Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population. Not all deaths occurred in battle, however. Stoneman was not successful in liberating the Union POWs, in fact, he was captured along with about 700 of his force and held captive until he was exchanged a couple of months later. After the war, a group led by Dorence Atwater and Clara Barton identified and marked most of the graves at Andersonville. 31711, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Also on this site is a descriptive history of African-Americans in the Civil War. Andersonville, Georgia was the perfect town. For a valuable resource on the Civil War, visit the University of Virginia's Valley of the Shadow Project. There are thousands of men in here who would willingly die if they could kill him first.". What was Andersonville? 2) What are the prisoners doing in Photo 2? How do you think they might have felt after they entered the prison? The park's web page details the history of the park and visitation information. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. 3. Download the official NPS app before your next visit, National Archives and Records Administration. Mark Bollinger and Brenda G. Landrum, eds., The Story of Andersonville Prison and American Prisoners of War (Eastern National Park and Monument Association, 1987); Donald F Danker, ed. Southeast Archeological Center The man in charge of this prison was Captain Henry Wirz. The prisoners were fairly evenly split up, with several thousand going to Millen, ten thousand going to Savannah, ten thousand to Florence, ten thousand to Charleston, S.C., and the rest split up among some of the smaller towns. The walls were 1,620 feet long and 779 feet wide. Number of deaths: 1, Anasarca - Abnormal accumulation of fluid in tissues and cavities of the body, resulting in swelling. Elmira PrisonElmira, New York The disabled and critically sick were kept at Andersonville, since it was believed that they would be of little value to Shermans army. Along the interior of the stockade, 19 feet from the stockade wall, was a line of small wooden posts with a wood rail on top. The Andersonville Prison site was designated a National Historic Site in 1970, and the National Park Service is now in charge of the site. Why? 10. Andersonville Research Paper - 779 Words | Internet Public Library Also pursuing him from the South were additional rebel forces, which threatened to surround him. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. Others had to wear a ball and chain or were put in the stocks. "American Civil War: Andersonville Prison", "Andersonville, Georgia Travel Weather Averages", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andersonville,_Georgia&oldid=1148351919, This page was last edited on 5 April 2023, at 17:18. Kennett, Lee. Andersonvilleformally, Camp Sumterwas the South's largest prison for captured Union soldiers and was notorious for its unhealthy conditions and high . His trial was later regarded as unfair by several groups,[citation needed] and a monument in his honor has been erected in Andersonville by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Why were these treatments not available or unsuccessful at Andersonville? Rice, John. In April 1864, Sherman embarked on his mission to strike at the heart of Dixie, with the intent of capturing Atlanta, the scene of much of the South's industrial might, and then to cut the remainder of the South in half (much as Grant had done the previous year as part of his Vicksburg Campaign), as he marched through Georgia to the sea. Much of the stockade and prison buildings at Andersonville had either rotted or been hauled off for firewood within several years of the Civil War's end. According to Dr. White, Chief Surgeon of Andersonville Prison, Confederate authorities made many attempts to secure the exchange of prisoners sequestered not only at Andersonville but from their other prisons as well. 35 chapters | In addition, Stoneman had very little intelligence about how the prisons were fortified and how many troops were guarding the prisoners, and exactly how he would overcome the defenses. Number of deaths: 32, Constipation - Condition in which feces are hard and elimination is infrequent and difficult. The only source of water was a creek, but this quickly became polluted. A graveside service was held on Wednesday, July 26th 2023 at 10:00 AM at the Andersonville National Cemetery (760 POW Rd, Andersonville, GA 31711). Atwater created a list of the dead, and because of his list, all but 460 graves were identified. It was during Shermans Atlanta campaign that he first learned of the situation at Andersonville and the plight of Union prisoners incarcerated there. Following the Confederate surrender in April 1865, Clara Barton, later founder of the American Red Cross, and Dorence Atwater, a former prisoner assigned as a parolee to keep burial records for prison officials, visited the cemetery at Andersonville to identify and mark the graves of the Union dead. As a result, the South was forced to obtain supplies from Europe, but the Northern naval blockade prevented the South from obtaining many of the supplies they needed from abroad. The worst was Camp Rathbun at Elmira, N.Y., where nearly 3,000 rebel soldiers died of disease and cold. 323 lessons. The new camp, officially named Camp Sumter, quickly became known as Andersonville, after the . Andersonville Prison continued to operate, but on a much smaller scale. Number of deaths: 8, Diarrhea - Frequent, loose bowel movements. Also known as pleuritis. [i] The causes of deaths were contacting various kinds of diseases, starvation, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding, and exposure of weathers. (1) Prison conditions were good initially, in spite of the fact that supplies, food, etc. Written over a twenty- ve year period, 2. Number of deaths: 1, Catarrh - Inflammation of mucus membranes of nose and throat causing increased flow of mucus. 3) Who was responsible for the conditions and deaths at Andersonville? National Park Civil War Series: The Prison Camp at Andersonville "A funny way of escape has just been discovered by Wirz. 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They were supposed to be housed in barracks, but the expense of lumber prevented them from being built before their arrival. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.21. (Most libraries have several volumes of such accounts and there also are many resources online). meagre rations, and the poor sanitary conditions resulted in widespread disease and a high mortality rate. Questions for Map 1 (2), Dr. Isaiah H. White, Camp Surgeon, repeatedly pointed out the deplorable conditions to his superiors requesting more medical and hospital supplies, additional medical staff, and adequate supplies and housing. Number of deaths: 6, Dysentery - Various intestinal inflammations characterized by abdominal pain and intense diarrhea. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Smoke from more than 1,000 wildfires burning across Canada has wafted over the northern US, bringing poor air quality and pollution that threaten residents' health to northern US cities . 15. Two historic photographs of Andersonville Prison. The prison had been hastily built, so there weren't enough shelters called shebangs to house the prisoners. The Confederacy used it to house Union prisoners. Sherman's Inability to Liberate The South's Most Notorious Prison National Historic Site Georgia Causes of Death at Camp Sumter The register of prisoners who died at the Andersonville Prison included a great deal of information on each individual who perished: name, rank, unit, date of death and cause of death. Of these 12,912 are buried in the Andersonville cemetery. That was not an easy task since firewood was scarce. (8) Upon receiving his orders from Sherman to destroy Hoods communications and supply lines, General Stoneman asked General Sherman for his permission to liberate Union prisoners of war held at Andersonville and Macon after completing his mission. Overcrowding led to many problems like malnutrition and exposure to the elements. One thing that is sometimes heard is that Rock Island was "the Andersonville of the North." Camp MortonIndianapolis, Indiana The hamlet of Anderson was named for John Anderson, a director of the South Western Railroad in 1853 when it was extended from Oglethorpe to Americus. (12) James Lee McDonough and James Pickett Jones, War So Terrible Sherman And Atlanta, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1987), 252 255. These men were tried by a jury of 12 fellow prisoners and found guilty of murder. Point LookoutPoint Lookout, MD As Dr. Jones and others soon discovered, gangrene, scurvy, diarrhea, and dysentery were the main causes of death at Andersonville. Because of the poor conditions and war crimes at Andersonville Prison The overcrowded Andersonville Prison was notorious for its bad conditions, and nearly 13,000 prisoners died there. 4. Where were the prisoners from? The overcrowding, coupled with unsanitary conditions, caused illnesses to flourish within the camp. Often the rations were issued uncooked and prisoners had to cook for themselves. Most of the deaths were caused by diarrhea, dysentery, gangrene, and scurvy - diseases that the Diseases - POW! Andersonville 14. Number of deaths: 1, Icterus - Characterized by yellowish skin, eyes, and urine. It is no surprise that under these circumstances sickness was rampant in Andersonville Prison. Surrounded by a fifteen to seventeen . For several months during the spring and early summer of 1864, the Raiders literally ruled the inner stockade at Andersonville. Twelve of the latter sixteen were listed as having died of scorbutus, a disease presently called scurvy and caused by poor diet. The Andersonville (Henry Wirz) Trial (1865): An Account - Famous Trials During the war Atwater had labeled the soldiers by name and number after their deaths. 6 Ransom, 159. Sometimes other items would be issued such as peas or molasses. At first, prisoners could get water from the creek that ran through the property, but the creek soon became a receptacle for human waste. Great sympathy was felt for them; and it was thought that even if they could be turned loose upon the country it would be a great relief to them. The plan was to divide the force, sending Generals Stoneman and Garrards cavalry around Atlanta to the left to McDonough, and General McCooks troops to the right toward Fayetteville, ultimately linking up at the Macon road near Lovejoys Station. (On one such occasion, the deceased prisoner was discovered to be a woman). Golden Ink. Small earthworks, equipped with artillery, overlooked the compound. This water source, however, flowed through two Confederate encampments and the prison bakehouse before reaching the prisoners. He would often be released on the spot to proceed to a camp where paroled soldiers were concentrated until the two governments officially exchanged prisoners. To the casual observer, such a thing may be looked upon as absurd and impossible, that it is impossible after such a length of time for "memory" to retain such a perfect list and one of details as here portrayed and that I must have had assistance from some other source to be able to present such a vast combination of characters and situations in so perfect manner. The only source of water was a creek that flowed through the camp, but this quickly became polluted. He urgently asked his Bishop, Augustin Verot, to assign a priest to the prison full time. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Captain Henry Wirz of the Confederate army was the commander in charge of Andersonville Prison. We were at Andersonville., Approximately 45,000 prisoners would enter Andersonville's gates during its 14- month existence. John Ransoms Andersonville Diary. New York: Berkley Publishing Group, 1963. Andersonville Prison was built in February 1864 by the Confederate Army. The materials listed below can either be used directly on the computer or can be printed out, photocopied, and distributed to students. Sherman realized that he must cut this supply line if he was to be successful in capturing Atlanta quickly. This wasnt to say that Union prisoners were not valued by their leadership, it just meant that, due to the Souths disadvantage in terms of manpower, the re-absorption of Confederate prisoners into their armies was much more advantageous for them than for the Union. The median income for a household in the city was $29,107, and the median income for a family was $30,972. (The largest number of deaths on one day was 127, on August 23. Inside the prison, a group of prisoners called the "Raiders" banded together to improve their situation by preying on fellow prisoners. To discuss methods used by prisoners to cope with the prison environment and conditions; The prison operated on a much smaller scale for the remaining six months of the war. Stoneman decided that his best course of action was to try to penetrate the rebel lines in front of him in an effort to break out of his entanglement. These conditions, along with a breakdown of the prisoner exchange system, created much suffering and a high mortality rate. The site offers a unique perspective of two communities, one Northern and one Southern, and their experiences during the American Civil War. (11) Ulysses S. Grant, The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, (New York: Mount MacGregor, 1885; reprint, Connecticut: Konecky & Konecky, 1992) , 437 438 (page citations are to the reprint edition). Vegetables were practically non-existent, leading to numerous cases of scurvy. (New York: Fairfax Press, 1979), 5. To accomplish this, Sherman tasked his cavalry commanders, General George Stoneman, and Generals Kenner Garrard and Edward McCook to move their forces, consisting of about 9,000 troops, rapidly south to destroy the supply lines and communications between Atlanta and Macon. There was a tall fence surrounding the prison, and prisoners were not allowed to cross the so-called "deadline," an area about nineteen feet within the prison's fence. 13) By that time, the third year of the war, hatreds among the warring peoples ran so deep that the more vengefully-hearted partisans could actually revel in the enemy's death toll. 1 Ovid Futch, History of Andersonville Prison (Gainsville: University of Florida Press, 1968), 31. If prisoners had to spend their money on food, why would they pay to have their hair cut or laundry washed? His trial began in August of 1865 and lasted two months. Most died from disease, lack of medicine, unsanitary conditions, or starvation. July 22, 2023 Shebangs were constructed from whatever materials the prisoners could assemble, which were typically wood scraps and blankets. Wirz was found guilty by a military tribunal and executed via public hanging in Washington, D.C. Henry Wirz, Andersonville commander, was hanged for murder after the war. For the modern reader, the causes of death can prove to be mystifying, as they contain Nineteenth Century medical terms reflecting scientific knowledge of the era. The visitor center and museum are closed New Year's Day and Christmas Day. Letters home were censored by prison officials, and many never reached their destinations. Questions for Reading 2 Library of Congress Number of deaths: 3,661, Smallpox - Acute, highly contagious disease. This, of course, strained the prisons capacity even more in trying to dispose of the extremely high number of corpses many bodies lay for the days in the hot, humid environment which only contributed more to the disease and suffering of the prisoners. We're happy to share more! 4. - Thomas O'Dea, 1887. 4) What were the leading causes of death? Prisoners were starving and living in unsanitary conditions as disease and illness spread through the camp. Priest of Andersonville - The American Catholic If a prisoner had money he could do business with the sutler, who operated a small store within the stockade and sold vegetables and other food. Andersonville - Miss Rich: Civil War - Google Sites
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what caused conditions at andersonville to be so poor?