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Photo by Sneden, Robert Knox via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Photo by Sneden, Robert Knox via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Photo by Sneden, Robert Knox via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Photo by Jud McCranie via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Photo by Sneden, Robert Knox via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Background
Camp Lawton or the Millen Prison was a stockade which held Union soldiers who been taken as prisoners-of-war during the American Civil War. Located beside the Augusta and Savannah Railroad right-of-way five miles north of what was then Millen Junction (now Millen) in Burke County (since 1905 in Jenkins County), the new prison facility was modeled after Camp Sumter. It opened in October 1864 but had to be evacuated within six weeks, due to the advance of Sherman's army through Georgia. With an area of 42 acres (17 ha) and holding over 10,000 of a planned 40,000 men, it was said to be the largest prison in the world at that time.
The area of Magnolia Springs State Park that now comprises the day-use area was used as the prison.
