William Henry Deagle, my 4th Great Uncle, was born about 1819 in Middlesex County, Virginia. He was my great great grandmother LuElla Daniel Jackson's Uncle. The 1860 census lists his occupation as "sailor", however, shortly after, he enlisted as a Private in the 109th Regiment of the Virginia Militia during the Civil War. Not much is known about the 109th Regiment other than it was a Regiment out of Middlesex County Virginia. In the book "Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Manuscripts" a one line description reads, "E.P. Jones to Governor- one company Calvary 55 men completely equipped 2 pair mules and a wagon for service of the state." Sometime before 1864, William Deagle was no longer in the 109th Regiment.
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| US Civil War POW Records 1861-64 National Archives |
On June 22, 1864, William Henry Deagle was arrested by the Union in Middlesex County, VA and imprisoned at the Prisoner of War camp at Point Lookout in St. Mary's County, MD. His "rank" is listed as
Citizen. During the Civil War, Lincoln's administration treated Southerners as people who willfully gave up their civil liberties due to secession. Lincoln also suspended habeas corpus in areas of rebellion. (And before anyone gets bent out of shape, the Confederacy did the same and also declared martial law) The Union arrested about 2,000 civilians in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. and called them political prisoners. Political prisoner was a broad term because it included people accused of non political offenses. Many of those arrested were accused or suspected of being spies, violators of military order or civilians suspected of disloyalty to the Union.
Upon his arrest, William Deagle was taken to Point Lookout to the Union run POW Camp located there. At the time of his arrest, the prisoner exchange between the two armies was on hold which meant there were between 12,000-20,000 prisoners housed in a camp built to hold only 10,000 men. The camp suffered extremely crowded conditions with 16 men to a tent. The camp was known for its extremely poor sanitary conditions. Point Lookout was the largest Union run POW camp, and it was the one with the worst reputation.
Sadly, William Deagle did not make it home after his arrest. He died of inflammation of the lungs on Valentine's Day February 14, 1865 just 2 months before the end of the war. Deagle was buried in the Prisoner's Grave Yard. The cemetery was a mass grave that held the bodies of 3,384 Confederate POW's. Some of those buried were claimed and relocated by their families, and the rest were interred in the Confederate Cemetery outside of Point Lookout State Park.
