Gratiot Street Prison

Coordinates: 38°37′13″N 90°11′50″W / 38.620236°N 90.197148°W / 38.620236; -90.197148 Gratiot Street Prison (pronounced Grass-shut) was an American Civil War prison located in St. Louis, Missouri and was the largest war prison in Missouri.^[1]

Run by the Union Army, it housed Confederate prisoners-of-war, confederate sympathizers, guerrillas, spies, and Federal soldiers accused of crimes. It is well known for being the site of a daring breakout in the last days of the American Civil War. The prison building was previously a medical school named McDowell's College, which was confiscated by the Union Army and converted to a prison in December 1861. Its official capacity was 1,200 but at times it had 2,000 prisoners. The prison was used mostly as a transfer point for prisoners going to other Union prisons. It was located at the corner of Gratiot and 8th Streets in St. Louis, and demolished in 1878.

The location is now the site of the Ralston Purina headquarters.

(See also:List of Civil War POW Prisons and Camps)

References

• civilwarstlouis.com

v t e Missouri in the American Civil War Pre-war History of slavery in Missouri Missouri Compromise Dred Scott Decision Bleeding Kansas Armed Neutrality Secession crisis and divided government Missouri secession Missouri Constitutional Convention Camp Jackson Affair Gamble's Provisional Government Liberty Arsenal St. Louis Arsenal Missouri State Guard Price–Harney Truce Governor on the Run List of Missouri Civil War Confederate units 1861 Grant's First Command Battle of Boonville Battle of Cole Camp Battle of Carthage Battle of Athens Battle of Wilson's Creek Frémont Martial Law Battle of Dry Wood Creek Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy Sacking of Osceola Battle of Liberty Battle of Lexington I Battle of Fredericktown First Battle of Springfield Department of the Missouri Battle of Belmont Gratiot Street Prison Burning of Platte City Blackwater/Milford Battle of Mount Zion Church 1862 Army of the West Battle of Roan's Tan Yard Battle of Island Number Ten Battle of Moore's Mill Battle of Kirksville First Battle of Independence Battle of Lone Jack First Battle of Newtonia Palmyra Massacre Skirmish at Island Mound Battle of Clark's Mill 1863 Second Battle of Springfield Battle of Hartville Battle of Cape Girardeau Battle of Chalk Bluff General Order No. 11 Shelby's Raid 1864 Centralia Massacre Army of Missouri Price's Raid Battle of Fort Davidson Battle of Glasgow Battle of Albany Second Battle of Lexington Battle of Little Blue River Battle of Byram's Ford Second Battle of Independence Battle of Westport Battle of Marmiton River 2nd Newtonia 1865 Lincoln's Vaughn Pardon Reconstruction James-Younger Gang Bald Knobbers