University of Maryland Libraries Digital Collections

John Jacob Omenhausser, Civil War sketchbook, Point Lookout, Maryland, 1864-1865

1864-06-1865-06EnglishDiariesJump to full detailsRequest from Special Collections

Summary:Confederate soldier John Jacob Omenhausser was imprisoned at the Union prison camp in Point Lookout, Maryland, from June 1864 to June 1865, near the end of the American Civil War. While at Point Lookout, Omenhausser documented prison life in sketchbooks with vibrant watercolors. His paintings were annotated with captions and dialog and, while intending to be humorous, often touch upon the grimmer aspects of camp life. Because he had relatives in the North, Omenhausser may have had an easier time obtaining supplies to make his life more bearable during that year. The University of Maryland Libraries owns one of only a handful of Omenhausser sketchbooks in existence, and our volume, with 62 color paintings, is the largest single collection.
Creator:Omenhausser, John Jacob
Century:1801-1900
Place of origin – Continent:North America
Place of origin – Country:United States of America
Place of origin – Region:Maryland
Place of origin – Settlement:Point Lookout
Temporal subject: 1861-1870
Geographical subject – Continent:North America
Geographical subject – Country:United States of America
Geographical subject – Region:Maryland
Geographical subject – Settlement:Point Lookout
Topical subjects:United States--History--Civil War--1861-1865
ArchivesUM location:Maryland Manuscripts collection
  • item 5213
Repository:Historical Manuscripts
Browse terms:War, Military
Personal and Family Lives
Copyright holder:Public Domain
Collection may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the University of Maryland Libraries at http://digital.lib.umd.edu/archivesum/contact.jsp.