Flinn, John William (fl. 1863) A Southern Soldier's Experiences in a Northern Prison
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04573.13 Author/Creator: Flinn, John William (fl. 1863) Place Written: s.l. Type: Typed document Date: November 1893 Pagination: 17 p. ; 32.8 x 20.2 cm. Order a Copy
Originally written for the students of a "lady cousin" who was concerned her pupils were being misinformed about the "kind treatment of Southern Soldiers in Northern prisons." Flinn later presented the address at "S. C. College Nov. 1893." He begins by providing a brief history of his military service and then launches into an in-depth description of his sufferings as a prisoner at Point Lookout, Maryland from July 1864 to March 1865. The manuscript contains a two-page description of the camp's physical layout. Flinn emphasizes the inadequate clothing, foul water, bitter cold, and ravenous hunger which claimed many lives at the camp. He also discusses various ways by which prisoners could obtain "sutler's checks" to purchase, at exorbitant prices, food, clothing, or writing supplies from a local sutler. He concludes with the brutal "murders" of two inmates by black guards. (Flinn does not mention prisoners being issued clothing permits to receive clothing from home as in letter .07.)
John William Flinn was a member of the 17th Mississippi Infantry in Barksdale's (Humphrey's) Brigade, McLaw's (Kershaw's) Division.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.