Please visit here often as more information becomes available regarding upcoming events our members are participating in. Also, check out our About Us page for details regarding past events for the year or to contact us about an upcoming event.
Please note, unless specifically stated, these events are not sponsored by the Sons of Confederate Veterans nor do they reflect the views or opinions of the organization or it's membership.
Rock Island Confederate Cemetery
Rock Island Confederate Cemetery is the only surviving remnant of a massive prison camp that once held thousands of Confederate soldiers. Located near the southeast corner of Arsenal Island in Rock Island, Illinois, the Confederate Cemetery is the final resting place for nearly 2000 prisoners of war who died in captivity from disease and the poor living conditions of the camp. The modest cemetery stands in poignant contrast to the Rock Island National Cemetery, a half-mile to the southeast.
During the summer of 1863, prison camps in the North were overflowing with Confederate soldiers captured in battle. As a result, Union troops began construction of a new prison camp then known as Rock Island, now called Arsenal Island. The camp opened in December 1863 with the arrival of the first prisoners captured at the Battle of Lookout Mountain. On the day of their arrival, it was 32 degrees below zero with two feet of snow on the ground and only one blanket available for every three soldiers.
The deplorable conditions at the camp led some to call it the “Andersonville of the North,” a reference to the infamous prison in Georgia. Disease, including smallpox and pneumonia, ran rampant through the prison claiming many lives, while others died from exposure to the elements and the unsanitary conditions of the camp. One of the problems prisoners faced was a shortage of food. It got to the point where prisoners were eating anything they could get, including dogs and rats. The Union authorities used that to their advantage.
The veterans buried in the Confederate Cemetery on Arsenal Island all died while being held as Prisoners of War. Most died of disease and exposure as a direct result of the conditions of the Camp.
Please note, unless specifically stated, these events are not sponsored by the Sons of Confederate Veterans nor do they reflect the views or opinions of the organization or it's membership.
Rock Island Confederate Cemetery
Rock Island Confederate Cemetery is the only surviving remnant of a massive prison camp that once held thousands of Confederate soldiers. Located near the southeast corner of Arsenal Island in Rock Island, Illinois, the Confederate Cemetery is the final resting place for nearly 2000 prisoners of war who died in captivity from disease and the poor living conditions of the camp. The modest cemetery stands in poignant contrast to the Rock Island National Cemetery, a half-mile to the southeast.
During the summer of 1863, prison camps in the North were overflowing with Confederate soldiers captured in battle. As a result, Union troops began construction of a new prison camp then known as Rock Island, now called Arsenal Island. The camp opened in December 1863 with the arrival of the first prisoners captured at the Battle of Lookout Mountain. On the day of their arrival, it was 32 degrees below zero with two feet of snow on the ground and only one blanket available for every three soldiers.
The deplorable conditions at the camp led some to call it the “Andersonville of the North,” a reference to the infamous prison in Georgia. Disease, including smallpox and pneumonia, ran rampant through the prison claiming many lives, while others died from exposure to the elements and the unsanitary conditions of the camp. One of the problems prisoners faced was a shortage of food. It got to the point where prisoners were eating anything they could get, including dogs and rats. The Union authorities used that to their advantage.
The veterans buried in the Confederate Cemetery on Arsenal Island all died while being held as Prisoners of War. Most died of disease and exposure as a direct result of the conditions of the Camp.