Description: In the 1860s, Hart Island was established in Bronx County, New York City. The island was originally used by Union Soldiers as a training camp during the Civil War. However, in 1865, the island was fenced in and converted into a Confederate prisoner of war camp which held 3,413 prisoners at its peak. Almost a century after the war, in 1955, Hart Island was occupied as part of the Nike Base NY-15 at nearby Fort Slocum, by the 66th Guided Missile Battalion, and it remained under their control till 1960. Today, Hart Island is part of the New York City Prisons system and serves as a potter's field and cemetery. In addition, parts of the island remain privately owned.