“Did you learn about the Houston Confederate Prison Compound in school?” I bet most of you didn’t. We are standing at the Site of Confederate Prison Compound Plaque. It marks a place with a hidden past.
This site was once two warehouses. They served a very different purpose during the Civil War. These warehouses were converted into the oldest prison camp in Texas. It opened months before the more famous Camp Ford and Camp Groce.
In 1965, this historical marker was placed here. Without it, there would be little to indicate what this place once was. The building that housed the compound fell into disrepair. It was torn down in 1927.
Most of the prisoners here were from the 42nd Massachusetts Volunteers. They were captured at Galveston and Sabine Pass in 1863. The Confederates brought them to Houston. They held them here until they were paroled.
But there’s a dark side to this story. African Americans in the 42nd Massachusetts and on the USS Harriet Lane faced a different fate. Confederate and Texas law dictated they be sold into slavery. Others were sent to the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
The 42nd Massachusetts arrived in Galveston in late 1862. They came to occupy the city. Confederate troops led by General John Magruder stormed the island. They used artillery and two riverboats. The USS Harriet Lane ran aground. The Union troops surrendered. On January 2, 1863, 347 men were taken to Houston by train.
Enlisted men were confined to the prison compound. They traveled through the city in groups for work. Armed guards watched them. Officers got separate housing across the bayou. They could travel freely on “parole of honor”. This meant they promised not to escape or help the Union. But officers rarely left their quarters.
Prisoners were treated surprisingly well. They received the same rations as Confederate soldiers. Their diet included “corn dodgers”. This was a type of hard cornbread. They also got coffee made from burned corn and salt beef.
Private Alexander Hobbs said the diet caused diarrhea for some. But for the most part, it seemed adequate.
Most prisoners were eventually sent to other camps. Some went to Union parole camps. The 42nd Massachusetts was discharged in the summer of 1863.
This city was vital to the Confederacy. It had troop training fields and military hospitals. Also there was an ammunition depot, two foundries, and five railroads. Houston was headquarters for the Military District of Texas. It included Arizona and New Mexico.
So, next time you’re near the University of Houston-Downtown, remember this spot. It’s more than just a plaque. It’s a reminder of a complex and often forgotten chapter in Houston’s history.