Civil War Prisoners

Kentucky's Civil War Governor, Beriah Magoffin, presented a number of documents with his 1862 address to the legislature, among which was a letter from a number of citizens who were imprisoned near Columbus, Ohio at the Union prison camp, Camp Chase.

The letter was signed by 93 citizens of Kentucky, arrested between May 23 and August 4, 1862, setting forth "that while in the peaceful pursuit of their legitimate business at home, without warrant or law, they had been arrested by force that overpowered them, placed in confinement in different prisons in another state;  that they were law-abiding citizens of Ky. and of the U. S. and had not violated the laws of either; that they were denied a trial by any tribunal known to the laws of our common country, but were compelled to remain there in prison, away from their homes, wives, children, relations, and friends - who were not permitted to see them - all verbal communications being refused them." They prayed the legislature "to take speedy action in their behalf that they may have a speedy trial before their peers in their own state, and be able to meet  their accusers face to face, and be dealt with according to the law."

Persons signing the letter from Owen County were:

Thos. P. Herndon
R. H. Smith
Jas. Fitzgerald
M. W. Yates

from Collins' History of Kentucky