Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a 300-acre (120 ha) island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, 3 miles (4.8 km) from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Initially, Johnson's Island was the only Union prison camp exclusively for Confederate officers but eventually it held privates, political prisoners, persons sentenced to court martial and spies. Civilians who were arrested as guerrillas, or bushwhackers, were also imprisoned on the island. During its three years of operation, more than 15,000 men were incarcerated there.
Johnson Island Civil War Prison and Fort Site | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
The cemetery at Johnson's Island | |
| Location | Johnson's Island, Marblehead, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41.4963°N 82.7346°W |
| Built | 1862 |
| Architect | Hoffman, Col. William H.; Et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001514 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 27, 1975 |
| Designated NHL | June 21, 1990 |
| Johnson's Island Prison | |
|---|---|
| Part of American Civil War prison camps | |
| Johnson's Island, Marblehead, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States | |
Johnson's Island Prison barracks enclosed by a stockade in 1865 | |
| Type | Union Prison Camp |
| Site information | |
| Owner | L. B. Johnson, U.S. Government |
| Controlled by | Union Army |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1862–1865 |
| Demolished | 1865 |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Union soldiers, Confederate officer prisoners of war |
The island was named after L. B. Johnson, the owner of the island beginning about 1852. It was initially named 'Bull's Island' by its first owner, Epaphras W. Bull, around 1809 (later misspelled "Epaproditus" Bull, by local-historians).