06/11/2026
The Susquehanna County Historical Society will present a fireside chat with Robert Baker speaking about Confederate prison camps.
Join us at the Susquehanna County Historical Society for this fascinating talk. .” The speaker will be Robert Baker who will share some images of what life was like at Andersonville, GA, and Florence, SC prisons, based on accounts of 52nd Pa. Inf. soldiers. An additional Fireside Chat on an aspect of the Civil War will be presented in early August.
When the prisoner exchange system broke down during the Civil War, both the Union and Confederacy developed camps to hold prisoners of war. Two such Southern camps were Andersonville and Florence Stockade. Andersonville was created in February 1864 and served until April 1865 and was the prison for 45,000 during that time. Florence Stockade was active from September 1864 through February 1865 and had seen 18,000 Union soldiers. Conditions in both Northern and Southern camps were harsh and there were high mortality levels.
Robert Baker is a former local newspaper editor. He is currently a volunteer at the G.A.R. Civil War Museum in Scranton and researches this time period.
The Fireside Chat is a free event presented by the Susquehanna County Historical Society. There is elevator accessibility for those with mobility issues that may be arranged by calling the Society at 570-278-1622.
