Chapter C: F. Gunther. Pres;

L. MANASSE. VICE PRES;
C. E. KREMER. SEC. AND TREAS.
1893

The history of Libby Prison as sad as it is romantic is too well known to be retold here even briefly. The New York Public Library has in its Americana collection no less than 222 items on Civil War prisoners and prisons. Many of them are devoted exclusively or partially to Libby Prison. The selected bibliography appended to this article will guide historically interested readers. With reference to the medal under consideration it is surprising that the famous commander of the prison, Major Thomas P. Turner, found no mention in its historical legend. He “was always a gentleman,” as one of the former prisoners wrote in his memoirs.

In view of the fact that the medal is dedicated to the Libby Prison War Museum in Chicago, the history of the removal of the building from Richmond may be of interest. The following quotation is an excerpt from the pertinent introductory chapter in the now rare _Catalogue and Program_ of the Libby Prison War Museum, first published probably in 1889 and later reprinted in the early eighteen-nineties:

“The removal of Libby Prison from Richmond, Va. to Chicago was a
project never before equaled in the history of building moving and one
that will not be surpassed for years to come. This famous old
structure as a Confederate prison is too well known to need the
repetition of its history, and it is enough to state that it was the
palace prison of the South, and during the late war it held more than
40,000 Union officers and enlisted men as prisoners. The project of
removing Libby Prison to Chicago was thought of by a well-known
Chicago business man who interested a syndicate of his business
associates, and as a result they visited Richmond in the latter part
of 1888 and took a thorough look over the ground.... Mr. Louis M.
Hallowell, a well-known and experienced Philadelphia architect, was
engaged to work on the spot. He made all of the working plans for
taking the structure apart, shipping it to the cars and rebuilding it
in Chicago. The work commenced in December, 1888, and as the building
was taken apart each board, beam, timber and block of stone was
numbered and lettered in such a manner that there was not the least
trouble about placing these parts correctly together again in
rebuilding.... Sending to Chicago required 132 twenty-ton cars ... the
re-erection of Libby Prison ... was completed early in September. The
Museum was opened to the public September 21, 1889.... It contains the
most complete and valuable collections of Confederate relics in
existence.”

The museum was situated on Wabash Avenue between 14th and 16th Streets. The enterprise proved a failure, however. The Libby Prison War Museum was torn down in 1899, according to information received from the Chicago Historical Society. The Coliseum was erected on the site. The prison wall on the Wabash Avenue is now incorporated in the facade of the Coliseum, all other material used having been disposed of.

The officers of the Libby Prison War Museum Association whose names appear on the medal, are identifiable from their advertisements on the covers of the _Catalogue_. The President, C. J. Gunther, was a confectioner who advertised his candies; the Vice President, L. Manasse, an optician; and the secretary-treasurer was a member of the law firm, Schuyler and Kremer, “attorneys at law and proctors in Admiralty.”

One would expect to learn that the medal was struck on some occasion connected with the Libby Prison War Museum, either on the completion of its rebuilding in Chicago or on its opening. This was, however, not the case. There is no other indication as to when the medal was executed except the year 1893 appearing on its reverse. It proves that the medal must have been struck in connection with the Columbian Exposition held in that year in Chicago. This is all that could be explored of its history.

Finally a token should be mentioned that refers to Civil War prisons, though indirectly only. It is representative of a whole group of similar tokens. In 1864-1865 a special committee of the United States Sanitary Commission published the gruesome results of an inquiry into the privations and sufferings of United States officers and soldiers during their war imprisonment. It aroused, of course, the public at that time. The United States Sanitary Commission, established in 1861, to cooperate with the army, arranged a series of great fairs, popularly termed “Sanitary Fairs,” in order to raise funds for the relief of sickness, the improvement of hospital sanitation, and the promotion of the health conditions among the armed forces in general. The Commission distributed during the war supplies to the value of fifteen million dollars, and funds amounting to five million more were received into its treasury, at least two-thirds of which were obtained from the numerous “Sanitary Fairs.” The first was held at Chicago in 1863, and many other cities followed.

Tokens of the kind of that pictured here as No. 8 were given to the “cheerful givers.” The obverse of No. 8 shows Washington’s head facing the right, at each side four stars, the legend being: GEO. WASHINGTON / PRESIDENT. The reverse has the following inscription in nine lines, the first three and last one curved: GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER / GREAT FAIR / IN AID OF THE / U. S. / SANITARY / COMMISSION / NANTUCKET / MASS. / AUGUST 1864. The size is twenty-four millimeters. Specimens were struck in silver, copper, brass, nickel, and tin.

To be sure, the present essay represents but a very modest contribution to the discipline of medallic history. If through the methodological approach of a specific problem it would aid in stimulating further research in this little cultivated field, the author would consider this a highly gratifying reward.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Prisoners of War in General

William E. S. Flory, Prisoners of War: A Study in the Development of
International Law. Washington, D. C.: American Council on Public
Affairs, 1942.

A good survey of all legal aspects of the subject, with a selected
bibliography.

Georges Werner, “Les Prisonniers de Guerre,” in Académie de Droit
International: Receuil des Cours, 1928, Vol. I, Paris: Librairie
Hachette, 1929, pp. 1-107.

Scholarly juridical treatise on all legal problems concerning
prisoners of war.

Franz von Liszt, Das Völkerrecht. Twelfth edition by Max Fleischmann.
Berlin: Julius Springer, 1925, pp. 480-488.

The standard German work on International Law, with a selected
bibliography.

André Warnod, Prisonnier de Guerre: Notes et Croquis Rapportés
d’Allemagne. Paris: Librairie Charpentier et Fasquelle, 1915.

Experiences in a German internment camp, with interesting drawings by
the author as illustrations.

[Alexander] Backhaus, Die Kriegsgefangenen in Deutschland.
Siegen-Leipzig-Berlin: Verlag Hermann Montanus, 1915.

About 250 photographs from German prison camps with explanatory
comments.

[Anonymous]: Deutsche Kriegsgefangene in Feindesland. Berlin and
Leipzig: 1919.

Official accounts of the German government concerning prisoners of war
in France and England.

Clemens Plassmann, Die deutschen Kriegsgefangenen in Frankreich,
1914-1920. Berlin: Verlag der Reichsvereinigung ehemaliger
Kriegsgefangener, 1921.

A systematical discussion of all legal and social problems concerning
the German prisoners of war in France, 1914-1920.

Dora Coith, Kriegsgefangen: Erlebnisse einer Deutschen in Frankreich.
Leipzig: Hesse und Becker Verlag, 1915.

Description of experiences in a French war prison of a German civil
internee.

Robert Guerlain, A Prisoner in Germany. London: Macmillan and Co. Ltd.,
1944.

Account of a French soldier who spent more than a year as a prisoner
of war in one of the vast prison camps in Germany, 1940-1941.

I. Internment Camp Money

Bruno Röttinger, Das deutsche Gefangenenlagergeld sowie Gruben und
Zechengeld 1914/1918. (Volume V of Dr. Arnold Keller’s
Notgeldbücher). Frankfurt a. M.: Adolph E. Cahn, 1922. V + 42 pp.

The most complete check-list of all kinds and varieties of the German
internment camp money superseding previously published lists.

J. Schulman, La Guerre Européenne 1914-1916: Catalogues, Nos. LXVII,
January, 1917, pp. 99-129, nos. 864-1188, plates IX-XI (Germany,
Austria-Hungary); pp. 152-154, nos. 1387-1400 (Germany); LXX,
March, 1918, pp. 66-70, nos. 745-801 (Germany); pp. 129-131, nos.
1441-1465 (Austria-Hungary); LXX, pp. 166-168, nos. 1797-1831 a
(France); LXXIII, January, 1919, pp. 19-27, nos. 171-259 (France);
pp. 55-58, nos. 535-573 (Germany); pp. 78-79, nos. 770-773
(Austria); pp. 104-106, nos. 1049-1064 (France); LXXV, December,
1919, pp. 10-12, nos. 90-112 (France); pp. 91-96, nos. 832-882
(Germany); pp. 99-100, nos. 906-917 (Austria-Hungary).

Many complete sets listed with very fine numismatic descriptions.

[Anonymous], “The Numismatic Side of the European War.” The Numismatist,
XXIX (July, 1916), p. 328.

On internment camp money of Freistadt, Grodig, and Kleinmünchen.

[Anonymous], “Europe’s War Legacy to Collectors.” The Numismatist, XXIX
(1916), pp. 498-499.

On Austrian war prisoners money “in the war prisoners’ camp at
Braunau, and struck in nickel-aluminum. All are of the same type and
have a small square hole in the center.” Also on war prisoners money
used in the camps at Danzig-Troyl, Prussia, and Kleinmünchen, Austria,
with reproduction of several sets.

[Anonymous], “European War Prison Camp Tokens.” The Numismatist, XXX
(1917), pp. 18-19.

Particularly on the prisoners money of the “k. u. k. Offiziersstation
für Kriegsgefangene Mühling,” (1915), with reproductions.

J. Hunt Deacon, “Isle of Man Internment Camp Money.” The Numismatic
Scrapbook Magazine, IX (June, 1943), pp. 313-314.

On internment camp money issued in the present war.

J. Hunt Deacon, “More Internment Camp Money.” The Numismatic Scrapbook
Magazine, IX (July, 1943). pp. 428 f.

On present war money issued for civilian internment camps.

Robert Guerlain, A Prisoner in Germany. London: Macmillan and Co. Ltd.,
1944.

On pp. 71-73, information is found on prices and currency in German
prison camps, during the period of 1939 to 1941.

II. European War-Prisoner Medals

German Capture Medal by Ludwig Gies

J. Schulman, La Guerre Européenne 1914-1916. Catalogue LXV, April 1916,
p. 82, no. 809.

The description reads:

Prisonniers de guerre.

Médaille uniface coulée en bronze par L. G(ies). Un soldat allemand
amène un soldat français, un russe, un anglais, un belge, un serbe et
un indigène. Br. mm. 64. Médaille très intéressante. fl. 18.

Max Bernhart, Die Münchener Medaillenkunst der Gegenwart. Munich-Berlin:
R. Oldenbourg, 1917.

A photographic reproduction, 60 millimeters in diameter, is found on
Plate 15, no. 102.

French War-Prisoner Medal of 1916

J. Schulman, La Guerre Européenne 1914-1916. Catalogue LXXIII, p. 8 no.
52.

The description reads:

Pour nos prisonniers.

Médaille portative par O. Yencesse. Un poilus assis en attitude
accablée. Légende POUR NOS-PRISONNIERS. Rev. Une colombe portant dans
son bec un rameau d’olivier, en bas. 1916. Métal argenté mm. 26, coins
arrondis. fl. 3.50.

German Camp Douglas Medal

[Anonymous], “German Prisoners’ Art School,” in The New York Times,
Sunday, August 20, 1916, p. 12.

[Anonymous], “Some Interesting Medallic Issues,” The Numismatist, XXIX
(March, 1916), p. 124, no. 4.

III. American War Prison Tokens and Medals

Civil War Prisons and Prisoners

Richard F. Hemmerlein, Prisons and Prisoners of the Civil War. Boston:
The Christopher Publishing House, 1934.

A general survey of the history of the prisons and the treatment of
prisoners during the Civil War, with select bibliography.

A. B. Sage’s Historical Prison Tokens

Augustus B. Sage, Catalogue of Coins, Medals, and Tokens, No. 1, New
York: February, 1859, p. 1.

Advertisement and description of the series of Sage’s “Historical
Tokens,” nos. 1-10.

A. B. Sage, Catalogue of Coins, Medals, and Tokens, New York: June,
1859.

On inner front-cover advertisement and description of the series of
Sage’s “Historical Tokens,” nos. 1-14, and of another token series,
“Odds and Ends.” These data, though of general numismatic interest,
are not reproduced in L. Forrer’s Biographical Dictionary of
Medalists. Hence they are given here in full.

Historical Tokens:

No. 1. The Old Provoost Prison, 2 dies.
No. 2. The Old City Hall, Wall Street.
No. 3. Faneuil Hall, Boston.
No. 4. Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia.
No. 5. Old Jersey Prison Ship.
No. 6. State House, Philadelphia, 2 dies.
No. 7. Mount Vernon, Washington’s Residence.
No. 8. Old Hasbrook House, Newburgh.
No. 9. Richmond Hill House, N. Y.
No. 10. Washington’s Head Quarters, Tappan.
No. 11. Washington’s Head Quarters, Valley Forge.
No. 12. Sir Henry Clinton’s House, N. Y.
No. 13. The Old Swamp Church.
No. 14. The Charter Oak.

“Upon receipt of $4.00, we will send a complete set of the above tokens
to any place in the United States. The series will be continued
from time to time.“

Odds and Ends:

No. 1. Crystal Palace.
No. 2. Old Sugar House.
No. 3. Paul Morphy.

“The above series will be continued from time to time. Struck in good
copper, and sold at the low price of 25 cents each.”

S. H. and H. Chapman, Catalogue of the Celebrated and Valuable
Collection of American Coins and Medals of the Late Charles I.
Bushnell. Philadelphia: Chapman, 1882, p. 31, nos. 459-462:
“Sage’s Historical Tokens.”

L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, Vol. V. London: Spink
and Son, 1912, p. 296.

Forrer’s pertinent account on Sage’s “Historical Tokens” must be
corrected in accordance with the data given in the present essay.

“The Old Provoost” of New York