Libby Prison Inmate U.S. Civil War Letter

This collection consists of an anonymous letter, written December 18, 1864, by an inmate of Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia and addressed to U.S. Senator William Wright of New Jersey. It is a plea for the senator’s intercession in obtaining the inmate’s exchange for a Confederate officer imprisoned in West Virginia, and his release from prison. The writer describes his failing health after months as a general prisoner of war and his fears that without release he will not survive.

Libby Prison for captured Union soldiers, located in Richmond, Virginia, was noted for its harsh conditions, both from overcrowding and from the growing shortage of provisions available in Richmond for civilians and inmates. The prison was named for a company which had formerly leased the property, L. Libby & Sons, Ship Chandlers. The buildings were commandeered for prison and hospital use shortly after the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run) of July 21, 1861.

The original materials are held by the Woodson Research Center in Fondren Library. Search the finding aid/inventory for the Libby Prison Inmate letter, MS 113.