Archaelogists uncover a long lost Civil War camp

On Aug. 18, archaeologists from Georgia Southern University announced their unearthing of the hidden and thought to be long-lost Confederate Camp Lawton.

CampLawton, located in Magnolia State Park just north of Millen, Ga., had been hidden underground for nearly 150 years before work began to uncover it last December. Though the camp has been out of sight for a little over a century, its existence was known through historical documents such as a drawing of a map that was used by the team of Georgia Southern archaeologists to find the camp.

The team, headed by Dr. Sue Moore, began surveying the park to find a possible camp location. They then came across a piece of earthwork as a clue. Soon after, the team began using various archaeological technologies to find the camp, such as metal detectors and ground penetrating radar (GPR). Kevin Chapman, the graduate supervisor of the project, was one of the first people to come across an artifact.

"We were not expecting to find much but I came across [a] Union button then five minutes later a musket ball and then an 1824 large cent," said Chapman.

Among the items recovered was one of the stockade walls of the prison, along with the area thought to be where the prisoners were held. According to Moore, most of the artifacts were living debris such as coins, buttons, a tourniquet buckle and even a daguerreotype frame. In total, nearly 200 artifacts were found. The artifacts will be available for public viewing starting Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Georgia Southern Museum.

The prison camp is thought to be so well preserved because of its rural location. In early 1936, the camp's area became Magnolia State Park, keeping it safe from development. Moore believes that the artifacts were not swept clean by souvenir collectors because they may have assumed there wasn't much there since the camp was only occupied for six weeks.

CampLawtonwas built in summer 1864 in an effort to relieve the overcrowded Andersonville Prison Camp, also located in Ga. Nearly 10,000 Union soldiers were kept at the camp. Though conditions were considered to be better than Andersonville, Camp Lawton still had its fair share of problems, including ration shortages and lack of medical attention. It is estimated that more than 700 soldiers died there. The camp was quickly abandoned, after being used for only six weeks, on Nov. 22 due to Sherman's March to the Sea. Prisoners were moved to Savannah, Ga.

Work at the Camp Lawton site is not done. Archaeologists are continuing to survey and work on the site to try to find the remaining stockade wall and other hidden areas.

"We've only recovered a tiny tiny percentage and it will take years and years of work on the site," said Moore.

The discovery of this camp will give archaeologists a unique opportunity to learn more about Civil War prison camps and the lives of those imprisoned there.

"It will give us a chance to start understanding what life was like for those who were interned in the South during the War. We can make this history come alive through the archeology," said Moore.

"I am humbled and honored to get to work at the site. It gets you very up close and personal with people who were there and may never have left. You think about that when you find artifacts like the tourniquet buckle or pipe," she said.