Florence Stockade

A historical marker defines this site where, from September 1864 through February 1865 approximately 16,000 Union soldiers were held captive in Florence. A stockade was constructed here to accommodate prisoners, previously incarcerated at Andersonville and other prisons in south Georgia. These prisoners were moved as a result of Gen. William T. Sherman's Union Forces heading to Savannah in the now famous "March to the Sea." Approximately 2,802 Union soldiers died and many are buried as "unknowns" in the adjacent Florence National Cemetery. The Friends of the Florence Stockade held an official public opening on May 31, 2008. The site now includes parking area, and offers an interpretive gazebo and guided walking trail with interpretation about the history of the stockade.