Black Prisoners in Confederate Prisons During the Civil War

Bernice Bennett welcomes author and researcher Bob J. O' Connor for a discussion of his research on Black Prisoners in Confederate Prisons During the Civil War. OConnor is a native of Dixon, Illinois and a graduate of Northern llinois University. He is retired, and lives in Charles Town, WV and is the author of nine books, all on the American Civil War. His topics include John Brown(abolitionist), Ward Hill Lamon (President Lincolns bodyguard), and Civil War topics linked to his local area (two brothers who fought against each other twice and a black blacksmith who is seeking his freedom). His interest in studying African American history comes from studying John Brown and Abraham Lincoln and their concerns with slavery. His current research involves studying the black prisoners held in Confederate prisons during the Civil War. The stereotypes that no black prisoner made it to prison are wrong. In fact, he is only partially through the U.S. Colored Troops records and have found 2,182 black prisoners (2078 soldiers and 104 black sailors). An amazing 79 percent of those black POWs survived their incarceration. His research includes the names, regiments, company, rank, date of capture, place of capture, name of the prison or prisons where they were held, if they survived or not, date of death or what happened to them, place of birth and age.

Bob J O Connor