▁regiment . ▁▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁Fort ▁Del aware , ▁a ▁har bor ▁defense ▁facility ▁which ▁was ▁located ▁on ▁Pe a ▁P atch ▁Island ▁in ▁the ▁Del aware ▁River ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁designed ▁by ▁chief ▁engineer ▁Joseph ▁Gilbert ▁Tot ten ▁circa ▁ 1 8 1 9 , ▁was ▁pressed ▁into ▁service ▁as ▁a ▁prison ▁for ▁Confeder ate ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war , ▁political ▁prisoners , ▁federal ▁conv ict s , ▁and ▁private er ▁officers . ▁The ▁first ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war ▁( P OW s ) ▁were ▁conf ined ▁in ▁the ▁fort ' s ▁interior ▁in ▁cas em ates , ▁empty ▁pow der ▁mag az ines , ▁or ▁one ▁of ▁two ▁small ▁rooms ▁in ▁the ▁s ally ▁port . ▁The ▁first ▁general ▁from ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁States ▁of ▁America ▁to ▁be ▁hous ed ▁at ▁the ▁fort ▁was ▁Brig . ▁Gen . ▁J . ▁John ston ▁P ett ig rew . ▁ ▁Pr ison ▁conditions ▁were ▁initially ▁" tol er able ," ▁according ▁to ▁research ▁conducted ▁by ▁students ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Del aware . ▁" In ▁its ▁first ▁year ▁of ▁operation ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁the ▁population ▁varied ▁from ▁ 3 , 4 3 4 ▁prisoners ▁in ▁July ▁to ▁only ▁ 1 2 3 ▁later ▁that ▁year ▁due ▁to ▁routine ▁prisoner ▁ex changes ▁between ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁the ▁South ." ▁But ▁by ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁following ▁multiple ▁military ▁engag ements ▁including ▁July ' s ▁Battle ▁of ▁G ett ys burg , ▁"