-- [ From: Linda Derry * EMC.Ver #2.5.03 ] --
 
 
I found a similar situation at Cahawba (Alabama).  During the Civil War, a newly
 built cotton warehouse was converted into a prison for captured Union Soldiers.
  Water was supplied to the prison from an artesian well located about  800 feet
 away.  It was brought into the prison first by open ditches then later through
pipes.  Once inside, water was collected in barrels sunken into the dirt floor o
f the structure.  The overflow was then piped out through the latrines and then
out into the Alabama River.  This kept the "water closets" nicely "flushed" (a g
reat disappointment to us archaeologists) and also provided a much used escape h
atch for adventuresome prisoners!  Unfortunately during the spring of 1865, the
river rose up through the latrines and flooded the prison.  The soldiers were fo
rced to stand knee to waist deep in the flood water, which of course was also wa
ter closet water.  To top the experience off nicely, the prisoners could not bui
ld fires to cook their cornmeal during the "freshet", so they ha
d to eat it raw.  Consequently,  everyone had a horrible case of diarrhea.  Imag
ine spending the last days of the war standing in that sewage!  Yuk!
 
We excavated enough to locate all these features (prison walls, cistern, latrine
) but have not opened any of these features.  Actually many of them are still vi
sible from the surface, if you know what you are looking for.
 
Linda Derry
Old Cahawba
Alabama Historical Commission