Tag: Andersonville Prison

Andersonville Prison

Andersonville Prison

Andersonville Prison, Library of Congress

The Prison, formally named Camp Sumter, was better known as Andersonville and was located in a remote section of southeastern Georgia. Andersonville received the first prisoners in February of 1864 and operated through May 1865. During that time period, 45,000 Union soldiers were imprisoned there and approximately 13,000 died from disease, malnutrition, exposure, inadequate sanitation, and overcrowding. Although the prison was designed to hold 10,000 prisoners, there were as many as 32,000 in August 1864. Andersonville became synonymous with the atrocities which soldiers on both sides experienced as prisoners of war.


Confederates were handicapped by the deteriorating economic conditions in the South and could not adequately supply food and other materials to the prisoners. The prison exchange system had broken down so prisoners were held for much longer periods of time than earlier in the Civil War.


Shelters known as “shebangs” were built by prisoners out of scrap materials they found, bought, or brought into Andersonville with them. Holes were dug into the clay hillside for shelter, but many had no protection at all from the harsh Georgia climate and just scraps of rags for clothing.


In September of 1864, as Union forces moved through Georgia, the majority of prisoners were moved to other prison camps- including the Florence Stockade in Florence, South Carolina. Five Mansfield soldiers were imprisoned at Andersonville. Soldiers who had been at both Andersonville and Florence reported that Florence was even worse than Andersonville. Daniel Travis Jr. (also known as Daniel Jones Jr.) died at the Florence Stockade after his transfer from Andersonville

John Latham

John Latham

Also known as George J. Smith

John Latham was 20 years old when he enlisted from Utica, New York on August 28, 1862 as a Private in Co. A of the 146th New York Volunteer Infantry. This regiment was better known as Garrard’s Tigers and became a Zouave unit after initially wearing regulation uniforms. He was captured on May 1, 1863 at Chancellorsville, Virginia and was paroled, no date given. John Latham was a resident of Mansfield on February 22, 1864 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. A of the 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry under the name of George J. Smith. He was captured June 17, 1864, Bermuda Hundred, Virginia and was a POW at Andersonville, Georgia. Union prisoners were transferred from Andersonville to other prison camps as General Sherman’s army entered Georgia. George J. Smith a/k/a John Latham escaped from the prison camp at Salisbury, North Carolina, April 12, 1865 and was discharged August 28, 1865.

He was born about 1842, probably in New York and he was not living in Mansfield in the 1860 U.S. census. There is a John Latham in Utica, New York in that census living in the household of Charles and Lauryn A. Latham. He was an 18 year old laborer and may be the George J. Smith a/k/a John Latham that served in the regiments listed above. John Latham was married to Margaret ______ according to pension records; no children are known.

On January 17, 1885, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 530,294 that was granted under certificate No. 452,734. The pension lists his correct name, his Civil War service in both regiments and his wife’s first name. His widow applied for a pension on August 14, 1902? from New York.

John Latham died between January 17, 1885 and August 14, 1902?; his burial place is not known.

Felix Lavoi

Felix Lavoi

Also known as Joseph Goodyear

Felix Lavoi was a resident of Mansfield on February 19, 1864 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. B of the 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry; he was wounded and captured June 2, 1864, Hatcher’s Run, Virginia. Felix Lavoi was a prisoner of war in Andersonville, Georgia, paroled December 11, 1864 and discharged June 23, 1865. 

On October 17, 1882, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 462,638 that was granted under certificate No. 269,428; the pension application was filed in New York. There is only one Joseph Goodyear in the 1900 and 1910 U.S. censuses in Watervliet, New York. If this individual identical to the Felix Lavoi who enlisted in Mansfield, he was born in Canada about 1847. In the 1870 and 1880 U.S. censuses, he was residing in West Troy, New York. Joseph Goodyear married Annie _____ about 1869. Children were all born in New York and include: Joseph Goodyear, born about 1870; Annie Goodyear, born about 1873; Katherine/Katie Goodyear, born about 1874; William Goodyear, born about 1877; Elizabeth/Lizzie Goodyear, born about September 1879; Mary Goodyear, born about October 1882; Theresa Goodyear, born about January 1884; Nellie Goodyear, born about April 1887; Julia Goodyear, born about November 1888 and Robert Goodyear, born about November 1891. Annie (_____) Goodyear died between 1892 and 1900. Joseph Goodyear was a barber and he owned his own shop.

According to pension records, Felix Lavoi, (Alias) Joseph Goodyear died on October 14, 1917 in Watervliet, New York; his burial place is not known.

Richard M. Thompson

Richard M. Thompson

Richard M. Thompson was a resident of Mansfield on August 7, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. A of the 1st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Cavalry and he was promoted to Corporal on September 1, 1864. On June 13, 1864, he was captured at James City Court House, Virginia and imprisoned in Andersonville, Georgia until paroled on September 22, 1864. He was discharged June 3, 1865, Alexandria, Virginia.

He was born about June, 1841 in England to Richard and Alice _____ Thompson. His family immigrated about 1842 when he was 15 months old. In the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is a 19 year old operative in the household of Richard Thompson. Between 1865 and 1870, he married Alice A. ____. They were in Charles City, Floyd Co., Iowa in the 1870 U.S. census and Richard was working in a sash factory. In 1880, the family was living in Enfield, Connecticut and Richard is employed as an engineer. The oldest daughter, Alice May Thompson, was born about 1871 in Iowa; the other children were born in Connecticut: Edith E. Thompson, born about 1874; Gene A. Thompson, born about 1875 and Arthur A. Thompson, born in February, 1880. Richard’s wife, Alice died in 1886 and he married, second, Sarah A. ______, born in Maine. Children include: Daisy A. Thompson, born about October, 1890; Evelyn Thompson, born about November, 1891 and Edgar Thompson, born about July 1893. Richard Thompson and his family were living in Manchester, Connecticut in the 1900 and 1910 U.S. censuses and Richard was a carpenter. Richard Thompson was a member of the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) and of the South Methodist Church.

On April 1, 1899, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 1,224,784 that was granted under certificate No. 1,066,551. His widow applied for a pension on March 6, 1917.

Richard M. Thompson died on February 4, 1917 at his home in Highland Park, Manchester. He is buried at the East Cemetery in Manchester, Connecticut.

Daniel Travis Jr

Daniel Travis Jr

Also Known as Daniel Jones Jr

Daniel Travis Jr. was a resident of Mansfield on February 22, 1864 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. A of the 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry under the name of Daniel Jones, Jr.  He was captured June 17, 1864 at Bermuda Hundred, Virginia. He was imprisoned in Andersonville, Georgia and later transferred to the Florence, South Carolina Stockade as Union forces under General Sherman moved into Georgia. Daniel Jones Jr., a.k.a. Daniel Travis died on January 18, 1865 in Florence, South Carolina.

He was not living in Mansfield in the 1860 U.S. census. Daniel Travis Jr. was born in New York to Daniel and Maria (Morgan?) Travis.

On July 24, 1884, his mother, Maria Travis filed from New York for a dependent mother’s pension under application No. 318,100 that was granted under certificate No. 245,243. His father, Daniel Travis filed for a dependent father’s pension on April 11, 1891.

Daniel Jones Jr., a.k.a. Daniel Travis, is believed to be buried in an unmarked grave at the Florence South Carolina Stockade in Florence, South Carolina.

William Foster Whitney

William Foster Whitney

William F. Whitney was a resident of Mansfield on August 25, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. B of the 15th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry; he was captured April 20, 1864 at Plymouth, North Carolina, paroled March 26, 1865 and discharged June 19, 1865. He was imprisoned at Andersonville, Georgia for over seven months.

He was born about 1844 in Mansfield to John M. and Susan (Campbell) Whitney. His mother died in 1859 and he does not appear in any census with his father. There are many William Whitneys in census records and information to identify where he resided after the Civil War has not been found. John M. Whitney had remarried and moved to New Haven by 1870.

On June 13, 1891, John M. Whitney applied for a dependent father’s pension under No. 517,273. The pension was not granted, probably because he died on February 17, 1892. 

William F. Whitney died in 1890 and is buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut near his father and stepmother.

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