Virtual Presentation
The Story of Camp Douglas
presented by David Keller

Camp Douglas in Chicago opened in 1861 as a Union training and reception facility for over 40,000 Union soldiers. Camp Douglas became a prison camp, housing over 30,000 Confederate prisoners, from 1862 until it was demolished in 1865. Containing over 200 buildings on 60 acres, Camp Douglas was the most significant Civil War facility in Northern Illinois.

Using Civil War photos, PowerPoint®, and a static display of information and artifacts, Keller presents the history of Camp Douglas and stories from diaries and journals of Confederate prisoners housed at the Camp. The presentation includes information on conditions and loss of life at the camp, current status of the camp’s site, and work done by the Camp Douglas Restoration Foundation to provide a lasting remembrance of Camp Douglas.

About the Presenter
David Keller is a long time resident of Chicago and an amateur historian. His interest in Camp Douglas comes from his interest in the Civil War, Civil War Prison Camps and 19th century Chicago history. Keller has written four books; already published are The Story of Camp Douglas, Chicago’s Forgotten Civil War Prison and Robert Anderson Bagby, Civil War Diary (Annotated) 1863-1865 .

The other two books, Military Prisons of the American Civil War, Factors that Made Them What They Became and Command at Antietam: Lincoln XE "Lincoln, A" , McClellan XE "McClellan, George B."  and Lee XE "Lee, Robert E."  at the Turning Point of the Civil War are scheduled for publication in 2021

This is a virtual presentation via Zoom at
7 pm Central Time on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.
The link will be sent to you after you register or you can click the link below to join the night of the program.