Camp Ford becomes a prison camp
Camp Ford began in 1862 as a Confederate conscript-training camp four miles northeast of Tyler, named for Col. John S. (Rip) Ford.
On July 21, 1863, the Trans-Mississippi Department ordered a prison camp there.
About 6,000 prisoners were held at Camp Ford over two years, and 286 died there; the last 1,200 left for Shreveport on May 17, 1865.
Sources
- Handbook of Texas: Camp Ford (F. Lee Lawrence)tshaonline.org
In 1862 the Confederacy located a conscript-training camp four miles northeast of Tyler. The installation became known as Camp Ford, in honor of Col. John S. (Rip) Ford.
On July 21, 1863, the Trans-Mississippi Department ordered the establishment of a prison camp at Camp Ford
About 6,000 prisoners were confined at Camp Ford over the two years of its existence
Of this number, 286 died there.
the 1,200 remaining prisoners left Camp Ford, on May 17, 1865, bound for Shreveport. The remains of the prison compound were destroyed in July
Checked October 15, 2026. How the cards are filed