In 1864, the Confederate Surgeon General asked Joseph Jones, an expert on infectious disease, to investigate the high mortality rate at the camp. In the latter part of the summer of 1864, the Confederacy offered to conditionally release prisoners if the Union would send ships to retrieve them (Andersonville is inland, with access possible only via rail and road). Most former prisoners returned to their prewar occupations, In July and August 1865, a expedition of laborers and soldiers, accompanied by a former prisoner named Dorence Atwater and Clara Barton came to Andersonville to identify and mark the graves of the Union dead and transform the place into the Andersonville National Cemetery. The ground allotted to our ninety was near the edge of this plague-spot, and how we were to live through the warm summer weather in the midst of such fearful surroundings, was more than we cared to think of just then. [36] The revelation of the prisoners' sufferings was one of the factors that affected public opinion in the North regarding the South after the close of the Civil War. He concluded that it was due to "scorbutic dysentery" (bloody diarrhea caused by vitamin C deficiency). Anthony Anderson is a convicted British murderer . Military service records can be requested using form NATF86 and pension records can be requested using form NATF85. The Andersonville Raiders were a band of rogue soldiers incarcerated at the Confederate Andersonville Prison during the American Civil War. They were armed mostly with clubs and killed to get what they wanted. According to John McElroy, the Raiders used various methods to get what they wanted, ranging from "sneak thievery to highway robbery". Due to the inconsistency of these primitive "dogtags" and the hurried nature of recording this information, many errors were made at the time. The first inmates began arriving at the Andersonville prison in February 1864, while it was still under construction. The Death Register was maintained by paroled prisoners; most famous among these was Dorence Atwater, who published the list after the war. Sergeant Samuel Corthell, Company C, 4th Massachusetts Cavalry remembered: "The camp was covered with vermin all over. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. This decision was made because of the battles taking place near Richmond, VA where many prisoners were being held, and as a way to procure a greater food supply. They were also well fed, which gave them a major advantage when it came to fighting; many of their victims were suffering from malnutrition, and consequently were considerably weaker and less able to defend themselves. [6] This allows for a space of about 5 feet by 6 feet (1.5 x 2 m) for each prisoner. The death rate of the camp being around a hundred per day made disposing of bodies a relaxed procedure by the guards. When General William T, Sherman's Union forces occupied Atlanta on September 2, 1864, moving Federal cavalry columns within easy striking distance of Andersonville, the Confederate army moved most of the prisoners to other camps in South Carolina and coastal Georgia. 32 Local Civil War Soldiers Died At Andersonville Prison; 16 Perished At The Union's Camp Douglas. If you are conducting research on a soldier who may have been a guard the first thing to check is the soldier's unit. [22] Of those who were convicted by the court, many were given relatively light sentences, such as "setting in the stocks, strung up by the thumbs, thumb screws, head hanging, etc. [1] Originally about 16 acres (65,000m2), the camp was later expanded to 26 acres (110,000m2). Andersonville had a quota of 400 prisoners a day. The Andersonville Death Register was published in the New York Tribune in 1866 by former prisoner Dorence Atwater. This information was recorded in the Death Register and assigned a number that corresponded with a grave location. The surplus had led to overcrowding in Confederate-run POW camps across the northern part of the Confederacy, particularly in the Richmond camps. In only fourteen months of operation, approximately 45,000 Union prisoners of war were held in the Confederacy's Camp Sumter military prison at Andersonville. Winder had Wirz transferred to his department, and Wirz spent the rest of the conflict working with prisoners of war. "[22] Another of the lesser punishments was the running of the gauntlet. "Nothing can be worse than Richmond," they thought. Copies can be requested by visiting www.archives.gov. Keep in mind that the park collects information as it relates to the prisoner of war experience. Wirz presented evidence that he had pleaded to Confederate authorities to try to get more food and that he had tried to improve the conditions for the prisoners inside. These errors were not corrected after the war and, further complicating matters; the published Death Register was then used to compile regimental rosters after the war. This, along with the lack of utensils, made it almost impossible for the prisoners to cook the meager food rations they received, which consisted of poorly milled cornflour. Just because a descendant spells a name one way does not necessarily mean that their ancestor spelled it the same way. [12] Death could also result more directly from the Raiders' actions, as when a prisoner attempted to resist being robbed by the Raiders, and was murdered in the process. Why is Light Year used instead of kilometers? However, estimates go from anywhere between 100,000 and several millions. When a meteor hits the Earth it may form this? After returning to duty, he traveled to Europe and likely delivered messages to Confederate envoys. Prisoners caught trying to escape were denied rations, chain ganged, or killed. [14] It was common for the Raiders to retreat as soon as they realized a form of significant resistance was at hand. Atwater's list is what was used to identify the dead at Andersonville and to label the markers in the cemetery. This research is largely carried out by descendants of the prisoners, making Andersonville National Historic Site a unique place where visitors help tell the complex stories of what happened here. Andersonville held more than 40,000 captured Union soldiers during its operation; nearly 13,000 of these men died inside its walls. "Prison Life at Andersonville," Civil War History 1962 8(2): pp. The camp was surrounded by a 15-foot-high stockade, but the real danger was the line that lay 19 feet inside that stockade. In some cases, garments were taken from the dead. In the center of the whole was a swamp, occupying about three or four acres of the narrowed limits, and a part of this marshy place had been used by the prisoners as a sink, and excrement covered the ground, the scent arising from which was suffocating. The Georgia, Andersonville Prison Records, 1864-1865 collection contains images of records of Federal (Union) prisoners of war confined at Andersonville Prison in Georgia during the last 14 months of the Civil War. To search from a prison record to find out the offence, the best route is to go first to the Criminal Registers, 1805-1892 (these are available online through Ancestry.co.uk and FindmyPast) to see if the person and offence are listed. Andersonville, For many families, this was the first notification that their loved ones had died at Andersonville. The prison was overcrowded to four times its capacity, and had an inadequate water supply, inadequate food, and unsanitary conditions. Many errors aren't actually errors at all rather they reflect how a name might have changed spelling over time. Nonetheless, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. He and Clara Barton accompanied the Army expedition to Andersonville in the summer of 1865. Which planet has yellow and orange colour bands? While few prisoners were ill or died within the first five months of the prison's operation, the rapid influx of Union prisoners caused this to change dramatically. May 25, 2015 May 25, 2015; Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp; SMS; Email; A realistic number is hard to determine but I'd say 300,000-400,000 is most likely accurate. [1] On 25 November 2002, the Law Lords ruled in favour of Anderson's claim that it was incompatible with human rights for politicians to set minimum . 121-135. Both sides confused issues with propaganda. The entire camp was surrounded by a 15 foot (4.6m) high stockade, with large guard towers known as "pigeon roosts" located every 30 yards. Ibid., 32. remembered: as heroic men, just as other Northern soldiers who had the "good fortune" to fight and die on the battlefield. It was established in southwestern Georgia in February 1864 and was designed to hold up to 10,000 prisoners. 26.5 acres. As soon as night fell the men would get up and run. Playing dead was another method of escape. Chadwick and his regimental mates were taken to the Andersonville Prison, arriving on April 30, 1864. These resulted from filthy living conditions and poor sanitation. Over the course of the next few months approximately 400 prisoners arrived daily. Transcribed for Genealogy Trails by Kim Mohler LIST OF THE DEAD The rebels found out the most expert whittlers and furnished them materials to work upon and thus many prisoners earned extra rations in this way. In other cases as literacy evolved, name spellings changed as well. When the Civil War broke out, he joined the Fourth Louisiana Battalion. Currently, you are using a shared account. The stockade was rectangular, of dimensions 1,620 feet (490m) by 779 feet (237m). [Online]. The National Park Service maintains . The creek banks eroded to create a swamp, which occupied a significant portion of the compound. However, their commanders wanted to raze Atlanta first rather than free their own soldiers. Most men formed units to burrow out of the camp using tunnels. Before us were forms that had once been active and erect;stalwart men, now nothing but mere walking skeletons, covered with filth and vermin. A monument to Wirz, erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, stands today in the town of Andersonville. Prisoners suffered from inactivity. Is the statement true that unlike planets a dwarf planet cannot have moons? This database is only available in the museum lobby and is not published online. In addition to the severe health issues, records indicate that guards often behaved sadistically, sometimes killing prisoners regardless of whether they were breaking camp rules or crossing over the "dead line". Another account of life at Andersonville describes one such occurrence: "one poor fellow came to an untimely death at their [the Raiders'] hands because he showed resistance to their inhuman attempts".[13]. Just because a soldier was from the local area does not mean he was a guard. [14], Although the prison was surrounded by forest, very little wood was allowed to the prisoners for warmth or cooking. [22] His diary is in the collection of the Dunn County Historical Society in Menomonie, Wisconsin; a mimeographed copy is held by the Wisconsin Historical Society. To obtain service records of Confederate soldiers you should contact the appropriate state archives and request Service & Pension records: Georgia Archives, Alabama Archives, and Florida Archives. There are several older versions of our database that are online at other sites, however the staff at Andersonville does not maintain or control these. Most of the site lies in southwestern Macon County, adjacent to the east side of the town of Andersonville. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. A battery of Florida artillery was also stationed at Camp Sumter. On July 11, 1864, six of the Raiders' leaders were hanged, concluding the group's control of the Confederate prison. [37] In 1910, the site was donated to the federal government by the Woman's Relief Corps[38] (auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic). It contains 13,714 graves, of which 921 are marked "unknown". Does sound travel faster through space or room temperature? Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images, Andersonville: Prison Commander Wirz Executed, https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/andersonville. Download the official NPS app before your next visit, http://archive.org/details/listofunionsoldi00atwa. About 30 thousand Union and nearly 26 thousand Confederate prisoners died in captivity. It is unclear exactly how many members the group had; some sources put membership at 50, while others propose numbers as high as 500. One study found that a prisoner having a strong social network within Andersonville "had a statistically significant positive effect on survival probabilities, and that the closer the ties between friends as measured by such identifiers as ethnicity, kinship and the same home town, the bigger the effect. Study now. As such, this database is not being updated, and Andersonville National Historic Site does not have any control over the content published in the CWSS. Why does the sky appear much bluer in some states. [10] Anyone crossing or even touching this "dead line" was shot without warning by sentries in the guard platforms (called "pigeon roosts") on the stockade. John McElroy describes one such event, in which a young man was attacked by eleven Raiders but managed to escape by hitting one of his attackers in the head with a spade; the attacker was knocked down and his fellow Raiders retreated. The groups would agree that if one of their members were attacked, he would scream out an agreed-upon code word; the other members of the group would then come to the victim's defense and would scare away the attackers. For more information on scheduling a research appointment in the library, e-mail us. Because veterans could get more money if they were a prisoner at Andersonville, fraud was commonplace. However, we are happy to assist those seeking to document the service of a Confederate soldier stationed at Andersonville. [34][35] He was found guilty, and sentenced to death. They possessed a variety of weapons, ranging from axes to bowie knives. Is this the answer the moon unlike the earth does not rotate so you see the same side of the moon? When you look at the night sky are you seeing the universe exactly as it is? Each man was given time to say some last words before he was hanged. The prison's population peaked at 32,899 inmates and had an overall mortality rate of 40 percent. If you are able to obtain these records you may send photocopies to the park so that they may be included in our research library. "Cause of death for Union soldiers in Andersonville Prisoner-of-War Camp during the American Civil War, from March 1 to August 31 1864." [30], Confederate records show that 351 prisoners (about 0.7% of all inmates) escaped, though many were recaptured. It demarcated a no-man's land that kept prisoners away from the wall, which was made of rough-hewn logs about 16ft (4.9m) high and stakes driven into the ground. His complaints caught the interest of Andersonville's commandant, Captain Henry Wirz. 608 people died for the Confederacy.i1,284 killed in the union608 killed in the confederacy. This database was intended as a starting point for people beginning their research, and is not considered a "roll of honor." Georgia Encyclopedia Camp Sumter. National Prisoner of War Museum Courtesy of Americus-Sumter Tourism Council In the summer of 1864 camp administrators, using the labor of Union prisoners and enslaved workers, expanded the prison's size and facilities by constructing a hospital, a bakery, and some barracks. Munn. Within seven months, about a third had died from dysentery and scurvy; they were buried in mass graves, the standard practice for Confederate prison authorities at Andersonville. Some were ripped apart by prison dogs. on November 10, 1865. [9] According to Futch, each of the leaders had henchmen who were organized into groups named after the leaders, such as "Collins's Raiders" and "Curtis's Raiders". A prisoner with friends inside Andersonville was more likely to survive than a lone prisoner. The Civil War headstones, especially those with errors, reflect the limitations of record-keeping of the era, and the remarkable efforts over a century and a half to document and remember those who died while held in captivity here. If you are unable to visit the park to search the database personally, please contact us, and a member of our staff can search the database for you. A few decades later, the Fort was filled in and became the base of the Statue of Liberty. "Prison Life at Andersonville,", This page was last edited on 18 July 2023, at 16:26. The first prisoners arrived at Camp Sumter in late February 1864. The site was commanded by Captain Henry Wirz, who was tried and executed after the war for war crimes. It was in this capacity that he made a secret copy of the death register. A list of the Union soldiers buried at Andersonville : [Atwater, Dorence], 1845- [from old catalog] : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. Prisoners would pretend to be dead and carried out to the row of dead bodies outside of the walls. The prisoners were suffering from widespread disease, starvation, and the effects of the other harsh conditions within the camp. Accessed July 29, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1010831/cause-deaths-union-solders-captivity-andersonville-pow-camp-in-civil-war-1864/. During the war, disease was the primary cause of death in both armies. In between these two hills it was very swampy, all black mud, and where the filth was emptied it was all alive; there was a regular buzz there all the time, and it was covered with large white maggots.". 10,000. In the lobby of the museum, park staff maintains a computer database of more than 42,000 names of men who are confirmed or possible prisoners of war at Andersonville. Site of former Confederate prisoner-of-war camp in Macon County, Georgia, Reconstruction of a section of the stockade wall. When Atwater was released, he put the list in his bag and took it through the lines without being caught. Atwater believed that the commanding officer Wirz had been trying to ensure that Union prisoners would be rendered unfit to fight if they survived the prison. "God protect us!" Futch, Ovid. The museum also serves as the park's visitor center. When the war ended, Captain Henry Wirz, the stockade commander, was arrested and charged with "murder, in violation of the laws of war." The prison, which opened in February 1864,[5] originally covered about 16.5 acres (6.7ha) of land enclosed by a 15-foot (4.6m) high stockade. As such, survival often depended on the strength of a prisoner's social network within the prison. [25] On the way to the gallows, Curtis escaped from his rope ties and fled, but was caught by the police and returned to the gallows. In 2010, the historian Rosemary Drisdelle said that hookworm disease, a condition not recognized or known during the Civil War, was the major cause of many of the fatalities among the prisoners. The camp was established in response to a surplus in prisoners-of-war (POWs) that was the result of a breakdown in POW exchanges in 1863. Places The National Cemetery Burial of Prisoners Burial of Prisoners During much of the operation of Andersonville prison camp in 1864-1865, Dorence Atwater, a prisoner from the 2nd New York Cavalry, kept the hospital register. Records that the park is interested in are, in order: If you acquire these records and would like to provide the park with copies, they can be emailed or mailed to: Andersonville National Historic Site The prison was enlarged in June 1864 to 26 1/2 acres to compensate for overpopulation. According to the diary of a prisoner named John Ransom, Captain Wirz gave the internal police force permission to set up a court and put offenders on trial. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Thomas A. Gossett Private, Co. Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series II, Volume VII, 1899 p. 119, Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series II, Volume VII, 1899 p. 381, Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series II, Volume VII, 1899 p. 493, Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series II, Volume VII, 1899 p. 517, Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series II, Volume VII, 1899 p. 708, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, "Andersonville Civil War Prison Historical Background", "Ransom Chadwick: An Inventory of His Andersonville Prison Diary at the Minnesota Historical Society", "Andersonville Diary, Escape, and List of the Dead: With Name, Co., Regiment, Date of Death and No. Led by their chieftains - Charles Curtis, John Sarsfield, Patrick Delaney, Teri Sullivan (aka "WR Rickson", according to other sources), William Collins, and Alvin T. Munn - these soldiers terrorized . Researchers created the Andersonville Sample to examine the later-life effects of acute malnutrition and exposure to disease. This jury, upon finding the Raiders guilty, set punishment that included running the gauntlet, being sent to the stocks, ball and chain and, in six cases, hanging. The Confederate government was unable to provide the prisoners with adequate housing, food, clothing, and medical care, Due to the terrible conditions, prisoners suffered greatly and a high mortality rate ensued. Andersonville National Historic Site uses records collected by visitors to create and maintain the database and prisoner research files. It was filled at all times with fecal matter from thousands of sick and dying men. In addition, for living quarters, the Raiders were able to build a tent that was large enough to fit over one hundred men, constructed mostly with stolen materials. Fearing loss of the death record at war's end, Atwater made his own copy in hopes of notifying the relatives of some 12,000 dead interred here. Magruder. Rations were inadequate, and at times half of the population was reported ill. Formally called "Camp Sumter", Andersonville (as it was later named by prisoners) was established in February 1864 in the small town of Andersonville, Georgia. Andersonville Prison was liberated by the Union Army in May 1865, with the prisoners inside being found and described as "human skeletons amid hellish scenes of desolation".[32]. Records submitted are used to update and maintain the database that is accessible in the museum lobby. Before long, Andersonville Prison had become the worst prisoner of war camp that the United States had ever seen. The facility became necessary after the prisoner-exchange system between the North and South collapsed in 1863 over disagreements about the handling of black soldiers. In his diary, Ransom notes that the first night of arrests were successful because, "thirty or forty of the worst characters in camp had been taken outside".[21]. In contrast to the well-fed, well-stocked, and well-organized Raiders, the prisoners' physical capabilities for resistance, and their abilities to sustain a motivated, organized resistance effort, were significantly weakened. [7], The Raiders were well organized and had many members who performed a variety of tasks. In addition, print outs of message board threads from genealogy websites are not considered reliable sources and are not needed for our resource files. But over 12,000 union soldiers held there died These errors of transcription, most of them dating to the time of the prison's operation, are a reflection of the history of the place and tell a story. The prison at Andersonville, officially called Camp Sumter, was the Souths largest prison for captured Union soldiers and known for its unhealthy conditions and high death rate. Which had been halted by orders of General Grant after a company of Union Colored soldiers were sold into slavery by Confederate officials instead of being exchanged for Confederate POWs held by the Union. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Two sections of the stockade wall have been reconstructed: the north gate and the northeast corner. because of starvation, malnutrition, diarrhea, disease, alleged Not all Union prisoners of war were sent to Andersonville, and these records provide the best confirmation that a soldier was held at Andersonville. After the Raiders' arrests, as promised by Captain Wirz, the offenders were put on trial for their crimes against their fellow prisoners. I am being hanged for obeying them. The 41-year-old Wirz was one of the few people convicted and executed for crimes committed during the Civil War. The prison site reverted to private ownership in 1875. By June, 1864, the Andersonville prison had swelled to more than 26,000 prisoners and food and shelter were in ever dwindling supply. [23], Planning an escape from this camp was routine among the thousands of prisoners. Both Ancestry and Familysearch's prisoner of war records include original hospital and burial records from Andersonville. abuse and blunt weapon executions from guards. These records often contain affidavits and statements that attest that a soldier was held at Andersonville and can sometimes even include stories from their captivity. 496 Cemetery Road After General William Tecumseh Sherman began his march to the sea and destroyed Millen, the remaining prisoners were returned to Andersonville. 10y ago. Once out, escape was nearly impossible due to the poor health of prisoners. He is most notable for successfully challenging the Home Secretary's powers to set minimum terms for life sentence prisoners. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Andersonville National Historic Site, located near Andersonville, Georgia, preserves the former Andersonville Prison (also known as Camp Sumter ), a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp during the final fourteen months of the American Civil War. [1], Andersonville, Georgia, was chosen as a strategic location for the Confederacy's new prison due to its small location and close proximity to fresh water and a railroad. What is in This Collection?

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