Civil War history is embedded into the structures of Alexandria, Va. Tales of its contaminated hospitals, strict martial law, influx of formerly enslaved refugees, and extensive rail network are frequently spotlighted in the town’s narrative of the war. Numerous historical plaques that line the cobblestone streets detail how this suburb of Washington, D.C. helped supply the victorious Union. Absent from much of this literature and commemoration is mention of the five facilities that served as military prisons within Alexandria’s city limits.
It has been understood that the County Jail was requisitioned for military use once Federal forces occupied the city. It is also well-documented that one of the auction houses tied to the sale of enslaved persons, Franklin & Armfield, was confiscated by the Union Army and renamed the “Slave Pen.” Its established pens previously used for individuals awaiting sale or transport were now housing Confederate prisoners-of-war, disobedient Union troops, and disruptive citizens. However, three other buildings that were in private use prior to the conflict are often overlooked in history: Odd Fellows Hall Prison, Prince Street Prison, and Washington Street Prison.
Alexandria’s “Northern” status during the war was frequently confused with that of its seceding state, Virginia. As a city run by a military government under martial law, it remained steadfast in its mission to protect the capital from Confederate invasion. It was the first Southern locale to come under control of the United States after secession – the first Confederate city to be captured in the war – but too often has been confused for or merged with Washington. These five prisons, too, are regularly omitted or excluded from general maps of the country’s Civil War prisons…