Immortal Six Hundred
Encyclopedia
In 1864, the Confederate Army
imprisoned 50 Union Army
officers as human shield
s against federal artillery in the city of Charleston
in an attempt to stop Union artillery from firing upon civilians in the city. In retaliation, United States Secretary of War
Edwin M. Stanton
ordered 600 captured Confederate officers to be taken to Morris Island
, South Carolina
at the entrance to Charleston Harbor and used as human shield
s for 45 days in an attempt to silence the Confederate gunners manning Fort Sumter
. These men became known in the South as the Immortal Six Hundred. At one point General Foster planned an exchange of the 600 but it was stopped by General Grant
who had previously terminated all prisoner of war exchanges and wrote, "In no circumstances will he be allowed to make exchanges of prisoners of war."
Three died from subsistence on starvation rations issued as retaliation for the conditions found by the Union at Andersonville, Georgia and Salisbury, North Carolina
prisons.
Upon an outbreak of yellow fever
in Charleston, the Union officers were removed from the city limits, and in response the Union army then transferred the Immortal Six Hundred to Fort Pulaski just outside of Savannah, Georgia.
There they were crowded into the fort’s cold, damp casemates. For 42 days, a "retaliation ration" of 10 ounces of moldy cornmeal
and half a pint of soured onion pickles was the only food issued to the prisoners. The starving men were reduced to supplementing their rations with the occasional rat or stray cat. Thirteen men died there of preventable diseases such as dysentery and scurvy.
At Fort Pulaski, the prisoners organized "The Relief Association of Fort Pulaski for Aid and Relief of the Sick and Less Fortunate Prisoners" on December 13, 1864. Col. Abram Fulkerson
of the 63rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment was elected president. Out of their sparse funds, the prisoners collected and expended eleven dollars, according to a report filed by Fulkerson on December 28, 1864.
Five later died at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
. The remaining prisoners were returned to Fort Delaware
on March 12, 1865, where an additional twenty-five died.
The prisoners became known throughout the South for their refusal to take the Oath of Allegiance under adverse circumstances. Southerners have long lauded their refusal as honorable and principled.
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
imprisoned 50 Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
officers as human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
s against federal artillery in the city of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
in an attempt to stop Union artillery from firing upon civilians in the city. In retaliation, United States Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during the American Civil War from 1862–1865...
ordered 600 captured Confederate officers to be taken to Morris Island
Morris Island
Morris Island is an 840 acre uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War.-History:...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
at the entrance to Charleston Harbor and used as human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
s for 45 days in an attempt to silence the Confederate gunners manning Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
. These men became known in the South as the Immortal Six Hundred. At one point General Foster planned an exchange of the 600 but it was stopped by General Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
who had previously terminated all prisoner of war exchanges and wrote, "In no circumstances will he be allowed to make exchanges of prisoners of war."
Three died from subsistence on starvation rations issued as retaliation for the conditions found by the Union at Andersonville, Georgia and Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
prisons.
Upon an outbreak of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
in Charleston, the Union officers were removed from the city limits, and in response the Union army then transferred the Immortal Six Hundred to Fort Pulaski just outside of Savannah, Georgia.
There they were crowded into the fort’s cold, damp casemates. For 42 days, a "retaliation ration" of 10 ounces of moldy cornmeal
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is flour ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies. In the United States, the finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in recipes from the...
and half a pint of soured onion pickles was the only food issued to the prisoners. The starving men were reduced to supplementing their rations with the occasional rat or stray cat. Thirteen men died there of preventable diseases such as dysentery and scurvy.
At Fort Pulaski, the prisoners organized "The Relief Association of Fort Pulaski for Aid and Relief of the Sick and Less Fortunate Prisoners" on December 13, 1864. Col. Abram Fulkerson
Abram Fulkerson
Abram Fulkerson was a Confederate officer during the American Civil War, and a Virginia lawyer and politician. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates, as well as the U.S. House of Representatives....
of the 63rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment was elected president. Out of their sparse funds, the prisoners collected and expended eleven dollars, according to a report filed by Fulkerson on December 28, 1864.
Five later died at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is a resort town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is north of Savannah, Georgia, and south of Charleston. The island gets its name from Captain William Hilton...
. The remaining prisoners were returned to Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware is a harbor defense facility, designed by Chief Engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten, and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war, political prisoners, federal convicts, and...
on March 12, 1865, where an additional twenty-five died.
The prisoners became known throughout the South for their refusal to take the Oath of Allegiance under adverse circumstances. Southerners have long lauded their refusal as honorable and principled.