03/11/14: Andersonville ,
GA
We took a day trip to Andersonville, GA, about 50 miles from our campground, and then went through Americus on the way home for a Walmart stop. Andersonville is the home to one of the largest Civil War POW camps. There is a movie about it, called "Andersonville". It was a very interesting place to visit. From the Andersonville National Historic Site web page, "The Camp Sumter military prison at Andersonville was one of the largest Confederate military prisons during the Civil War. During the 14 months the prison existed, more than 45,000 Union soldiers were confined here. Of these, almost 13,000 died here. Today, Andersonville National Historic Site is a memorial to all American prisoners of war throughout the nation's history."
The town of Andersonville is 1/2 mile from the POW museum and cemetery.
This is a monument to Capt. Henry Wirz. He took command of Andersonville in March 1864. At war's end, nearly 1,000 people were tried for violations of the laws of war. Capt. Wirz remains the most famous of the officers executed for war crimes. Many say he was wrongly executed due to the magnitude of the situation and the inability to get from the Washington, DC.
The museum shows POWs from many wars.
10 rules of Vietnam POW
German POWs, "The escape from prison camps is no longer a sport!"
Escape tunnels
Eleven monuments in the stockade area.
This monument is for Clara Barton (nurse who founded the Red Cross). She was instrumental in the successful effort to identify most of the dead at Andersonville and the establishment of the Andersonville National Cemetery.
Wisconsin monument
Massachusetts
Ohio
Tennessee
This is what is left of the stream.
Providence Spring
The stockade
The stockade was expanded 10 acres due to the amount of prisoners, but still was not large enough.
Cemetery entrance
Andersonville became a National Cemetery in 1865, and is open to all veterans.
Iowa monument
Dorence Atwater, a former prisoner, was assigned the task of keeping records of the dead.
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
A gang known as "The Raiders" terrorized the prison yard. The six were hung, and were not allowed to be buried in a row with the others.
American Former POW Stalag XVII-B in German prison camp
Indiana
Dedicated to the memory of the unknown buried here.
Minnesota
Illinois
The headstones were originally wooden, replaced by marble in 1878.
Turn You To The Stronghold Ye Prisoners Of Hope.
Zechariah 9:12
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