▁safety ▁of ▁those ▁outside ▁the ▁prison ▁walls . ▁When ▁the ▁prison ▁became ▁over c row ded ▁and ▁the ▁death ▁rate ▁increased ▁from ▁ 2 ▁to ▁ 2 8 ▁percent , ▁mass ▁gra ves ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁the ▁dead . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁men ▁were ▁moved ▁to ▁other ▁locations , ▁including ▁ 3 , 7 2 9 ▁who ▁were ▁ ▁march ed ▁to ▁Gre ens bor o ▁and ▁taken ▁by ▁train ▁to ▁Wil ming ton , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁and ▁ 1 , 4 2 0 ▁others ▁who ▁transferred ▁to ▁Richmond , ▁Virginia . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁Union ▁Gen . ▁George ▁St on eman ▁reached ▁Sal is bury , ▁the ▁prison ▁was ▁a ▁supply ▁dep ot . ▁St on eman ▁ordered ▁the ▁prison ▁burn ed ▁and ▁a ▁wood ▁f ence ▁built ▁around ▁the ▁gra ves . ▁Of ▁the ▁buildings ▁that ▁constit uted ▁the ▁prison , ▁one ▁house ▁on ▁Bank ▁Street ▁still ▁stands ▁which ▁was ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁guard house . ▁ ▁Ex c av ations ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁On ▁August ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁arch ae ologist ▁Ari ▁D . ▁L uk as ▁announced ▁that ▁ground - pen etr ating ▁rad ar ▁had ▁located ▁a ▁former ▁bar ra cks ▁on ▁a ▁vac ant ▁lot ▁on ▁Bank ▁Street ▁that ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁cot ton ▁mill ▁site . ▁Ex c av ation ▁of ▁the