Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery

It's slim pickings when it comes to truly historic sites in Columbus, but Camp Chase Cemetery, a little known piece of Civil War history located on the West Side of Columbus, is a storied place- especially among Civil War enthusiasts. The Civil War touched Columbus in subtle and unusual ways. In 1861, the federal government authorized the establishment of Camp Chase as a training ground for Ohio volunteers and militia units. Columbus was a centralized location with a good transportation system and lots of space, so Ohio's capital was an obvious choice for a military camp. Camp Chase was built on what is now the West side of Columbus, near the the Westgate neighborhood, bordered by present-day Sullivant Avenue, Broad Street and Hague Avenue. It eventually served as a prison for local Confederate sympathisers and higher ranking prisoners of war and remained in operation throughout the entire Civil War. Between 1861 and 1863, the number of prisoners bulged to a whopping 8,000, but upon completion of a POW camp on Johnson's Island in Lake Erie, most of the Confederate officers were moved, leaving only the "enlisted" men at Camp Chase. It is well known that the living conditions were terrible. Prisoners suffered a variety of diseases related to starvation and in the winter of 1863, hundreds of prisoners fell victim to a smallpox epidemic. The camp closed in 1865 with the close of the Civil War. When all was said and done, more than 2,200 Confederate prisoners died at Camp Chase, causing the prison to establish its own cemetery, where today approximately 2,260 soldiers are buried. The only part of Camp Chase that still exists is two acres of land containing the cemetery. In 1902, a monument to the Confederate dead was erected at the cemetery, which you can see today. The Hilltop Historical Society sponsors an annual Memorial Service in June to honor the fallen Confederate soldiers. I have chosen to list the Ohio Historical Society's web page as the link here because they maintains a variety of documents, burial records, headstone inventories and photographs related to Camp Chase. For cemetery and history buffs alike, Camp Chase is a haunting place to visit. It's a completely moving experience to pass behind the stone wall and see 2600 white headstones stretched across 2-acres. Easy to forget you are in the middle of the city. Ghost hunters have come here searching for the Lady in Gray, an alleged female spirit (dressed in gray or gray in appearance) searching Camp Chase her lost husband. I have not bumped into any ghosts here, but I sure did enjoy discovering one of the few tangible pieces of Civil war history in Columbus. It's a moving place.

A small piece of history, representing a huge war. Worth a stop if you are a history or cemetery buff.I've been past many times without even being aware of it; I knew it was down here somewhere, but wasn't sure exactly where. It is just tucked into the neighborhood along Sullivant. Inside are more than 2000 graves, mostly Confederate prisoners. Research the history a bit (and read Shawnie K's review for a start.) This is all that is left of Camp Chase, a large camp and one of several that were in Columbus. I've been to Johnson Island up on Lake Erie, and had a similar feeling here. These men fought on the losing side (and the wrong side, not always the same thing) but they were, as the memorial says, Americans. It is a quiet, sobering place to visit on a cold late-winter morning.

How great to have a little price of history right in the middle of a modern city. This location used to be a prison for Confederate soldiers, as well as a camp for Union soldiers. Now it's a small plot for the graves of the prisoners.It's a really small area, but it's definitely worth a visit for a quick history lesson.

A great piece of History and make sure you do your research before you go so you know the history. It is one of those small jewels that history minded people love to find. If you don't like history, your time might be better spent somewhere else. Camp Chase was a Civil War prison camp and the camp was much bigger than just this little cemetery, however this is worth a stop just to see the names of those who died here. It should only take 10-15 minutes to visit and take a few pictures. Side Note: The area of town is run down and a little shady and it's hard to figure out how to get in. The only gate is on the main road but you must park at the library that is just around the corner.

Very interesting and clean cemetery. It's sad that things got destroyed here because of lack of education on American history. Nice to know that the veteran affairs has a security there at all times.

Thanks to the History Here app, I was notified that I was near Camp Chase and took a moment to stop by and learn. Very interesting and at the same time somber. There were fair grounds going up in the background and the neighboorhood appears to have just grown up (and run down) around this historic area.

As far as cemeteries go this is pretty boss. You could come here for a picnic, but that would be kind of weird. There are graves and a neat arch thing and an old cannon ball and a pavilion.Yep.

Come check this place out! Shawnie K. has a nice summary of the site in her review. Before I moved to the Hilltop I had wanted to visit, but never really made an effort to pursue it. Coincidentally, I have a few friends in the area and when I was touring an apartment to rent, noticed it was right across the street! It really is one of those 'hidden in plain sight' kind of locations, as it only takes up the length of about two blocks along Sullivant Avenue. Inside the stone walls are 2,000+ confederate soldiers, buried under matching white headstones. The effect is somewhat similar to Arlington Cemetery, but on a smaller scale. It's amazing to see how many people are buried inside, and to read the historical marker that tells the story of the former encampment. Aside from the tombstones themselves, there is also an old cannonball, an arch monument to the soldiers, and a concrete stage for events. There are several active organizations that have events here, and one group laid out wreaths on the headstones during the holidays. We are lucky to have such a well-maintained piece of history in our city. Bonus? Next door is Hilltop Dairy Twist!

I ran across this place while searching the area for historical things. The site is quite small, but beautuful. There's only one entrance gate off the main road, so parking was a little troublesome. I parked at the library and walked around the corner and down to the gate. The area is a little shady and ran down. . I would have liked to stay longer but I honestly felt too uncomfortable being there alone and wanted to get back to my car.

If you're into history then this will be worth it, regardless of how little it is. It's easy to access and pretty well maintained considering the age and things this neighborhood has seen.