Andersonville National Historic Site
Visiting Andersonville was one of those experiences that remained with me long after we left. The peaceful landscape seen today stands in stark contrast to what happened here during the final fourteen months of the Civil War.
The site was originally Camp Sumter, one of the largest Confederate military prisons. More than 45,000 captured Union soldiers were confined within its stockade, which became dangerously overcrowded. The prisoners had little shelter, inadequate food and contaminated water. Nearly 13,000 men died from disease, malnutrition, exposure and the effects of their confinement. Their closely spaced graves became Andersonville National Cemetery.
The National Prisoner of War Museum, which opened at the site in 1998, expands the story beyond the Civil War. Its exhibits and film explore the experiences of American prisoners of war from the Revolutionary War through more recent conflicts. Senator John McCain, who endured more than five years as a prisoner during the Vietnam War, delivered the keynote address at the museum’s dedication. The film Echoes of Captivity was narrated by General Colin Powell and included the testimony of former prisoners.
This sculpture shows the Georgia Monument, created by sculptor William Thompson and dedicated in 1976 as a memorial to American prisoners of all wars. Its three wounded figures struggle forward together. Their overlapping arms emphasize how companionship and mutual support could mean the difference between life and death in captivity.
Andersonville National Historic Site brings together three related places: the remains of Camp Sumter, Andersonville National Cemetery and the National Prisoner of War Museum. The museum asks visitors to consider the experiences of prisoners from many wars, but the ground outside returns the story to the Civil War and to the thousands of Union soldiers who suffered and died at this place.
The prison site and cemetery became part of the National Park System when President Richard Nixon signed a law in 1970, authorizing the establishment of Andersonville National Historic Site. Its preservation ensures that Camp Sumter’s history remains connected to the broader story of American prisoners of war and the human cost of captivity.
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