The Devil's Punchbowl in Natchez, Mississippi

In 2012, while living part-time in Natchez, Mississippi, I discovered some remarkable facts about the area. Natchez, like many port and trade towns, was populated by a wide array of people, including many transients. Sometimes compared to the “Wild West,” area residents ranged from devout Christians to hardened criminals and all points in-between. Natchez’ government was controlled by the French, Spanish, English, and eventually Americans.

It was a short walk from the room I rented in Weymouth Hall to the City Cemetery where individuals from virtually all imaginable backgrounds are buried. There are sections for Whites, Blacks, Jews, Catholics, Confederate, Union, etc. This cemetery was described as “Turner South's Most Interesting Cemetery in the South.” From Weymouth Hall’s front lawn, you could see the general area, now known as Giles Island, the site of Jim Bowie’s 1827 “Sandbar Fight” or “Vidalia Sandbar Fight.” (Vidalia, Louisiana was across the Mississippi River from Natchez.)

A couple of locals, Allen Terrell and Don Estes (former Director of Natchez City Cemetery), updated me on the area’s history, with special emphasis on the War Between the States era. I discovered that Natchez was spared Lincoln’s “total war” treatment. As a vibrant trade town, Natchez was not particularly dependent on the State or Federal government. Also, many area slaveowners echoed Alexander Stephens’ belief that slavery was more protected in the Union than out of it, thus there was generally tepid support for secession. Finally, one major reason Union ships did not destroy the town was because many of the large slaveowners in the area were Northerners. This included Brandon Hall, owned by New Yorker William Bolling; Homewood Plantation, owned by Pennsylvanian John Hardeman; and Glenfield Plantation, owned by New Yorker William S. Balfour. There were also slave-owners of all stripes in the area. For example, William Johnson, a Mulatto who was known as “The Barber of Natchez,” had at least fifteen slaves and his contributions are still promoted as a tourist attraction.

After the war, thousands of Blacks fled the various farms and plantations as they attempted to start new lives and literally try to survive. Many of these “refugees” gravitated to Natchez with hopes the Union occupiers would provide a degree of security. Some have estimated that the local population grew from 10,000 to 120,000, taxing available resources and making survival difficult for everyone in the area. The situation was even more bleak for those who fled their previous lives as slaves and their fate turned from bad to worse.

Labeled as “contrabands” (illegally possessed goods) by the Union Army, Blacks were herded into an area known as The Devil’s Punchbowl. The name was derived from the shape of the area. According to Estes, “The camp was at the bottom of a hollow pit with trees on the bluffs above. The women and children were locked behind the concrete walls of the camp and left to die from starvation. Many also died from the smallpox disease. Over 20,000 freed slaves were killed in one year in this American concentration camp. Black men were recaptured by the Union troops and forced back into hard labor.” There are some who dispute the number of Blacks who actually perished, claiming it was closer to 1,000.

These “contrabands” labored within the enclosure. Certainly, some of the Union occupying force had concern for the welfare of the individuals herded into the Punch Bowl while others clearly did not care and felt little to no remorse as the bodies piled up. Within the “walled-off” area, which some have called a refugee camp (and disputed the idea of a concentration camp), there was virtually no means of escape. Black men endured the intense heat and humidity as they cleared thickets of brush while women and children, not considered viable workers, remained in the camps with little to no food or water. These already harsh conditions were amplified by disease, tainted water, and general filth which led to an inordinate amount of carnage. Noting the large number of deaths, researcher Paula Westbrook said, “The Union Army did not allow them to remove the bodies from the camp. They just gave ’em shovels and said bury ’em where they drop.” Validation of some of the most extreme claims stemmed from the discovery of three mass grave sites that held hundreds, if not thousands, of “buried” corpses.

Within the Devil’s Punchbowl, it is said some of the finest looking peaches can be found. However, to this day, locals refuse to partake in their consumption based on the sordid history of the area and recognition that the original “fertilizer” was from the deterioration of human flesh.

Since this information does not fit the “Righteous Cause Myth” do not expect it to appear in any “government-approved” history book.

Sources: “The Deadly History Of This Infamous Site in Mississippi Is Terrible But True,” by Daniella Dirienzo, at: HTTPS://WWW.ONLYINYOURSTATE.COM/EXPERIENCES/MISSISSIPPI/HISTORY-OF-DEVILS-PUNCH-BOWL-MO; “How 20,000 Blacks died through starvation and overwork in the ‘Devil’s Punchbowl’ labour camp in Mississippi,” by Michael Eli Dokoski, Face2face Africa, 2019, at: https://face2faceafrica.com/article/how-20000-blacks-died-through-starvation-and-overwork-in-the-devils-punchbowl-labour-camp-in-mississippi; “Devil’s Punch Bowl Natchez Mississippi,” by Bobby Dennis, Visit NAPAC, 2021, at: https://www.visitnapac.com/blog/devils-punch-bowl-natchez-mississippi/; “Haunted Natchez,” by Courtney Taylor, Country Roads Magazine, 2014, at: https://countryroadsmagazine.com/art-and-culture/people-places/haunted-natchez/; and Weymouth Hall at: https://weymouthhall.com/

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