Much of my family is from the South. I have a great-uncle buried at Fort Dearborn. He died of pneumonia. I hear there is a monument erected for the Confederate soldiers that died there.

Does anyone know where that is? I'd like to see it.

I think you will find this helpful- http://www.censusdiggins.com/prison_camp_douglas.html

In particular look at the Roster of Confederate Dead; click on a photo and then click on it again, you will be able to read the names listed quite clearly.

By the time of the Civil War Ft. Dearborn had been decommissioned by the Army and was being used by the Harbor Master of Chicago.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2011 12:18AM by b.a.hoarder.

midgedear--I think you're conflating several different pieces of information. Fort Dearborn was long gone by the time of the Civil War. During the Civil War, there was a military training center on the near south side called Camp Douglas (on property originally owned by Stephen A. Douglas), which also housed Confederate prisoners of war. Those who died as POW's were buried in Oak Woods Cemetary (67th & Cottage Grove). There's a memorial in Oak Woods called the Confederate Mound Monument, which is probably what you are referring to.

Can we honor the dead without offending an Indian tribe that doesn't even live in Illinois? Lets also figure out a way to exhibit the powerful statue in a context that will explain that the British encouraged the local tribes to attack the American citizens at Chicago. The ex Brit Indian Department officials that comprised much of the officers at the Fort weren't at work when the massacre went down. Also, Ft. Dearborn was managed by a drunken general in Detroit who was afraid of Indians...because of General Hul's incompetence Ft. Dearborn's troops became expendable assets. The US needed the location to manage treaty negotiaions, Chicago was it.

[b]The memorial what I understand was on 18th street and Calumet. Was that the site of the massacure?[/b]

and a massacre it was. Regardless of who tries to rewrite history.

This book may also be helpful -- To Die in Chicago: Confederate Prisoners at Camp Douglas 1862-65 by George Levy - (published in 1994, 2nd edition 1999). The book is available at several Chicago Public Libraries.

To those who may be interested, the Chicago Tribune has a two page article on the Fort Dearborn Massacre in today's(Sunday's) paper.

Thanks ChiTownJim.