SHARE:
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA—Three pits have been found on the grounds of the South Carolina State Hospital. The site was once home to Camp Asylum, a Civil War-era prison camp where some 1,500 Union soldiers were held. They may have dug the pits as shelter during the winter of 1864-65, since the barracks at the mental hospital only held 400 men. Artifacts recovered in the excavation include a brass button embossed with an eagle; a copper straight pin; a moustache comb for removing lice; an iron mug; and a piece of woolen fabric that may have come from a uniform. Much of the site will not be investigated before new development begins in a few months.
