History of Andersonville Prison

by Ovid L. Futch and Michael P Gray Ovid L. Futch

Book Overview

"An outstanding study of Andersonville--both a vivid description of the conditions that resulted in high mortality among the prisoners as well as a balanced and unbiased evaluation of the officials... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813005914
• ISBN13: 9780813005911
• Release Date: October 1968
• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Informative

I enjoyed this read. It was informative and had many facts I had not previously read in other books focusing on the Andersonville debacle. With two great great grandfathers having been impriosned at Andersonville I was especially pleased to read of treatment and conditions at the prison.

Hell on Earth: Andersonville Prison

In his first major scholarly work, Ovid L. Futch gives a brief history of the notorious southern prisoner of war camp, Camp Sumter, or Andersonville. In the preface to his book, Futch proclaims that many historians have written on Andersonville, "but few of them have attempted to approach the subject objectively" (iii). Hence, Futch attempts to write from a relatively unbiased perspective; letting historical evidence be his jury. By writing on both the Northern and Southern conditions at the camp Futch successfully achieves his goal in writing from an objective standpoint. Additionally, Futch analyzes and interprets documents that most historians have overlooked, thereby adding novel insights in History of Andersonville Prison. History of Andersonville Prison argues that the atrocities that occurred there were based on the "Confederate scarcity of men, provisions, tools, and supplies" (122). Futch also feels that the prisoners of Andersonville suffered as a result from "quarrels and contentions [from Confederate leaders] and the `gross mismanagement and want of system'" (122). Futch contrasts his argument with many historians who blame the prison's commandant, Henry Wirz, for the egregious conditions, as a result of his indifference and negligence toward his prisoners. In his work, Futch examines the history of why Andersonville was built, focusing on Confederate General John H. Winder, prison life, prison conditions, the infamous "Raiders" of Andersonville, and the trial of Captain Wirz. Winder, according to Futch, had the responsibility of building a camp in Southern Georgia to assuage the swelling of Belle Isle, an already overcrowded Confederate POW camp. Futch believes that Winder did his best in trying to make the prison comfortable for Union soldiers, but due to his previous feud and dislike of General Cobb, commander of the Georgia Reserves, Winder's chances of acquiring tools and more supplies for Andersonville were nearly impossible, as Cobb sent Winder the bare essentials. As a result, the prison conditions at Andersonville were horrible. Futch proclaims that of the three necessities for survival-shelter, food, and clothing, Andersonville only provided the prisoners with one: small rations of food. Prisoners had to construct their own shelters-with the dearth of wood, most "shebangs" were constructed of cloth or were simply holes in the ground. Many prisoners who entered the prison compound with little clothing were not given any, as the Confederate government needed all available clothing for its troops. Many prisoners died in the pouring Georgia rain as they lay, exposed to the elements, with no clothing to cover their freezing bodies. By recording the feud between Cobb and Winder, Futch is offering new evidence which previous historians failed to find. By elucidating the contentions between Confederate leaders Futch clearly explains that it was not hard hearts of these men that led to the deaths of 13,000 Union prisoners; rathe