The Horrors of Andersonville Prison

Southern Gothic

Andersonville Prison, officially known as Camp Sumter, was a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp during the American Civil War, operating from February 1864 to April 1865 near Andersonville, Georgia. Notorious for its horrific conditions and high mortality rate, it was designed for 10,000 prisoners but held over 32,000 at its peak, leading to severe overcrowding. The prisoners endured appalling conditions with inadequate shelter, contaminated water, insufficient food, and rampant disease. As a result, nearly 13,000 of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned there died, making it one of the most dangerous locations in the United States during the American Civil War. Join us as we explore the history of this notorious prison camp.

Key Highlights

• Execution of Captain Henry Wirz, commander of the notorious prisoner and only man to be executed for war crimes following the Civil War.
• The History of Andersonville from why this Georgian site was chosen, the first prisoners to arrive in February of 1864, to the liberation of Union soldiers at the end of the war.
• Life Inside the Stockade Walls where prisoners faced overcrowding, disease, and starvation with no proper shelter.
• The Andersonville Raiders, an infamous group of predatory inmates.
• Andersonville as a National Historic Site, including the cemetery and National Prisoner of War Museum

This episode was made possible through the support of Green Chef, America’s #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well: Go to GreenChef.com/60gothic and use code 60gothic to get 60% off, plus 20% off your next two months.

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Additional Resources for This Episode:

• National Park Service: Andersonville National Historic Site
• Andersonville Raiders: Yankee versus Yankee in the Civil War’s Most Notorious Prison Camp by Gary Morgan
• Andersonville Civil War Prison by Robert Scott Davis
• The True Story of Andersonville Prison: A Defense of Major Henry Wirz by James Madison Page // Audiobook
• Andersonville (Pulitzer Prize Award Winning Novel) by MacKinlay Kantor // Audiobook
• Andersonville (1996 Emmy Award Winning Movie)

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