Belle Isle

The Confederate Commandant in the Foreground

The Capitol of the Confederacy in the Distance

Prominent in the foreground is Major Thomas P. Turner, commandant of Belle Isle and Libby Prison. He is clad in Confederate gray, with a soft felt hat, and his orderly stands behind him. Before him are some tents of the Union prisoners‑‑a trifle nearer the Capitol at Richmond seen across the river than they care to be at the present juncture. The fact that this noble edifice was erected under the direction of Thomas Jefferson, on the plan of the Maison-Carrée at Nîmes, could do little to alleviate their mental distress. The crest of the hill on which Major Turner is standing is one hundred and twelve feet above tidewater, overlooking the encampment. The guard and guard-tents appear in the distance at the edge of the river. This is the fourth successive war-time photograph taken inside the Confederate lines shown in this chapter. The original negative was destroyed by fire on the memorable morning of the 3rd of April, 1865.