A Brief History on Andersonville Prison

Known in the Confederacy as Camp Sumter, the prison became more commonly known as Andersonville – named after the nearby town.  By late 1863, other Confederate prisons, especially Belle Island and Libby prisons in Richmond, were suffering from extreme overcrowding.  Additionally, it was hard to receive enough food in Richmond for the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and all the Yankee prisoners.  In early 1864, construction began on Camp Sumter.  The Confederacy believed they could utilize the prison to relieve the crowding in other prisons and food would be more readily available.  CSA Captain Henry Wirz was in command at Camp Sumter and was known as strict, severe and cruel.

The original prison was 16.5 acres in size and was completed in February 1864.  In June 1864, the prison was expanded by 10 acres with the new area located directly to the north of the original plot.  The stockade walls that surrounded the prison were 15 feet tall and were made of pine logs sunk five feet in the soil.  The original stockade walls were built from timber that was custom cut and formed, to allow no view of the outside environment.  The northern expansion was done much more quickly, to accommodate the rapidly growing prison population, and was not as precise - with many gaps appearing between the logs.  Sentry boxes, also called “pigeon roosts,” were placed at 30 yard intervals along the top of the stockade walls.  Manning the sentry boxes were Confederate invalids, children too young to be in the army and Georgia State Militia.  Within the stockade walls was a light fence, called a “dead line.”  If a prisoner crossed the “dead line” they were shot by the sentries.  This “dead line” was approximately 19 feet from the stockade walls.  The first prisoner to die, crossing the “dead line,” was Caleb Coplan.  Coplan, a private in Company A, 1^st Ohio Infantry, was captured at Chickamauga on September 19, 1863.  While searching near the northeast corner of the stockade for supplies to repair his shelter, a small scrap of material caught his eye at the “dead line.”  Coplan quickly ducked under the rail to grab it.  A sentry watching him quickly brought his .75 caliber smoothbore musket to his shoulder and fired.  Coplan was shot through the breast and died the next day – April 10, 1864.(i)

The first prisoners arrived in February 1864, with approximately 400 new prisoners arriving daily.  By July 1864, nearly 26,000 prisoners were confined in the stockade at Andersonville – this in a prison that was designed to hold no more than 10,000 men.  The only water supply was Stockade Branch, which ran west-to-east through the southern sector of the prison.  The eastern side of the branch was where the “sinks” were dug and was the communal restroom, so to speak.  Additionally the same water source was used for bathing.  This created a serious health problem as most of the men were forced to drink and cook with the contaminated water.

Around the outside perimeter of Camp Sumter were heavy gun emplacements.  Lunettes were used at three of the four corners.  Lunettes were designed to allow cannon to be placed in four directions – along the walls of the stockade, and along the approaches to the prison.  Towards the center of the north and south walls, and the center of the east wall, redans were dug.  These were designed for defensive purposes.  A single redoubt was dug on the western side of the fort, providing defensive capabilities in the event of an attack from the northwest.  Finally the fort’s headquarters was located in a larger fort on the southwest corner.  It was called the Star Fort.  Many heavy cannon were placed here, as the high ground had a commanding view of the inside of the prison and potential enemy approaches.  The cannon could be fired into the fort in the event of a large scale insurrection.

The Raiders

Besides having to deal with the threat posed by the Confederate guards, “fresh fish” (new prisoners) had to deal with a gang of Northerners called “The Raiders.”  The Raiders were led by six chieftains: Charles Curtis, John Sarsfield, Patrick Delaney, Teri Sullivan, William Collins and A. Munn.  They were estimated to have anywhere from 50–500 members and relied on intimidation and violence to get the items they desired, which ranged from blankets to clothes to books and watches – anything of value.  This could be especially hard for the new arrivals who were not used to the conditions and could quickly become sick from exposure.

John McElroy, of the 16^th Illinois Cavalry arrived shortly after Andersonville was built.  He described the suffering of the men at Andersonville during the incessant spring rains.

“For dreary days that lengthened into weary days and nights, and these again into never ending weeks, the driving drenching flood poured down upon the sodden earth, searching the very marrow of the five thousand hapless men against whose chilled frames it beat with pitiless monotony, and soaked the sand bank upon which we lay until it was like a sponge filled with ice-water…..The condition of those who had no tents was truly pitiable.  They sat or lay on the hill-side the live-long day and night, and took the washing flow with such gloomy composure as they could muster.”(ii)

The Raiders had a significant advantage in plying their torture against their own countrymen.  They were well fed, had tools and knives and roamed the prison grounds in groups.  Many of the items they stole from the prisoners would be traded to sentries and guards for favors – one of which was to turn the other way during their attacks.  Besides preying on “fresh fish” they would often use spies to track down soldiers they believed had valuables.  Once they confirmed their suspicions they would wait for the subject to go to sleep and sneak into the tent.  If the prisoner was to wake up they would threaten him with bodily harm or beat him.

To protect themselves from The Raiders small groups of soldiers, often of the same squad or company, would organize themselves to provide each other protection.  One such group was the Plymouth squad.  When one of their own was threatened or beaten, they would yell “Plymouth!” and the other members of the squad would come to their aid.

On June 29, 1864, a prisoner named Dowd was badly beaten by a group of The Raiders who stole a watch and money from him.  After the beating Dowd demanded justice from the prison guards.  Captain Wirz took an interest in Dowd’s ordeal and ordered that the raiders would receive no rations until they were turned in.  This led to the formation of a quasi police force of Federal prisoners.  Referred to as “Regulators” this group was allowed to use force to arrest the raiders.  From June 29 through July 10, 1864 it is estimated that 100–150 raiders were arrested, including the chieftains.  Each raider was tried by a court of Federal prisoners and a jury of 24 Union sergeants.(iii)  The ring-leaders were found guilty and sentenced to by hanged.  Others were sentenced to time in the stocks, running the gauntlet or head hanging.  Some of these men were beaten so badly that they would later die from their injuries.  The chieftains were executed on July 11, 1864.  Thus ended the terrible reign of the “enemy within” – the Raiders.

The Miracle of Providence Spring

June and July 1864 were terribly dry and hot.  Relief came in early August when heavy rains made Andersonville a muddy qaugmire.  Prisoners used cups, tent flaps and canteens to capture the falling rain.  After weeks with no fresh water, and many prisoners dying of thirst, it was a relief for the Northerners to have the clean water.  The rain would continue nearly a week, turning Camp Sumter into a muddy quagmire.  Survivors of Andersonville claimed that Stockade Branch rose five feet in one hour during the torrential rains.

On August 13, a large cloud appeared east of Camp Sumter.  It was described as being tall, with a sharp shape and a color that resembled gun metal blue.  The huge anomaly moved slowly over the stockade, hovering over the Dead House for a time, before moving north towards the North Gate.  The emaciated prisoners and guards stood awestruck by the sight.  Normally loud with the cries of the suffering, yelling and camp talk the entire stockade became eerily quiet.  As light rain once again began falling, a deafening roar broke the silence.  Men that had become used to the boom of cannon claimed it sounded like the simultaneous explosion of a thousand heavy guns.  The shock wave from the crash threw men, near the west wall, to the ground.  Almost instantaneously a blinding bolt of blue-white light burst forth from the cloud, hitting the ground near the Dead Line at the North Gate.  This was followed by another large explosion, causing dirt and steam to shoot into the air.  As if by the hand of God, a flood of cool, clean water poured from the ground.  The lightening apparently hit exactly at the high point of an underground stream.  The water that flowed from the ground would be called Providence Spring and still flows unabated today.(iv)

Interesting Facts About Andersonville Prison(v)

 +  With US Major General William T. Sherman’s army moving into Georgia, in the summer and fall of 1864, the Confederate garrison at Andersonville began to prepare for an attack.  Sherman would send US Major General George Stoneman’s cavalry on a raid toward the prison.  They would be defeated north of Macon with many of the liberators becoming prisoners at Andersonville.  While a full fledged attack never transpired, Captain Wirz ordered two additional lines of stockade walls built.  They were never finished.

 +  While no large escapes ever occurred at Andersonville many were attempted.  Prisoners tried to escape by climbing or tunneling under the walls.  Today, there are still spots within the stockade where evidence of tunnels can be seen.

 +  A mailbox was located within Andersonville so prisoners could communicate with friends and relatives.

 +  Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia had their sons held in captivity at Andersonville.  While the vast majority of prisoners were from the Northern states others were from the south.  Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana all had men imprisoned that had fought for the Union.

 +  The commanders at Andersonville did not supply a chaplain.  Several priests, and a Methodist missionary, would minister to the soldiers’ spiritual needs.  Father Peter Whelen, a Catholic priest, spent four months at the prison during the hottest season.

 +  While some prisoners were shot for crossing the Dead Line, most died of disease.  The most common killing diseases were diarrhea, dysentery and scurvy.

 +  Any prisoner willing to take an “oath of allegiance” to the Confederacy would be released.  Very few ever took the oath.

 +  During the period of time Andersonville was in operation over 45,000 Federal prisoners of war would be held at Camp Sumter.  In August 1864, over 32,000 prisoners were confined at the prison – indeed a very pitiful record.  12,920 Federal soldiers died while in captivity at Andersonville.  They were buried in large trenches.  After the war, they were re-interred at Andersonville National Cemetery.

 +  It is claimed that Stockade Branch is still contaminated today.

 +  Andersonville Prison was closed in May 1865.  Captain Henry Wirz was court-martialed after the prison was closed.  US Major General Lew Wallace, who after the war became famous for writing Ben Hur, presided over the trial.  Accused of cruelty, murder and acts of inhumanity he was found guilty.  He would be executed, by hanging, on November 10, 1865.

Common Terms Used At Andersonville(vi)

 +  Deadrun – the section of ground between the Dead Line and the stockade wall.

 +  Graybacks – body lice

 +  Mess – A group of 30 men.  Three messes were combined to form a squad and three squads formed a detachment.

 +  Mud Burrow – A small cave dug as a shelter.

 +  Scorbutus – A disease that caused bleeding gums, loose teeth and bleeding from mucous membranes and the skin. (also known as scurvy)

 +  Shebang – A primitive dwelling

 +  Sinks – Ditches for carrying away raw sewage.

To view my complete set of photos from Andersonville National Historic Site click HERE.

To view my complete set of photos from Andersonville National Cemetery click HERE.

(i) Marvel, William, Andersonville: The Last Depot, published by The University of North Carolina Press in 2006, Pg. 50.
(ii) McElroy, John, Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons, published by D.R. Locke in 1879, Pg. 152.
(iii) See Andersonville Prison and American Prisoners of War, written by members of the staff at Andersonville National Historic Site, published by Eastern National in 1999, Pg. 28.
(iv) For additional information see the Miracle of Providence Spring at Bivouacbooks.com.
(v) See Andersonville Prison and American Prisoners of War, written by members of the staff at Andersonville National Historic Site, published by Eastern National in 1999.
(vi) See Andersonville Prison and American Prisoners of War, written by members of the staff at Andersonville National Historic Site, published by Eastern National in 1999, Pg. 17.