Lot 962

ALBUM OF UNION PRISONERS AT COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Previous image preload Next image preload

ALBUM OF UNION PRISONERS AT COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000

Starting Bid: $1,500

(0 Bids)

by Alexander Historical Auctions LLC
July 31, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
106 East Main Street, Suite 103
Elkton, MD, US 21921

ALBUM OF UNION PRISONERS AT COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Exceptional historical album containing the signatures of over 470 Union officers, all prisoners of war held at Columbia, South Carolina, the camp commonly called 'Camp Sorghum' after the food typically fed to the prisoners there. In every case, the signer has added his rank and regiment, and in the many of the cases has added his place of capture, and even the date he fell into the hands of the enemy. The 118pp. 8vo. book bears a brown faux leather cover which when opened reveals a fabulous original drawing in black pen & ink of Liberty with an 'Autographs' banner above a detailed wreath containing a monitor, drum, bugle and fort, with the notation that the book contains 'Prisoners of War Columb[i]a South Car.' At bottom appears the name of the officer who compiled the album, Capt. A. A. Taylor of the 122nd Ohio Vols. of Cambridge Ohio. The dates range from July of 1863 to late 1864 and probably include many men transferred to this South Carolina prisoner camp from other sites. For example, Taylor himself had previously been held at Libby Prison in Richmond where he compiled a similar album, now held by Western Reserve Historical Society. We believe Taylor's underlying purpose in compiling this record was to document the Union officers there in case some evil befell them - as it did in the case of many. Many of these men were captured at Gettysburg in the first three days of July 1863, with one example of a relevant entry reading: 'David Wiston, Capt. 15th Mass Vols, Boston, Gettysburg, July 1, 1863'. Other battles in which some of these men were captured include Atlanta, Spotsylvania, Brandy Station, Chickamauga, Ringgold, Fort Wagner, Petersburg, Winchester, the Wilderness, Plymouth, Missionary Ridge, Cold Harbor, and many more, including one officer of Colored Troops captured on a river in Florida! Regiments cited include the 140th Pa., 4th Maine, 59th N.Y., 6th and 7th Ct. (Fort Wagner), 57th Ohio, 24th Mo., 101st Pa., 107th Pa., 61st Ohio, 88th Pa., 1st Vt. Brigade, and dozens more. The last signature in the book is a postwar signature of Union Brigadier Gen. SELDEN CONNOR (1839-1917), Colonel of the 19th Maine Infantry who, in January 1864, was severely wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness. Unpublished, and a fabulous research project. The prison camp at Columbia was not established until 1864. It was a five acre facility designed to hold 1,400 Union officers. It had no fence, but rather a flat board boundary 'dead line' which if crossed would bring certain death from the camp's guards. Conditions were terrible, with little food, clothing, or medicine, and disease claimed a number of lives among both the prisoners and their guards. The prisoners were transferred in February, 1865 as Sherman's forces approached, initially moved to Columbia's mental asylum grounds (Camp Asylum) in December 1864, and eventually to Charlotte and Wilmington, North Carolina, before the war ended.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipping, handling and insurance charges will be added to all invoices. Shipments are sent via FEDEX, USPS Express, USPS International Priority, and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option. Shipments will only be sent to the registered bidder address, re-routing shipments is not permitted. All shipments require a direct signature, no exceptions. Shipping to certain countries is extremely expensive and will be invoiced according to dimensional weight as required! By law the full value is required by customs for international shipments. Please inquire before bidding! International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000