Central Site	Earthen Rampart

(Confederate States Military Prison) During the Civil War, one of the largest prisoners of war camps was located in Florence, just south of present-day Florence National Cemetery. This camp, or stockade, was constructed by slave labor in September 1864 as a prison for Union soldiers. The Stockade was originally approximately 1400 feet long and 725 feet wide, comprising 23.3 acres. The prison was an open stockade without shelter constructed of upright timbers sunk in the ground, with an earthen rampart on the outer side to form a walkway for guards. At each corner of the palisade was a raised platform for artillery. Around the outside of the compound ran a ditch that was five feet deep and seven feet wide; two fortifications were located to either side of the camp to protect it from raids. A “dead line” ran around the interior about ten or twelve feet from the palisade, and anyone crossing the line would be shot without question. Today only a portion of the Stockade retains its historic integrity. A secondary road now divides the site into two distinct sections, and only the area east of the road retains its integrity. This prison accommodated more than 12,000 Federal troops during the Civil War. Listed in the National Register November 29, 1980.

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