen Yankee deserters escape from the prison opposite Castle Thunder by cutting through the wall into an adjacent commissary warehouse |
| Richmond Sentinel | 2/23/1864; more escapees from prison across street from Castle Thunder |
| Richmond Whig | 2/23/1864; another jailbreak from the prison opposite Castle Thunder - 22 escape, 16 recaptured. Says several hundred deserters are held there, and gives a great physical description |
| Richmond Whig | 2/26/1864; robbery of a hogshead of tobacco at the factory of David C. Mayo, corner 19th and Cary |
| Richmond Whig | 3/2/1864; detective killed by accident at Castle Thunder; mentions "prisoners in the building across the street..." |
| Richmond Examiner | 3/2/1864; detective killed at "deserters' prison" opposite Castle Thunder |
| Richmond Dispatch | 7/6/1864; attempted escape from "Palmer's building, opposite Castle Thunder" |
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