City Jail
Information on the City Jail in Richmond, VA during the Civil War.

Written Accounts

1863-01-10, Richmond Dispatch; Slave who killed infant executed just east of Alms House. City Battalion detachment present
1863-01-13, Richmond Dispatch; City council: progress on smallpox/Howard’s Grove; Argument to enlarge city jail & strengthen it; City council wants Alms House back from CSA. Supt. says he buried 7120 soldiers in Oakwood
1863-01-31, Richmond Dispatch; Sarah Tucker & Sarah Thompson, “abandoned white females,” jailed for associating with negroes. Latter got 35 lashes each.
1863-02-03, Richmond Dispatch; rebellion in city jail – details – City Battalion called in
1863-02-11, Richmond Dispatch; plan afoot to remove all soldiers from city jail
1863-02-19, Richmond Dispatch; 2 men headed to state pen – one briefly escaped near African Church
1863-02-19, Richmond Dispatch; breakout at city jail. Inattentive members of City Battalion jailed and court martialed. One of escapees was Samuel Blake, charged with stealing $200 worth of clothing belonging to Capt. Wm. M. Blackford.
1863-02-21, Richmond Dispatch; city jail escapees still at large
1863-02-23, Richmond Dispatch; Charlotte Gilman (witness in case) released after 8 mos. in Castle Thunder
1863-03-10, Richmond Dispatch; interesting update on City Hospital & Howard’s Grove, from City Council

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