Johnson's Island at Sandusky, Ohio was the site of of a US prisoner of war camp for Confederate officers. 10,000 were held there during the Civil War. There were many deaths from exposure to the elements on the shore of Lake Erie in the winter. Maureen sent me the youtube address for these archaeological videos. My alma mater, VMI, lost half its living alumni in that war. Many of them died at Johnson's Island. pl 
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C2AACA19B8C1D74F
The statue is by Moses Ezekiel.
Thanks for posting this, Pat.
Longtime member of archaeology.org here. Arch.org online offerings/updates are always worth the time it takes to peruse, especially now that they've got not just the articles/pix, but youtube offerings as well.
Posted by: Maureen Lang | January 10, 2009 at 06:30 PM
For those who might wish to delve a little further into the past & present AIA work done at Johnson's Island, here's a link to an interactive page from their online mag:
Unlocking A Civil War Prison- Interactive Dig Johnson's Island
http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/johnsons/
Posted by: Maureen Lang | January 11, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Pat and Maureen,
By coincidence, I visited Johnson's Island about 2-3 years ago with my father and brothers. As we crossed the bridge leading to the island, I was struck by the isolation of the location, and ultimately the lonliness of the site, even today. The cemetery was in and of itself, quite haunting, and I recall that there were more than a few unknown soldiers buried there. As was the case with most prisoner camps from that era, the environment could not have been anything but brutal. Living as I do on the edge of Lake Erie, I can testify to the harsh weather that can strike with little warning. Survival was at best, a bit of a crap shoot. From what I could tell, it looks like the site will be kept protected, and I believe there is some sort of memorial there. It is a quiet place (fittingly) and not well visited. I hope it will stay that way.
Posted by: Dave Speck | January 12, 2009 at 03:20 PM
Dave Speck,
According to head archaeologist Dave Bush, the Johnson's Island site will indeed be well protected & remain undisturbed. Bush has been excavating the site for 20+ years & is very much interested in preserving the area, plus he's got the AIA support & fed backing to do so. Your description of the site makes me want to visit there, to experience the place myself.
According to the 1st vid in the youtube link upstairs, there are 54 tombstones in the cemetery that are marked "Unknown."
Posted by: Maureen Lang | January 13, 2009 at 12:32 AM
Maureen,
I would certainly recommend a visit if you ever have the chance. It is easy enough to find on the maps. I would recommend summer or early autumn. And if you ever do make the trip, be sure to let me know. I would enjoy meeting Pat's family.
Posted by: Dave Speck | January 13, 2009 at 09:48 AM
Thank you, Dave, it would be a pleasure meeting you also. Pat informed me how you & he know each other in an email. I've got a friend in Toronto I visit frequently who is also an archaeology buff, so we may in fact come down there to explore this very interesting site together in the not too distant future.
Posted by: Maureen Lang | January 13, 2009 at 01:00 PM
Oh alright , Danny, since you emailed asking about this:
Some photos of the dig staff from The Presidio dig in Santa Barbara CA I participated in so long ago are included in this link, as well as more recent ones. Dig geeks like myself & Prof. Dan from Cal State Long Beach usually keep going until their knees give out, then they consider quitting.
Who am I kidding? They just move on over to join the sifter/cataloguers ;->
SBTHP Archaeology
http://www.sbthp.org/archaeology.htm
Posted by: Maureen Lang | January 17, 2009 at 05:27 PM
My son and I are planning for a little mud daubing in Baja Cali near San Feliz this coming spring. How are those knees, Moe? If good we'd like for you and the better half if he's free to come with. Details to follow if your're up for the travail. If you are bring the mouthharp we all enjoyed last time out.
Posted by: Kiwi | January 26, 2009 at 02:32 PM
Thanks for the invitation, Kiwi. I'm certainly interested if you're talking about spring break time.
Mouth harp & thumb harp are tucked away in my camping duffle. Maybe it's time to break 'em out of mothballs. Plz contact me or "the mister" offblog with the details & thanks again for thinking of us.
Posted by: Maureen Lang | January 27, 2009 at 01:03 AM
So much has been written about the horrors of Andersonville, but I've not heard about Johnson's Island before. Is that because the North won?
Posted by: Leanderthal | January 29, 2009 at 05:10 PM