Upstate New York is rich with history, including its ties to the Civil War. Next year will mark 160 years since the end of the Civil War and what you may not know is the role Elmira played in training soldiers and housing prisoners of war.

The Elmira Civil War Prison Camp saw thousands of troops from 1861-65. Elmira was one of the few places in New York to assemble recruits besides Albany and New York City.

A group of volunteers has brought that history to life for visitors.

What You Need To Know

  • A Civil War camp in Elmira was responsible for housing Union troops and Confederate prisoners of war

  • Volunteers help to teach visitors about the camp's history

  • The camp played a role in Elmira becoming a city

“So Elmira became the first stepping stone for a lot of the soldiers,” said Douglas Oakes, a board member with Friends of the Elmira Civil War Prison Camp.

He’s passionate about history; specifically, what happened in this part of Chemung County.

“Elmira never became a city until 1864. And the reason it became a city was because of the Civil War,” said Oakes.

Troops ready to head south to fight for the Union would prepare at the camp.

“It was a very large major marshaling or rendezvous area for a great deal of New York State troops," Oakes said, "and anybody who fought down in the South and all the major battles, we have troops that came through here that not only fought in the East, but fought in the West under Sherman and Grant."

The site was not only for training Union soldiers, but also housing Confederate prisoners of war.

“Most of the information that folks know about Elmira is the Confederate prisoner of war camp. And yes, it did play a major role in our history. It was here for 11 months, but the camps that they were living in were actually originally constructed for the Union troops in 1861,” said Terri Olszowy, board member of the Friends of the Elmira Civil War Prison Camp.

“It's not a major battlefield, but this is where the troops came from that fought on those,” said Oakes.

At one time, the camp that stood here held 10,000 people. Now the volunteers want to share the history.

“Important part for me, and the most fun part, is when we have visitors. And all of a sudden, you see the light come on and the interest peak, particularly with the younger kids,” said Olszowy.

The Friends of the Elmira Civil War Prison Camp work to add something new each year to bring the history to life. This past fall, they reproduced the wall that once surrounded the entire camp.

“Well, you figure it was a wall all the way around 40 acres. So, it was actually a major part of the camp,” said Oakes.

“It was an effort to try and bring history alive a little bit and let people get an appreciation for how people actually lived at that time. Our barracks and buildings do not have any modern conveniences in it. There's no electricity, no running water. You can get a feel for what the soldiers lived in,” said Olszowy.

If you want to take a trip through history, the Elmira Civil War Prison Camp is open through Labor Day, Saturdays 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. or by appointment. There’s a Civil War Symposium taking place at Elmira College this weekend, Friday through Sunday, with several presentations about Elmira’s ties to the Civil War.