The unhewn logs with daylight between them betray the Confederates' haste to expand the north end of camp. In contrast, the reconstruction at the North Gate section show the carefully planned design of the stockade's initial 16 acres, when officials planned for only 6,000 prisoners.
The outer row of white posts marks the perimeter of the stockade; inner posts marks the deadline. The area between was a no man's land. If prisoners crossed the deadline, guards in the sentry boxes had orders to shoot them.
"July 1 was moving day for thousands of prisoners who had been cramped for sufficient room, and there was a perfect stampede for the new position."
James M. Page, 6th Michigan Cavalry, July 1, 1864
(captions)
This stockade is an accurate reconstruction. Archeologists excavated stumps here that showed the size and spacing of stockade logs. They were able to map the location of each stockade post from the change in soil color produced by rotting wood.
The photograph show the inner and middle stockade in 1867.
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