Camp Sorghum
| Company type | Prisoner of war camp |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military prison |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Defunct | 1865 |
| Headquarters | Columbia , Confederate States of America |
Camp Sorghum functioned as a prisoner of war facility operated by the Confederate States Army in Columbia, South Carolina during the period of the American Civil War. Initiated in late 1864, the camp confined approximately 1,400 Union officers within an open area lacking any walls, fences, or constructed shelters. A "deadline" was designated by wooden planks placed inside the camp’s boundary.
The primary diet consisted of cornmeal and sorghum syrup, which inspired the camp’s name. Due to minimal security measures, escapes occurred frequently. Prisoners endured severe hardships, including insufficient food, inadequate clothing, and scarce medical supplies, leading to fatalities from disease among both inmates and guards.
Among the detainees was S. H. M. Byers, who authored a well-known poem that motivated Sherman's March to the Sea and The Song of Iowa during his confinement at Camp Sorghum. Byers obtained news of military developments through a smuggled newspaper and worked with fellow captive W. O. Rockwell to compose music for the poem. The song was secretly transmitted north concealed within Lt. Daniel W. Tower’s wooden leg and quickly gained widespread acclaim.
As Union forces under William Tecumseh Sherman advanced toward Columbia in February 1865, prisoners were relocated to grounds near the state mental asylum. The majority of POWs were evacuated on February 12 ahead of the city’s capture. Byers concealed himself in the attic of the asylum and was among the first to greet Union soldiers upon their arrival in Columbia.