In 1863, the Confederacy was compelled to relocate the
concentration of prisoners of war in Richmond to a less vulnerable
site. Not only was the importation of supplies for the prisoners
taxing an overburdened transportation system, but the Richmond
government needed every available soldier at the front and could
not spare troops to guard the prisoners.
It was necessary, therefore, to move the Northern prisoners far
into the interior, and the Confederate Secretary of War ordered
Wapt. W. Sidney Winder to Georgia to find a suitable place for a
camp. After meeting some local resistance, Winder (later commandant
of the prison) selected a site in Sumter County north of Americus,
in southwestern Georgia. Captain Richard B. Winder (Sidney's
cousin) was appointed quartermaster, with orders to build a
stockade and arrange for maintenance.
Five hundred prisoners arrived at Andersonville in February 1864,
the first of 32,000 men to be imprisoned there before the camp was
closed by Federal forces in April 1865. Most of the prisoners
suffered greatly--and 13,000 of them died--because of poor
organization, meager supplies, the Federal government's refusal to
exchange prisoners, and often the cruelty of men and a government
engaged in a losing battle for survival.
Why was this squalor, mismanagement, and waste allowed at
Andersonville? Looking for an answer, Ovid Futch cut through
charges and countercharges that have made the camp a subject of
bitter controversy. He examined diaries and first-hand accounts of
prisoners, guards, and officers, and both Confederate and Federal
government records (including the transcript of the trial of Capt.
Henry Wirz, the alleged "fiend of Andersonville"). Having sifted
the evidence, Futch has determined the conditions that existed at
Andersonville, how they were dealt with, and who was responsible.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
