andersonville :: essays research papers

Prisoners began arriving at the prison house in late February of 1864 and by proterozoic June the prisonpopulation had climbed to 20,000. Consequently, it was unflinching that a larger prison wasnecessary, and by mid-June work was begun to enlarge the prison. The prisons walls were extended 610 feet to the pairing, encompassing an area of roughly 10 acres, bringing the total prisonarea to 26.5 acres. The extension was built by a crew of marriage ceremony prisoners consisting of 100 whitesand 30 African Americans in about 14 days. On July 1, the northern extension was opened to theprisoners who subsequently tore down the master north fence wall, then used the timbers forfuel and building materials. By August, over 33,000 Union prisoners were held in the 26.5 acreprison. Due to the threat of Union raids (Shermans troop were marching on Atlanta), General Winder ordered the building of justificative earthworks and a middle and outer fence around the prison.Construction of the earthworks began July 20th. These earthworks consisted of sense impression Fort locatedsouthwest of the prison, a redoubt located northwest of the north gate, and six redans. The middle and outer stockades were hastily constructed of unhewn pine logs decline vertically in walltrenches that were about four feet deep. The middle stockade posts projected roughly 12 feetabove the ground surface and circle the inner prison stockade as well as the ceding back redans. Theouter stockade, which was never completed, was meant to encompass the entire complex ofearthworks and stockades. The posts of the outer stockade extended about five feet above theground surface. By early September, Shermans troops had occupied Atlanta and the threat of Union raids onAndersonville prompted the deportation of most of the Union prisoners to other camps in Georgia andSouth Carolina. By mid-November, all but about 1500 prisoners had been shipped out ofAndersonville, and only a a couple of(prenominal) gu ards remained to police them. Transfers to Andersonville in lateDecember increased the numbers of prisoners erstwhile again, but even then the prison population totaled only about 5000 persons. The number of prisoners at the prison would remain this low until the struggle ended in April of 1865. During the 15 months during which Andersonville was operated,almost 13,000 Union prisoners died there of malnutrition, exposure, and sickness Andersonville became synonymous with the attrocities which both North and South soldiers experienced as