Camp Sumter: Prison During The Civil War

The first shipment of prisoners to reach Andersonville came from Libby Prison in Virginia on February 24, 1864 (Hackmann 1). From that day on, 400 men showed up each day. At the end of June, 26,000 men were held captive, and by August, the total had risen to 33,000, making that the largest population of men held at one time. Originally meant to detain only 10,000 men, a solution needed to be found. (2 “Andersonville” 1) The Confederates made the decision to expand the stockade to twenty-six acres, but that did not help the declining conditions (Hackmann 1). Henry Devillez remembers arriving on June 18, 1864, and states, “. . . we [Naviaux, Devillez, and both Rogier brothers] beheld misery on all sides. Sickness and death by hundreds was the program every day.” Over time the creek banks gave way and resulted in the whole compound becoming a swamp infested with maggots and lice. The pests would

After the Civil War, the South was in a state of political turmoil, social chaos, and economic decline. Contrary to popular belief, Northerners did not subject Southerners to unethical or inhumane punishment. The time post Civil War was filled with efforts toward reconstructing the South, yet there is the strong question if there even is a New South. Yes, there was somewhat of a New South economically. No, there was not a New South regarding race relations and social hierarchy. In the 1870’s, the South realized the world still looked at them as the ones who wanted slavery. There was a need to project a new image to the world and to stimulate

If it was refused he was to force its evacuation. (www.us-civilwar.com/sumter.htm) Anderson received a letter from Gen. Beauregard telling him to evacuate the fort or he will force them out. Anderson refused even though that the lack of supplies would force him to evacuate. He replied to Beauregard that unless he received instructions or supplies from Washington by noon April 15 he would evacuate. (The atlas of the Civil War)

Although the horrors of the American Civil War and Reconstruction within Indian Territory were fresh. Yet, the presence of Indian Territory changed drastically between 1865 and 1889, because of the “Second Trail of Tears”, the unrest of the Southern Plains tribes of western Indian Territory, and the impact of U.S. Polices on Indian Territory.

The Civil War that occurred was one of the darkest times in our history as a country. It was a time where there was a complete breakdown of social and political systems. Hundreds of thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands more were aversely affected. However, it was also a time of remembrance and significant moral progress. It is remembered as the turning point in American History and would be the foundation for the Civil Rights movement many years later.

The romanticized version of the Civil War creates a picture of the North versus the South with the North imposing on the South. However, after reading “The Making of a Confederate” by William L. Barney, one can see that subdivisions existed before the war was declared. The documents analyzed by Barney primarily focus on the experiences of Walter Lenoir, a southern confederate and a member of the planter elite. His experiences tell a vivid story of a passionate and strongly opinioned participant of the Civil War as well as demonstrate a noticeably different view involving his reasoning when choosing a side. Between analyzing this fantastic piece of literature and other resourceful documents from “Voices of Freedom” by Eric Foner, one

Although the prison was enlarged, the number of prisoners continued to swell. By August 1864, more than 32,000 prisoners were confined at Andersonville. Also, the lack of shelter from the searing heat and the bitter cold. Historical documents, however, attest to the fact that prison officials attempted to acquire supplies for the prisoners but were severely hampered by the need to use supplies for the military and war effort.

“One single personal voice who reminds a mob of its individuality can disarm it,” is the central theme for chapter 15 in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird.” This is shown in the three literary elements; setting, conflict and character which all help develop the theme.

The date was December 10th 1864, just a little over three years after the beginning of the civil war, and the Union Army was waiting just outside the city of Savannah. Just 25 days earlier General Sherman and his Union Army had left the city of Atlanta after its seizure and were now poised to try the same thing in Savannah . The only thing standing in their way of completing this task was the formidable Fort McAllister. The Union Army, if it were able to seize the Fort would complete the seizure of the city of Savannah and open up a valuable resupply route to the sea. The man chosen to complete this task was General William Babcock Hazen, commander of the 15th Corps.

A day in a Union soldiers Camp life started at 5 a.m. and ended around 9 p.m. with several drills in between similarly to the Confederates, but unlike the Confederates, the Union was supplied with multiple advantages to create a greater camp life. Although the union did not have that much food the Union soldiers still were supplied with much more food than the Confederate. Also, the union tended to have more desirable clothing and shelter. According to The Civil

The photograph depicts the inside of Fort Sumter. My photo represents the inside of Fort Sumter while the Confederates were just going about their daily lives. There are nine Confederate men being shown while waving above, is the flag of the Confederate States of America. It was taken underneath the Confederate States of America flag inside Fort Sumter, South Carolina on April 14, 1861. Inside Fort Sumter, were weaponry, buildings, and unfinished projects.

The author Weber writes neither side deliberately set out to mistreat prisoners. The camps that were built were made to deal with unexpected masses of men (Weber 137). Nobody expected the war to last long, so both sides made makeshift camps. According to the article “The Civil War Concentration Camps” prisoners sometimes had to construct their own shelters. Men made the shelters out of scrap wood, or they dug holes in the ground to protect themselves from the elements outside.

Worse than Slavery is a monograph that discusses Parchman Prison and gives various accounts of men and women who lived within the prison. Overall, Parchman was another way for white men to stay in charge and to keep black men oppressed. During this time, ninety percent of the prison population was African American. Although slavery had ended many years prior to the establishment of Parchman, it had many characteristics of slavery. The prison system at Parchman reflects themes of poverty, racism and reform.

On December 20th, 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union. During this time, 85 federal soldiers under the command of Major Robert Anderson were stationed at Fort Moultrie, which is also located near the Charleston Harbor. To protect the federal strong hold in the south, Major Anderson moved his troops to Fort Sumter in the dark of night on December 26th. When the people of Charleston heard the news of the invasion on the fort, it did not sit well with them and other Southern states. Fort Sumter was built to protect the harbor in Charleston, now it was a military threat.

Throughout the nineteenth century, penology was characterized by a debate between two 'schools'. The first was the system of "solitary" and "segregation" proposed by the Pennsylvania penitentiary. The second, that of which will be discussed in this paper, the "silent" and "congregate" system was designed for the Auburn penitentiary in New York State.