Table of Contents
What was the worst POW camp in the Civil War?
Andersonville
13,000 of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned here died, making Andersonville the worst prison in the Civil War.
What happened to Confederate prisoners?
Between 1862-1865, approximately 4-6,000 Confederate prisoners died from starvation, disease, and cold at Camp Douglas. Despite the filth, freezing temperatures, inadequate clothing, and disease, however, some Confederates told of being treated humanely.
What did Civil War prisoners eat?
The prisoners arrived before the barracks were built and so lived with virtually no protection from the blistering Georgia sun or the long winter rains. Food rations were a small portion of raw corn or meat, which was often eaten uncooked because there was almost no wood for fires.
What was the worst POW camp and why?
Andersonville, or Camp Sumter as it was officially known, has garnered a lot of attention by historians as the worst of the worst when it comes to Civil war POW camps.
What was the worst POW camp in World War II?
Stalag IX-B
Stalag IX-B (also known as Bad Orb-Wegscheide) was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp located south-east of the town of Bad Orb in Hesse, Germany on the hill known as Wegscheideküppel….
| Stalag IX-B | |
|---|---|
| Type | Prisoner-of-war camp |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Nazi Germany |
| Site history |
How were Union soldiers treated in Confederate prisons?
Some soldiers fared better in terms of shelter, clothing, rations, and overall treatment by their captors. Others suffered from harsh living conditions, severely cramped living quarters, outbreaks of disease, and sadistic treatment from guards and commandants.
Did Civil war soldiers eat hardtack?
During the Civil War one of the most common meals for soldiers was a cracker-like food called hardtack. Hardtack is made from flour, water, and salt.
What did Civil war prisoners eat?
What was the name of the Confederate prisoner of war camp?
Andersonville and the Andersonville National Historic Site also went by the names Camp Sumter and Andersonville Prison. It was a horrific Confederate prisoner of war camp during the last months of the American Civil War. There were 45,000 Union prisoners held at the camp while it was open; almost 13,000 never made it out.
Where was the most notorious prisoner of war camp?
Available. Purchase your eBook here! Long called by some the “Andersonville of the North,” the prisoner of war camp in Elmira, New York, is remembered as the most notorious of all Union-run POW camps.
Which is the worst prison camp in the Civil War?
13,000 of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned here died, making Andersonville the worst prison in the Civil War. Bird’s eye view of the Andersonville POW camp.
Who was the commander of the Andersonville Prison?
In all, approximately 13,000 Union prisoners perished at Andersonville, and following the war its commander, Captain Henry Wirz (1823-65), was tried, convicted and executed for war crimes. The first inmates began arriving at the Andersonville prison in February 1864, while it was still under construction.