Andersonville Prison Camp Throughout the war people would capture prisoners. The Andersonville prison camp (now known as Camp Sumter) was built in 1864 by Andersonville, Georgia. Meant for only 10,000 soldiers, by June it housed 26,000 soldiers on only 26 acres. The largest number of people they held was in August 1864 with 33,000 soldiers. The Commander was Captain Henry Wirz. As the Camp got bigger they added more land but couldn't keep up with how many soldiers they were getting. Andersonville prison camp was the south’s largest prison of captured Union soldiers. In February 1864, the camp started to get soldiers. On February 25, 1864 100 soldiers escaped. That's when they started high level security and made them live in tents (stitched together blankets and wood scraps). …show more content…
8 forts surrounded the prison to make sure no one got out. 13,000 people died from disease, malnutrition, overcrowding, or exposure. Everyday they got 1 teaspoon of salt, 3 teaspoons of beans, and 1 cup of unsifted cornmeal. The only resource of water was Sweetwater Creek which ran through the prison camp. The water turned into sewer water and they washed their bodies in it. This meant that when they went to drink water they were drinking dirt and pee, which led to many different sicknesses. 90% of people weighed less than 100 pounds. Everyday they would go around and pick up all the dead bodies and lay them out side of the camp for someone to come and pick them up. They then would bring them to crude cemetery and bury them in small trenches (shoulder to shoulder). “There is so much filth about the camp that it is terrible trying to live here. With sunken eyes, blackened countenances from pitch pine smoke, rag, and disease, the men look sickening. The air reeks with nastiness. Since the day I was born, I never saw such misery.” -Michigan Cavalryman, John Ransom