Introduction
Andersonville Prison was one of the largest Confederate POW (Prisoner of War) camps during the civil war. More than 45,000 Union soldiers were interned at the prison, living in poor conditions with a lack of resources for both the Union and Confederate within the camp. The camp was commanded by Captain Henry Wirz, who after the war, was tried for war crimes and became the only person to be executed for such crimes during the Civil War.
Task
In this webquest, you will explore conditions within Andersonville and the significance of the prison in the Civil War.
Process
A. Watch the following video and read the primary source to answer the questions:
Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HCdCcC1x3nA
Primary Source: http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/reserves/7thres/eliotdiary.html
Questions:
1. Why did the South establish Andersonville Prison?
2. What were the conditions like at Andersonville prison?
3. Why were there a lack of resources within the camp?
4. How did the Southern guards treat the Northern prisoners?
5. How did the North react when they found out the truth about Andersonville Prison?
6. Why did the North consider Andersonville Prison a violation of human rights?
B. Examine the map and use the internet to describe the significance of the following structures:
Resources:
www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/warfare/andersonville.html
Deadline:
Earthworks (engineering):
Stockade Branch (river):
Georgia Railroad:
Identify the location where the prisoners would be held captive in the camp. How did each structure contribute to survival and imprisonment of the Union prisoners in the camp?
Conclusion
The Andersonville Prison symbolized the gruesome aspects of the war as the effects of the deteriorating position of the South in the Civil War can be seen with the conditions of the camp.