Camp Lawton (Georgia)

Camp Lawton
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Earthenworks
Location in Georgia Show map of Georgia Location in United States Show map of the United States
Nearest city	Millen, Georgia
Coordinates	32°53′12″N 81°57′20″W / 32.88667°N 81.95556°W / 32.88667; -81.95556
Area	101 acres (41 ha)
Built	1864 (1864)
Architect	Brig. Gen. John H. Winder, C.S.A.
NRHP reference No.	78000992[1]
Added to NRHP	March 24, 1978

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.^[2] It opened in October 1864 but had to be evacuated within six weeks, due to the advance of Sherman's army through Georgia.^[2] 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. The park still houses remnants of the earthen fort that guarded the 10,000-prisoner camp. Two huge timbers, possibly from the prison but more likely from work done by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1938 and 1942, were recovered. The park's new History Center currently displays some of the first artifacts excavated by the archaeology team from Georgia Southern University. Georgia Southern's Sociology/Anthropology Department has been conducting surveys and excavations for a number of years at the park, serving as a partner in revealing and interpreting the history of Camp Lawton.