History of Andersonville Prison - Softcover

Futch, Ovid L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813005914 ISBN 13: 9780813005911

Publisher: University Press of Florida, 1968

Synopsis

 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.

About this title

Book Description:

"An outstanding study of Andersonville--both a vivid description of the conditions that resulted in high mortality among the prisoners as well as a balanced and unbiased evaluation of the officials responsible."--Journal of Southern History

"Futch has carefully sifted through a host of unofficial memoirs, letters, and diaries as well as official records to develop an intriguing account of what happened at Andersonville."--Civil War History

In February 1864, five hundred Union prisoners of war arrived at the Confederate stockade at Anderson Station, Georgia. Andersonville, as it was later known, would become legendary for its brutality and mistreatment, with the highest mortality rate--over 30 percent--of any Civil War prison.

Fourteen months later, 32,000 men were imprisoned there. Most of the prisoners suffered greatly because of poor organization, meager supplies, the Federal government’s refusal to exchange prisoners, and the cruelty of men supporting a government engaged in a losing battle for survival.

Who was responsible for allowing so much squalor, mismanagement, and waste at Andersonville? Looking for an answer, Ovid Futch cuts through charges and countercharges that have made the camp a subject of bitter controversy. He examines diaries and firsthand 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"). First published in 1968, this groundbreaking volume has never gone out of print.

Ovid Futch taught at Morehouse College in Atlanta and finished his career as chair of the Department of History at the University of South Florida. Michael P. Gray, assistant professor of history at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, is the author of The Business of Captivity: Elmira and Its Civil War Prison, a Seaborg Award honorable mention recipient.

From the Back Cover:

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 counter-charges that have made the camp a subject of bitter controversy.

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Publication date: 1968
• ISBN 10: 0813005914
• ISBN 13: 9780813005911
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 146