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Preferred Citation:

Louis Fortescue Diary, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Biographical Information:

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Scope and Contents

Diary written by Louis Fortescue, a Captain of the Signal Corps, while a Union Prisoner of War at the "Asylum Prison" in Columbia, South Carolina up to his arrival in his home state, probably Pennsylvania.  Dates from January 11 - March 12, 1865.  He writes about the prison conditions, food and treatment of prisoners at both the Asylum Prison and the prison in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Beginning February 14, he and 550 officers travel on the top of a train to Charlotte, NC from Columbia, SC. They soon sign a pardon pledge, which he writes on page 28.  He journeys to Annapolis, MD via ship.  The beginning of the diary includes addresses of men and the end of the diary includes a list a men to whom he sent photographs and a column showing photographs received.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Columbia (Ga.)--History--19th century
• North Carolina--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
• Prisoners of war--Confederate States of America
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Diaries
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Prisoners and prisons