Confederate prison camp

http://blog.al.com:80/wire/2010/08/georgia_archaeologists_find_ci.html

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Georgia archaeologists say they’ve unearthed a number of rare Civil War artifacts after locating a Confederate prison camp known as little more than a footnote in Gen. William T. Sherman’s 1864 march to Savannah.

State officials announced the discovery of Camp Lawton on Wednesday. It was found by a graduate student studying archaeology at Georgia Southern University.

Student Kevin Chapman and his team found evidence of the camp’s stockade wall at Magnolia Springs State Park early this year. They also unearthed a tourniquet buckle, a makeshift tobacco pipe and a picture frame.

Dave Crass, Georgia’s state archaeologist, says it’s very rare to find such an unspoiled Civil War site.

Camp Lawton imprisoned about 10,000 Union troops, but only for about six weeks before Sherman’s army arrived and burned it.