My in-laws have been visiting from Chicago this week. They arrived in Birmingham last Sunday, in time for my youngest daughter's 6th birthday and stayed a few days before going on to Tampa, Florida to visit relatives. Yesterday they dropped back in, spent the night, and left for Illinois this morning. Part of their trip included a visit to Andersonville National Historic Site in Georgia.
According to Microsoft's Encarta Encyclopedia on-line, Andersonville Prison is described as a "military stockade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Located near Andersonville, Georgia, the prison was used to confine captured Union soldiers. Nearly 50,000 prisoners were detained at Andersonville in 1864 and 1865. More than 13,700 prisoners died in confinement. Exposure to the elements — together with inadequate food, impure water, congestion, and filth — led to epidemics of scurvy and dysentery".
The prison was designed to hold 10,000 Union prisoners, but it's prisoner population swelled to greater than 32,000 in 1864. Read the story of One Union Soldier. The Macon County Chamber of Commerce offers an Andersonville Prisoner Lookup service.
Andersonville, or Camp Sumter as it was officially known, was commanded by Capt. Henry Wirz, who was later arrested and charged with conspiring to "impair and injure the health and destroy the lives ... of Federal prisoners" and "murder, in violation of the laws of war". Read about the Trial of Henry Wirz.
Visit the National Park Service's web site for Andersonville National Historic Site. Find out about Archeology at Andersonville from the Southeastern Archeological Center.
In addition to it's Civil War legacy, Andersonville is now also the home of a National Prisoner of War Museum, dedicated to the men and women of this country who suffered captivity in all wars.
Warning: If you plan to visit Andersonville, be prepared for a very emotional journey. The site is an important reminder of the horrors of war and POW life and may not be suitable for children.
