Captain Griffin Frost - Alton, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 53.479 W 090° 11.373
15S E 743754 N 4308471
At the site of the former Civil War Prison in Alton, Illinois.
Waymark Code: WMX1P8
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 11/14/2017
Views: 0
County of memorial: Madison County
Location of memorial: Williams St. & Broadway Ave., Alton
Erected by: Illinois State Historical Society, Greater Alton Chamber of Commerce, & Madison County Historical Society
Captain Griffin Frost
[photo in gallery]
Griffin Frost joined the Missouri State Guard in August of 1861 and fought in the Battles of Athens, Lexington, Pea Ridge and Corinth. He was captured while recruiting in Arkansas in November of 1862 and was sent to Gratiot Street Prison in St. Louis until his parole in early 1863. In October of 1863 he was recaptured in Arkansas. Frost spent the duration of the war in Gratiot Street Prison and Alton Federal Military Prison in Alton.
During his confinement, Frost kept a journal of his experiences in the two prisons and in 1867 published
Camp and Prison Journal.
The photo above [in gallery] is from 1905.
The Alton Military Prison closed July 7, 1865 when the last prisoners were released or sent to St. Louis. The buildings were torn down over the next twenty years until only a small remnant of the cell block remained. Stone from the prison buildings is found in walls and other structures all over Alton area. The land was developed into a park and playground named after the Joel Chandler Harris character "Uncle Remus" from Song of the South. The remnant of the cell block was moved to its present location in 1970 when the lot was paved for ConAgra Company parking.