Civil War prison sites are places where soldiers waited, starved, froze, got sick, and often never went home. Some are now national parks, cemeteries, or museums. All five of these haunted Civil War prisons have dark histories, carry ghost stories, and can still be visited today.
Andersonville Prison, Camp Sumter, Andersonville, Georgia (1864-1865)
Andersonville was the nightmare prison that is often mentioned among lists of the worst prisons ever. According to the National Park Service, about 45,000 Union soldiers were held there during its 14 months, and nearly 13,000 died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding, or exposure.
The prison site, cemetery, and National Prisoner of War Museum are open to visitors today. I’ve seen enough war documentaries to know when a place earns its reputation. This one did. Ghost stories tied to Andersonville often mention sorrowful energy, shadowy soldiers, and cries near the old stockade and cemetery.
Point Lookout Civil War Prison Camp, Scotland, Maryland (1863-1865)
Point Lookout sat on a lonely, windswept peninsula, which already sounds like the start of a horror movie. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources states that Confederate prisoners were sent there after Gettysburg, and around 50,000 men were held there between 1863 and 1865. Nearly 4,000 died from exposure, disease, and starvation.
Ghost stories include that of a gaunt Civil War-era figure crossing the road near the former hospital area, while Maryland DNR also shares Point Lookout’s ghost lore through its “Spirits of Point Lookout” material. The state park remains open to the public and is one of several haunted Civil War prisons you can check off your bucket list.
Fort Delaware, Delaware City, Delaware (1862-1865)
Fort Delaware looks like the setting for some dystopian movie, with its island fortress reached by ferry. American Battlefield Trust states that about 33,000 prisoners passed through Fort Delaware during the war, and more than 2,400 died there…