This Georgia Prison Camp Killed More Union Soldiers Than Most Civil War Battles

Andersonville Prison, Georgia

Captain Henry Wirz thought he was just running another Confederate prison camp.

Instead, he became the only Civil War soldier executed for war crimes. His prison at Andersonville killed more Union troops than some major battles.

Here’s the story of this dark chapter preserved as a National Historic Site.

The Stockade Construction

In early 1864, slave workers cut pine trees to build the prison walls. They made a rectangle using logs 15 to 17 feet tall, planted deep with no gaps between them.

The first enclosure was just 16.5 acres. As more prisoners came, officials added more space in June 1864, expanding to 26.5 acres.

Guard towers called “pigeon roosts” stood every 90 feet along the wall. From these platforms, Confederate guards watched the prisoners below.

The prison was built in a hurry. No barracks or real shelters were built inside. Prisoners had to make their own tents from whatever they could find.

Two gates on the west side were the only ways in or out.

The Deadly Dead Line

A simple rail fence stood three feet high, running 19 feet inside the main wall. This fence was called the “dead line” and created a no-man’s land between prisoners and the outer walls.

The rule was simple and harsh. Any prisoner who crossed or touched this line would be shot without warning.

This buffer zone stopped prisoners from digging tunnels or climbing the walls. Guards in watch towers had clear orders to shoot anyone who crossed this line.

Some desperate prisoners, sick and starving, crossed the line on purpose to end their suffering quickly.

Our modern term “deadline” likely came from this deadly boundary.

Severe Overcrowding

By June 1864, more than 26,000 men filled the prison, almost triple what it was built for. In August, the number peaked at over 33,000 prisoners.

About 400 new prisoners arrived each day during spring and summer. The exchange of prisoners between North and South had stopped, causing this massive buildup.

Prisoners had no real shelters. They made tents from scraps of cloth and blankets. Many had no cover at all from sun or rain.

Men could barely find space to lie down. Each prisoner had an area smaller than a grave.

This crowding made everything worse, from sanitation to disease to fights over space and food.

Water and Sanitation Crisis

A small creek called Stockade Branch ran through the middle of the prison. It was meant to provide drinking water and carry away waste.

The creek quickly became polluted as thousands of men used it for drinking, washing, and as a toilet. The water arrived already dirty from the guards’ camp upstream.

Prisoners faced a terrible choice: suffer from thirst or drink water that caused deadly sickness. Some dug wells using spoons or broken canteens, but water was 70 feet underground.

The ground around the creek turned into a swamp of human waste. Prisoners called this area “the swamp” and avoided it when possible.

Starvation and Disease

Food at Andersonville was mostly cornmeal that often contained ground-up corn husks and cobs, hurting prisoners’ stomachs. Small amounts of rotten pork or beef came with it.

By 1864, the Confederate army itself was short on food, and prisoners were last in line for supplies.

Without fresh vegetables, scurvy spread through the camp. This vitamin shortage made gums bleed, joints hurt, and eventually killed many men.

August 1864 was the deadliest month, with nearly 3,000 deaths. On August 23, 207 men died in a single day.

Hungry prisoners became walking skeletons, too weak to fight off diseases that swept through the camp.

The Raiders Terrorize Fellow Prisoners

By May 1864, a gang of prisoners called “The Raiders” formed inside Andersonville. They attacked other prisoners, creating a second layer of terror beyond the guards.

Leaders Charles Curtis, John Sarsfield, Patrick Delaney, William Collins and others organized systematic theft. They targeted new arrivals who still had food, money, or decent clothes.

The Raiders used clubs, slingshots, and homemade knives during night raids on other prisoners’ tents. They beat or killed men who fought back.

From their base in a large tent, they ran theft operations that grew more violent as conditions worsened. At their peak, about 700 men joined their ranks.

The Regulators Take Action

In late June 1864, another group called “The Regulators” formed under Peter “Big Pete” Aubrey to stop the Raiders’ attacks.

The final straw came when Raiders severely beat and robbed a prisoner named Dowd. After Dowd reported this to Captain Wirz, the commander authorized prisoners to police themselves.

Wirz stopped all food rations until the Raiders were caught. He gave the Regulators clubs to help enforce order.

The Regulators quickly rounded up nearly 200 suspected Raiders. Guards took them outside the stockade while they awaited trial.

Trial and Execution of the Raiders

In July 1864, captured Raiders faced trial by their fellow prisoners. Peter McCullough, who had legal experience, served as judge.

The trials followed military court rules with evidence, witnesses, and defense allowed. The Regulators found stolen watches, money, and personal items in Raiders’ tents.

Six Raider leaders received death sentences. Others faced lesser punishments like running between rows of men who beat them with clubs.

On July 11, 1864, the six condemned men went to a gallows built inside the prison. One tried to escape during the execution but was caught and returned.

These six Raiders were buried separately from other prisoners. Their graves remain isolated in the cemetery today, marking them as dishonorable dead.

A Miracle Spring Appears

During a violent storm on August 14, 1864, a spring of clean water suddenly burst from a hillside near the wall. After months of drinking filthy water, prisoners saw this as a miracle.

Witnesses described lightning striking the ground before clear water gushed out. Some believe the spring was there all along but covered during construction.

Men named it “Providence Spring,” believing God answered their prayers. The fresh water saved many lives among prisoners weakened by months of drinking contaminated water.

The spring continued flowing long after the prison closed. In 1901, survivors built a stone memorial building over it that still stands today.

The Final Months

When Union General Sherman captured Atlanta in September 1864, Confederate officials feared he might free the prisoners. They moved most inmates to camps in South Carolina and Georgia.

By November, only about 1,500 prisoners remained at Andersonville. Though fewer in number, these men still faced harsh conditions and winter cold.

The prison ran until Union forces arrived in May 1865, shortly after Lee surrendered. The last prisoners left, many too weak to walk without help.

After the war, Captain Wirz was arrested for his role at Andersonville. A military court found him guilty, and he was hanged in Washington D.C. on November 10, 1865.

Visiting Andersonville National Historic Site

You’ll find Andersonville National Historic Site at 496 Cemetery Road, Andersonville, GA 31711.

The grounds are open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, while the National Prisoner of War Museum operates from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Admission is free to all areas of the site, and a self-guided driving tour lets you explore the prison grounds at your own pace.

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