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Summary
Summary
The Confederate prison known as Andersonville existed for only the last fourteen months of the Civil War―but its well-documented legacy of horror has lived on in the diaries of its prisoners and the transcripts of the trial of its commandant. The diaries describe appalling conditions in which vermin-infested men were crowded into an open stockade with a single befouled stream as their water source. Food was scarce and medical supplies virtually nonexistent. The bodies of those who did not survive the night had to be cleared away each morning. Designed to house 10,000 Yankee prisoners, Andersonville held 32,000 during August 1864. Nearly a third of the 45,000 prisoners who passed through the camp perished. Exposure, starvation, and disease were the main causes, but excessively harsh penal practices and even violence among themselves contributed to the unprecedented death rate. At the end of the war, outraged Northerners demanded retribution for such travesties, and they received it in the form of the trial and subsequent hanging of Captain Henry Wirz, the prison's commandant. The trial was the subject of legal controversy for decades afterward, as many people felt justice was ignored in order to appease the Northerners' moral outrage over the horrors of Andersonville. The story of Andersonville is a complex one involving politics, intrigue, mismanagement, unfortunate timing, and, of course, people - both good and bad. Relying heavily on first-person reports and legal documents, author Catherine Gourley gives us a fascinating look into one of the most painful incidents of U.S. history.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up-To tell the story of the notorious Civil War prison, the author relies upon memoirs of soldiers who survived the camp; government documents, including the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion; and contemporary newspapers and periodicals. A history of the camp's origins is followed by an engrossing story of deterioration and despair not only for the Union soldiers housed within Andersonville's walls, but also for the Confederacy. The author focuses on six Union soldiers, including John McElroy, who was 16 when he enlisted in the Illinois Cavalry in 1862 and spent 14 months at the prison and later wrote a memoir. Others include James Madison Page, who wrote a book about Henry Wirz, commandant at Andersonville and the only Confederate officer hanged for war crimes, and John Ransom, who kept a detailed diary of his experiences. Along with Wirz, two other Confederate officers played a part in this story as well as three individuals who were associated with Wirz's trial. Combined with photographs and illustrations, the firsthand accounts and quotations make a compelling, interesting book. Numerous sidebars offer intriguing stories about hospital gangrene and surgical fevers, distribution of rations, escape attempts, and cleanliness issues such as lice. A welcome addition for all Civil War collections.-Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
This volume details the history of the Confederate prisoner-of-war camp at Andersonville, Georgia, using official records and the personal recollections of both Confederate and Union soldiers. The book also provides biographical information about Captain Wirz, the camp commandant and only person charged with crimes connected with the camp. Period photographs, art, and numerous sidebars help shed light on the horrible conditions at Andersonville. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
This well-researched book describes the notorious Confederate prison camp known as Andersonville, where more than 45,000 Union soldiers lived in deplorable conditions and some 13,000 died, beginning in 1864. After opening with an annotated Cast of Characters and a prologue introducing two prisoners who later published accounts of their time at Andersonville, Gourley offers a chronological account of the prison's troubling history, providing details about such matters as the choice of an unsuitable site; the crowded, unsanitary, and inhumane conditions in the camp; and the controversial postwar trial in which the prison's commandant was tried and executed. The book concludes with an epilogue, an extended Cast of Characters Revisited, source notes, an extensive selected bibliography, and lists of recommended books, films, and Web sites. Illustrated with many captioned photos and prints and enlivened with quotes from firsthand accounts, this book provides a balanced, informative introduction to Andersonville.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
Table of Contents
Author's Note | p. 6 |
Cast Of Characters | p. 8 |
Prologue Captured! | p. 10 |
Part I The Camp, December 1863 To November 1864 | |
Chapter 1 On Belle Isle | p. 14 |
Chapter 2 The Road To Americus | p. 26 |
Chapter 3 The Flying Dutchman | p. 42 |
Chapter 4 The Will To Survive | p. 60 |
Chapter 5 The Raiders And The Regulators | p. 80 |
Chapter 6 General Exchange | p. 98 |
Chapter 7 Leaving Andersonville | p. 112 |
Part II The Court-Martial, May 1865 To November 1865 | |
Chapter 8 The Fiend | p. 126 |
Chapter 9 Pacts And Fabrications | p. 144 |
Chapter 10 Remember Andersonville! | p. 160 |
Epilogue After Andersonville | p. 168 |
Cast Of Characters Revisited | p. 172 |
Source Notes | p. 180 |
Selected Bibliography | p. 184 |
Further Reading, Film, And Websites | p. 187 |
Index | p. 189 |