A stirring account written by a man who was actually there as a prisoner of war. MacKinlay Kantor’s Andersonville tells the story of the notorious Confederate Prisoner of War camp, where fifty thousand Union soldiers were held captive-and fourteen thousand died-under inhumane conditions.

In the case of Andersonville, I recommend the following: In this article, I will also share some great book recommendations. Motorcycles near the Cemetery Roastrum at Andersonville National Historic Site | Civil War Sites (Courtesy of NPS)īefore you travel to Andersonville, however, you may want to learn a little bit more about it. If you have a special interest in the Civil War, however, you can easily spend your entire day at the Andersonville National Historic Site. Two Civil War veterans reunite years later | Civil War Sites – Courtesy of NARA In late 1863, the Confederacy found that it needed to construct additional prisoner of war camps to house captured Union soldiers waiting to be exchanged.Īs leaders discussed where to place these new camps, former Georgia governor, Major General Howell Cobb stepped forward to suggest the interior of his home state.Ĭiting southern Georgia’s distance from the front lines, relative immunity to Union cavalry raids, and easy access to railroads, Cobb was able to convince his superiors to build a camp in Sumter County.” ― Charles River Editors, Andersonville Prison: The History of the Civil War’s Most Notorious Prison Camp Best Civil War Sites See The Sacrifices Made By American Prisoners Of WarĪ visit to the park provides an excellent opportunity to explore the sacrifices made by American prisoners of war during our nation’s bloodiest conflict.Īccording to the Park Service, most visitors spend at least two hours. “As the leaders of the Confederacy realized that it needed additional fortification to imprison Union soldiers, they decided upon Andersonville, Georgia because of its location: RELATED: 10 MUST-SEE Historic Sites In Georgia While at Andersonville, check out the Andersonville Historic Site Museum | Civil War Sites Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons … stalwart men, now nothing but mere walking skeletons, covered with filth and vermin…Many of our men exclaimed with earnestness, ‘Can this be hell?'”Īndersonville is the only national park to serve as a memorial to Americans held as prisoners of war.Īndersonville National Historic Site preserves the site of the largest of the many Confederate military prisons that were established during the Civil War. “As we entered the place, a spectacle met our eyes that almost froze our blood with horror…before us were forms that had once been active and erect. Robert Kellog described the conditions of the camp. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)Ĭonditions of the Camp “ Can This Be Hell?” Ransom, author of Andersonville Diary, Escape and List of the Dead. In the depths of Georgia, they discovered that their hardships were far from over.” A sketch of Andersonville Prison by John L. He and his comrades had been captured during a bloody battle at Plymouth, North Carolina. Kellog was 20 years old when he walked through the gates of Andersonville prison. He references the experiences of one prisoner-of-war writing, “Robert H. In “Civil War Prison Camps,”author Gary Flavion chronicled the suffering at this camp. Of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned there, almost 13,000 died. There were 150 military prisons and Andersonville was both the largest and the most notorious. We begin at #10 with the most notorious Confederate prisoner-of-war camp of all– Andersonville!Īndersonville, located in the state of Georgia, is the site of the infamous Confederate prisoner-of-war camp. Of course, there’s no substitute for actually going there and experiencing these amazing places yourself so without further ado let’s dive in with our top ten list. This article includes some of the better known and lesser known sites. We’ve got amazing forts, iconic battlefields, incredible landscapes, historic prisons and so much more. In this article, we’ll go over our top 10 list of Civil War Sites to visit the next time you want to have a blast with the past. If you’re a Civil War buff (like me) then I’ve got a great article for you!Īs a retired history teacher who now spends much of his time researching and writing articles for More Than Just Parks, I’m going to share some of the fascinating stories associated with each of these amazing Civil War Sites. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania | 10 Best Civil War Sites To Visit

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