the ▁fort ' s ▁population ▁had ▁sw ol len ▁to ▁over ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁infl ux ▁of ▁prisoners ▁from ▁the ▁batt les ▁at ▁V icks burg ▁and ▁G ett ys burg ," ▁a ▁change ▁in ▁numbers ▁which ▁soon ▁began ▁to ▁neg atively ▁impact ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁life ▁for ▁P OW s . ▁ ▁As ▁real ization ▁dawn ed ▁that ▁more ▁housing ▁would ▁be ▁needed ▁for ▁the ▁increasing ▁number ▁of ▁P OW s ▁captured ▁by ▁Union ▁troops , ▁officials ▁at ▁the ▁fort ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁a ▁construction ▁program ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁building ▁bar ra cks ▁for ▁en list ed ▁men ▁which ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" b ull ▁pen ." ▁A ▁ 6 0 0 - bed ▁hospital ▁was ▁also ▁built , ▁as ▁were ▁bar ra cks ▁for ▁the ▁Union ▁soldiers ▁who ▁would ▁be ▁brought ▁in ▁to ▁guard ▁the ▁increasing ▁P OW ▁ranks . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁Confeder ate ▁prisoner ▁to ▁die ▁at ▁Fort ▁Del aware ▁was ▁Captain ▁L . ▁P . ▁Hall ow ay ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 7 th ▁Virginia ▁Infantry . ▁Capt ured ▁at ▁Win chester , ▁Virginia ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁he ▁died ▁at ▁the ▁fort ▁on ▁April ▁ 9 . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁fort ▁had ▁held ▁almost ▁ 3 3 , 0 0 0 ▁prisoners , ▁roughly ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁of ▁whom ▁died ▁as ▁the ▁conditions ▁continued ▁to ▁d