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TRANSCENDING STEREOTYPES: A STUDY OF CIVIL WAR MILITARY PRISONS IN THE CONTEXT OF NINETEENTH-CENTURY PENITENTIARIES AND PENAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE OHIO, VIRGINIA, AND D.C. PENITENTIARIES AND AT CAMP CHASE, CASTLE THUNDER, AND OLD CAPITOL MILITARY PRISONS By ANGELA M. ZOMBEK A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2012 1 © 2012 Angela M. Zombek 2 To: Mom and Dad 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My high school teachers at St. Joseph Academy in Cleveland, Ohio, taught me that anything was possible, and I believed them. Because of this, there are many people whom I wish to thank, personally and professionally, for helping to make my childhood goal of earning a doctorate in history a reality. But the first debt of gratitude goes to God, who blessed me with the talent, ability, support, and means through which I was able to achieve this goal. It is an amazing experience to have a long-held dream become a reality, but even when I questioned the wisdom of pursuing this degree, my faith enabled me to realize that it was a blessing to have to figure out how to deal with the challenges and opportunities that graduate school presented. Sursum Corda. There is no way that I could have completed graduate school without the unfailing support of family and friends. My parents, Frank and Nancy Zombek, have given me constant encouragement, love, and guidance as I worked my way through the history doctoral program. Despite the physical distance between Florida and Cleveland, they were always close by and ready to help in any way that they could, including reading countless revisions of my dissertation. My brother Joe and sister-in-law Lindsay also offered help, encouragement, and humor along the way, and I am grateful for their presence in my life. While living in Gainesville, I encountered numerous people whose friendship helped me endure the trials and successes of graduate school. I’d like to thank the loyal members of my Monday and Thursday night 6 p.m. spin class at the Northwood YMCA (2008-2011), especially Rick Anderson (“no glory to the timid”), Bud Manning, Karlton Poole, Kevin and Nancy Walsh, Anne and Scott Landes, and Tiffany Sammel for their friendship and laughs. I always looked forward to my class and the mental break it provided me. Thanks to my fellow Eucharistic Ministers at Holy Faith Catholic Church (6 p.m. Sunday Mass), especially Joe and Philomena Pisani and Greg and Perky Smith, who always looked forward to hearing about how graduate 4 school was progressing and told me stories of how they made it through. I appreciate their constant prayers. To my juniors and seniors that I taught at St. Francis Catholic High School during the 2010-2011 academic year—thank you for teaching me not to take myself too seriously and for the constant reminder of what a humbling experience it is to be an educator and be in the position to positively impact so many lives. Finally, to Susan Wright and Sr. Julie Reineke, whose courage and faith will always inspire me. Rest in peace, Sr. Julie. When I accepted a full-time teaching position at St. Petersburg College (Clearwater campus), I encountered even more individuals who helped see me through the final year of graduate school. I would like to thank my Dean, Dr. Joseph Smiley, for his constant encouragement and support of my finishing my doctorate and for being an exemplary mentor. I also owe a debt to my colleagues in the department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, especially Anja Waters Norman, Kim Molinaro, Barbara Styers, Dr. Suzanne Preston, Dr. Michael Culligan, George Grenlee, and Roy Slater, not only for being intellectual sounding-boards, but also for offering encouragement and advice throughout the revision process. I also have many friends whom I would like to thank for their support. My boyfriend, Mike Tool, has played an enormous role in helping me keep my sanity and positive outlook over the past year as I finished revisions. His humor makes every day even better. Kevin Morrow has provided me with invaluable help and insight on research, and Gerry Wolfson-Grande has been an immensely helpful editor and sounding board. Throughout the course of graduate school, I have received intellectual support from Dr. Peter Carmichael and Dr. Lesley Gordon—both have had a significant impact on my intellectual outlook and have provided me with advice on how to proceed through graduate school. I would also like to thank Dr. William Blair for his encouragement. 5 There are many people at the University of Florida whom I wish to thank. First, I thank my advisers, Dr. William Link and Dr. Matthew Gallman, for the time and energy that they devoted to me throughout the history doctoral program. Thanks also go to my committee members, Dr. Louise Newman, Dr. Jeff Adler, and Dr. Sevan Terzian, for offering valuable feedback as I refined my argument. I would also like to thank Dr. Steve Noll and Dr. David Tegeder for providing me with advice on my project and on the dissertation process in general. I have received outside financial assistance that helped me bring this project to completion. I would like to thank the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida for awarding me with a dissertation research grant in 2010, the Virginia Historical Society for awarding me with a Mellon Research grant in 2009, the Milbauer Grant-In-Aid Program, and the History Graduate Society for providing me with invaluable funds to complete research. I would also like to thank St. Petersburg College for providing me with financial assistance for the final semester of graduate school. My love of history was solidified in the eighth grade when Mr. Don McKinley visited St. Richard School and shared President McKinley’s experiences as a Civil War soldier. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to earn a doctorate in history and be a teacher and an historian. When all of this is said and done, I will be the first person in my family to earn a doctorate in history, but the most important point about this is that I did not earn it alone. I can only hope that in my lifetime, I can be as inspiring to others as my family, friends, and God were to me throughout the long years of graduate school. For that I am truly thankful. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................... 4 LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... 8 ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 11 2 COMMONALITIES AMONG FEDERAL, STATE; CIVIL AND MILITARY PUNISHMENTS ................................................................................................................ 37 3 PENITENTIARIES AND MILITARY PRISONS: BUILT ON COMMON GROUND ...... 53 4 THE PURPOSE AND ROLE OF PENITENTIARIES AND MILITARY PRISONS.......... 78 5 ADMINISTRATION, REGULATIONS, INFRACTIONS, AND PUNISHMENTS ......... 106 6 INMATES’ IDENTITY AND DISOBEDIENCE ............................................................. 139 7 PLEAS, PARDONS, AND COMUNICTIONS: INMATES’ INTERACTIONS INSIDE THE WALLS AND WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD ........................................ 172 8 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 207 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................ 223 REFERENCE LIST ................................................................................................................ 230 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ................................................................................................... 246 7 LIST OF TABLES Table page 3-1 Virginia Penitentiary Population (Crime), 1860 ............................................................. 72 3-2 Virginia Penitentiary Population (Race and Gender), 1860 ............................................ 73 3-3 Virginia Penitentiary Population (Age of Males), 1860 .................................................. 73 3-4 Virginia Penitentiary Population (Age of Females), 1860 .............................................. 73 3-5 D.C. Penitentiary Population (Crime), 1860 ................................................................... 74 3-6 D.C. Penitentiary Population (Race and Gender), 1860 .................................................. 74 3-7 D.C. Penitentiary Population (Age of Males), 1860 ....................................................... 74 3-8 D.C. Penitentiary Population (Age of Females), 1860 .................................................... 75 3-9 Ohio Penitentiary Population (Race and Gender), 1860 ................................................. 75 3-10 Ohio Penitentiary Population (Race and Gender), 1860 ................................................. 76 3-11 Ohio Penitentiary Population (Age of Males), 1860 ....................................................... 77 3-12 Ohio Penitentiary Population (Age of Males), 1860 ....................................................... 77 A-1 Virginia Penitentiary Population (Crimes), 1870 .........................................................
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