CTM: The Asylum Letterbox Hybrid

Historical Information:

The original building of the State Hospital, completed in 1828 was designed by Robert Mills, is located to the right of the main entrance. The Mills Building is considered one of his best works. From December 1864 to February 1865, the Asylum grounds served as an encampment for Union POWs who had been kept at Camp Sorghum until December of 1863 when it was deactivated. Recent excavation has revealed several artifacts. On the night the city was burned many families went to the lawn of the Asylum to escape the fire.

Cache Information:

Hello, my name is Samuel Hawkins Marshall Byers, regimental adjunct to the 5th Iowa infantry. I was one of the many officers held captive here at Camp Asylum. Prior to being held here I had escaped from two other so called prisons. Honestly during the last days of the war few of the prisons were more then camps. That was the case here. They put up a wall and gave us supplies to build small shelters, which was a lot more than Camp Sorghum ever did for any of us.

Well let me take you on a tour of the grounds. First walk towards the Mills Building it's to our southeast, yea the one with the fancy columns. Just walk on the sidewalk until you are right in front of the columns. Mr. Mills designed this beautiful building, and I guess we should let it stay since he did such a fine job designing the Washington Memorial. This was the original building for the SC Asylum, but after 30 years it was reaching capacity. So right before the war they started building the Babcock building to our south, let's follow the sidewalk due east over there, we can't get too close so don't cross the road.

See this building is where the men were moved to and still resided while we were held here even though they still have a lot of work to do. Hauntingly beautiful if you ask me. Well we should be moving on to my treasure, you see when I was captured I was able to keep a book. I have kept writings and sketches and details about the Southern forces.

I had to hide my box off these grounds to keep it safe. From the end of this sidewalk project a waypoint 347 degrees and walk 2500 feet. There you will find my box. I already picked up my book with my poem 'Sherman's march to the sea' I think people will enjoy reading it. But don't fret I left some stuff for you to find.