2 . ▁At ▁one ▁time ▁the ▁prison ▁population ▁number ed ▁almost ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 . ▁By ▁July ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 7 0 ▁Americans ▁and ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 ▁French ▁prisoners ▁had ▁died . ▁ ▁Both ▁French ▁and ▁American ▁wars ▁were ▁concluded ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 , ▁and ▁rep atri ations ▁began . ▁The ▁prison ▁then ▁lay ▁empty ▁until ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁largely ▁re built ▁and ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁conv ict ▁ga ol . ▁After ▁originally ▁being ▁buried ▁on ▁the ▁mo or , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁prison ▁farm ▁in ▁about ▁ 1 8 5 2 , ▁all ▁the ▁prisoners ' ▁remains ▁were ▁ex hum ed ▁and ▁re - inter red ▁in ▁two ▁c em eter ies ▁behind ▁the ▁prison . ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁Design ed ▁by ▁Daniel ▁Ash er ▁Alexander ▁and ▁constructed ▁originally ▁between ▁ 1 8 0 6 ▁and ▁ 1 8 0 9 ▁by ▁local ▁labour , ▁to ▁hold ▁prisoners ▁of ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁Wars , ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁to ▁hold ▁American ▁prisoners ▁from ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁Although ▁the ▁war ▁ended ▁with ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Gh ent ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 1 4 , ▁many ▁American ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war ▁still ▁remained ▁in ▁D art mo or . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 3 ▁until ▁March ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁about ▁ 6 , 5 0