John. L. Ligon's Tobacco Warehouse was confiscated during the early part of 1861 and was used as a prison for Federal soldiers. This building later became General Hospital #23. This building was at times used as a hospital for Libby Prison, and for baggage storage.

Also called: Ligon’s Factory Hospital, Liggon Factory Hospital, Ligion Factory Hospital, Prison Depot,Prison No. 1. Formerly tobacco factory of John L. Ligon. Employees 45. Location: southeast corner of 25th and Main Streets.

9/1862 - 6/1863; Statistics of General Hospital #23 - hospital closed after June, 1863

Harris, Lieut. William C., Prison-Life in the Tobacco Warehouse at Richmond. By a Ball's Bluff Prisoner. Philadelphia: George W. Childs, 1862.

Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives. This file represents payments made by the Confederate Government to John L. Ligon, for rent of his warehouse, purchase of supplies, and renovations done to the warehouse.

Richmond Dispatch 7/1/1861; two POWs arrive and are taken to the prison depot (Ligon's prison)
Richmond Dispatch 7/2/1861; prison depot is located two blocks from the Henrico Court House, and contains 75-100 prisoners
Richmond Dispatch 7/16/1861; POWs from Yorktown arrive, and are taken to the prison depot; some are from the "scum of Baltimore," and one a spy
Richmond Dispatch 7/18/1861; some prisoners removed from the Prison depot to parts unknown
Richmond Dispatch 7/22/1861; 56 prisoners arrived yesterday and were taken to the prison depot on Main street
Richmond Dispatch 7/24/1861; 631 prisoners arrive from Manassas and are taken to the prison depot - six hundred more are expected soon
Richmond Dispatch 7/25/1861; trains arrive from Manassas bearing wounded, who are taken to private homes for treatment; 500-600 POWs are set to arrive; the prison depot is already full; notes that General Corcoran arrived in Richmond two days ago
Richmond Dispatch 7/31/1861; 78 wounded POWs brought to Richmond, including a Richmonder in exile
Richmond Dispatch 8/5/1861; 74 new Yankee POWs arrive - housed at prison in Jefferson Ward
Richmond Dispatch 8/15/1861; a dozen Manassas POWs arrive, and taken to the prison on Main Street
Richmond Dispatch 8/26/1861; member of CS guard at Ligon's factory shoots his officer
Richmond Enquirer 8/28/1861; prisoner at Liggon's factory kills his guard and attempts to escape
Richmond Whig 9/3/1861; great description of the Richmond prisons and some of the prisoners; notes that there are 1725 prisoners in Richmond
Richmond Whig 9/17/1861; references to recent POW escapes, says guards are more interested in keeping citizens out than prisoners in
Richmond Enquirer 10/5/1861; statistics and praise of the “Confederate States Prison Hospital, at Rocketts.” Notes 41 deaths have occurred, and praises Dr. E. G. Higginbotham at length.
Richmond Dispatch 10/7/1861; Congressman Ely presented with a wooden sword in prison
Richmond Examiner 10/7/1861; Hon. Alfred Ely (US Congressman) presented with a mock sword in prison
Richmond Enquirer 11/18/1861; great description of the prison system in Richmond with list of employees (included Wirz and Higginbotham). Notes that over 2000 POWs now in Richmond
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 11/30/1861; $100.00 paid for “Rent of Factory for use of Prisoners from 1st to 30th Nov.”
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 12/31/1861; $100.00 paid for “Rent of Factory for Prison from 1st to 31st Dec.”
Richmond Enquirer 1/4/1862; "Humors of Prison Life;" details about the Richmond Prison Association and their song
Richmond Dispatch 1/7/1862; Alfred Ely’s lengthy account of time in Richmond.
Richmond Dispatch 1/13/1862; Capt. Gibbs promoted to Major & leaves for Salisbury. Lt. Hairston, 19th Miss., to be his replacement. Prisons will be kept as a prison depot.
Richmond Enquirer 1/20/1862; Lt. Hairston relieved of command of C. S. Military Prison by Capt. Godwin
Richmond Dispatch 1/24/1862; 3 POWs arrive escorted by Capt. Griffin, 6th Ga., and are lodged in "the military prison"
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 1/31/1862; $150.00 paid for “Rent of Factory for Prison from 1st to 31st Jan. 1 mo.”
Richmond Dispatch 2/6/1862; Yankee POW arrives - a German
Richmond Dispatch 2/6/1862; small fire at Ligon Factory prison, 25th st
Richmond Enquirer 2/6/1862; Fire at Liggon's prison; no one injured
Summary of William Liggan file, M346, National Archives 2/10/1862; carpentry done to "Main Factory for Prisoners," probably Ligon's factory.
Richmond Dispatch 2/13/1862; 3 POW deaths (named)
Richmond Enquirer 2/20/1862; description of the chain of command in the prison system, list of some of the higher ranking officers now in the "tobacco warehouses" in Richmond; 3,000 prisoners are being paroled.
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 2/28/1862; $150.00 paid for “Rent of Factory for ____ from 1st to 28th. 1 mo.”
Richmond Dispatch 4/18/1862; boy named Ligon, from Church Hill, breaks his leg in horse accident at 21st and Main.
Richmond Enquirer 4/18/1862; son of Mr. Ligon is thrown from horse and breaks one of his legs
Richmond Dispatch 4/24/1862; Lt. R. M. Booker has become one of the Assistant Provost Marshals of the city – he had previously been one of the officers in charge of the C.S. Military Prison on Main street
Richmond Dispatch 4/29/1862; hung jury in the case of a man who shot the “Sergeant of the Guard at the C. S. Military Prison” last summer
Summary of William Liggan file, M346, National Archives 5/20-21/1862; extensive carpentry done at Ligon Hospital.
Richmond Enquirer 6/6/1862; casualty list from Seven Pines, listing the hospitals where wounded were taken.
Richmond Dispatch 6/20/1862; W. Otho Hill, Asst. Surg., at Battery #7, adv for 2 runaway slaves, from Liggon Hosp
Richmond Dispatch 6/28/1862; Enormous list of wounded by hospital: Central Depot; Third Georgia; Royster; First Alabama; St. Charles; Keen, Baldwin & Williams; Kent; Christian & Lea’s; Ligon; Globe; Third Alabama; Institute; Fourth Georgia
Richmond Dispatch 7/1/1862; list of patients at Moore Hospital, Ligon Hospital, Second Georgia Hospital, Third Georgia Hospital, Howard’s Grove, & Fourth Georgia Hospital
Richmond Dispatch 7/3/1862; provisions for wounded should be sent to hospital at 25th and Main
National Archives, RG 109, Ch. IV 8/1/1862; order from F. Sorrel, re-designating existing hospitals into Gen. Hosps. with numbers.
Ledger of Confederate Hospital Practice no date; Rules and Regulations for General Hospital #23
Ledger of Confederate Hospital Practice no date; list of Surgeons at General Hospital #23
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 8/15/1862; $210.00 paid for “Scaffold taken down in rear of my factory for prisoners (150.00),”
Richmond Enquirer 9/30/1862; tabular report of sick & wounded soldiers in the Hospitals in Richmond
Library of Congress 10/6/1862; reports on the capacities of Richmond Hospitals and empty beds
Library of Congress 10/16/1862; reports on the capacities of Richmond Hospitals, empty beds, and Patients in them
Library of Congress 11/1/1862; reports on the capacities of Richmond Hospitals, empty beds, and Patients in them
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 12/15/1862; $5474.00 paid for “238 Bbls Flour @ 23 per. For use C. S. Mil. Prisons.”
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 12/18/1862; $417.00 paid for “Five Hundred Fifty Six (556) pounds of Bacon @ .75 per pound. For use of C. S. Mil. Prison Hospital & Guard.”
Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War 1863; prisoner's account of harsh treatment in Richmond. Notes that while at the General Hospital (GH#1) he was well-treated; at the tobacco warehouse he was not. Also notes that "a lady named Van Lew" helped provide for him while in prison until she was stopped by prison authorities
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 2/28/1863; $250.00 paid for “Rent of Factory for Hospital from the 1st Jany to 28th Feby. 2 Mos @ 125.”
RG 109, Ch. 6, Vol. 151, p. 30 9/1862 - 6/1863; Statistics of General Hospital #23 - hospital closed after June, 1863
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 9/30/1863; $375.00 paid for “Rent of Building on Main St. for storage of Baggage from the 1st July to 30th Sept. 3 mos [@] 125”
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, pp. 852-853 11/10/1863 - 1/18/1864; statement of clothing issued to prisoners in Richmond.
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, p. 1050 11/20/1863; Mentioned. GH #23 is needed to handle overflow from GH#21.
Official Records, Series II, Vol VI, page 1086. 11/23/1863; Carrington reiterates Texas Hospital not fit for prison use, and requests that GHs #20 & #23 be used as prison hospitals.
Official Records, Ser. II, Vol. VI, p. 1086-87 12/18/1863; Medical Director Carrington directs GH #10 closed as a hospital; baggage stored in Liggon's factory (GH#23) can be moved elsewhere
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 12/31/1863; $375.00 paid for “Rent of Warehouse from 1st Oct. to 31 Dec. 1863. 3 mos @ $125.”
VHS 1/23/1864 1/23/1864; Letter from Jno. L. Ligon, Clerk at Castle Thunder, writing on behalf of a man whom Ligon was accosted by and later shot. Ligon believes the man accosted him because the man thought that Ligon was a Yankee deserter. Ligon appeals for his immediate discharge from prison
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 1/31/1864; $125.00 paid for “Rent of Factory on Main & 25th streets from 1st Jany to the 31 Jany 1864 being one month @ 125 per month.”
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 3/1/1864; $200.00 paid for “Rent of Ligons Factory from the 1st Feby to the 29th of Feby, 1864 @ two hundred dollars per month.”
Surgeon G. W. Semple CSR, M331 5/30/1864; Semple orders that Liggon's factory be vacated for use as a prison hospital
Richmond Examiner 6/2/1864; 700 Yankees in GH21; "Ligon's factory" opened to handle the excess numbers
Richmond Whig 6/2/1864; tobacco factories on Main and Franklin near Church Hill have been re-occupied as prisons, and the guards are forcing people off the sidewalk. Major Turner puts a stop to this practice
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 6/30/1864; $225.00 paid for “Rent of Factory used by C. S. States as Prison Hospital for Federal Prisoners, from 1st June to 30th June 1864 at $225 per month.
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 7/31/1864; $225.00 paid for “Rent of Factory corner of Main & 25th Street used by C. S. Government as a Hospital (for Libby Prison) for one month from 1 July 1864 @ $225 per month.
Summary of John L. Ligon file, M346, National Archives 12/31/1864; $1225.00 paid for “Rent of Factory corner 25th & Main Streets used by C. S. as Genl Hospital No. 21 [sic]. Five months from Aug. 1st to 31 Dec. 1864 @ $225 per month.
National Tribune 8/20/1891; good account of life in Richmond prisons in 1861
New England Magazine 4/1895; good description of life in Prison No. 1 (Ligon's Prison) during 1861. Comments on Henry Wirz as an employee there.

Record Group 109, (ch. VI, vol. 559). 1 in. Prescription Book, General Hospital No. 23. n.d. 1 vol. Shows patient's name and the medicines to be given each day. The prescriptions are probably arranged chronologically; the days of the week are given, but no month or year.

Record Group 109, (ch. VI, vol. 711). 2 in. Morning Reports of Patients and Attendants, General Hospitals No. 1-4, 7-8, 12-20, 22-23, and 25-27. 1862-65. 1 vol. Daily reports showing the number of patients in hospital, in private quarters, received, returned to duty, transferred, furloughed, deserted, discharged, died, and remaining; the number of medical officers, stewards, nurses, cooks, and laundresses present for duty; and remarks. Arranged by hospital number, thereunder chronologically, and thereunder by State of patient's organization. The dates given are inclusive; not all hospitals have reports for all dates.