Devil's Punchbowl (Natchez, Mississippi)

The Devil's Punchbowl was a refugee camp created in Natchez, Mississippi during the American Civil War to house freed slaves.

For other uses, see Devil's Punch Bowl (disambiguation).

Description

In order to house the large numbers of African Americans, the Union Army created a refugee camp for newly freed slaves at a location known as the Devil's Punchbowl, a natural pit surrounded by bluffs. Some ex-slaves died of starvation, smallpox, and other diseases.[1] It is suggested by some that over 20,000 innocent formerly enslaved people died here in one year, however there is no evidence to support such claims.[2] Most creditable scholars and historians have suggested that the stories have been highly embellished or fabricated by Confederate apologists, who are intent on blaming the Union Army for atrocities.[3][4]

References
  1. "The Devil's Punchbowl (Mississippi), a story".
  2. Taite, Tionna (April 11, 2022). "The Devil's Punchbowl". Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  3. "When Lost Causers Drink from the Devil's Punchbowl They Are All Wet". 10 March 2020.
  4. Griffey, Jan (2022-06-17). "Devil's Punchbowl: 'Concocted Confederate propaganda,' Boxley says". Natchez Democrat. Archived from the original on 2023-02-14.


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