Daily Life at Andersonville Prison

One of the largest Confederate military prisons of the Civil War, Andersonville Prison, built in 1864, was officially known as Camp Sumter.

Andersonville Prison was built to hold roughly 10,000 inmates. By the end of the war, nearly three times that number filled the cramped area.

The only source of water was a small river that ran through the center of camp. It was used by the prisoners for bathing, washing, and drinking.

Certain areas within the camp's walls were off-limits to prisoners. The outer row of white posts in this photo denotes the edge of the stockade where inmates were kept, while the inner row marks the deadline that prisoners were forbidden to cross.

The area between the deadline and the stockade wall was considered "no man's land."

Guards in the sentry boxes were instructed to shoot any prisoner who crossed the deadline.

Left to fend for themselves, prisoners utilized whatever resources were available. They made ramshackle shelters, stole supplies, and attempted to bring in outside money, food, and resources.

Ultimately, inmates became sick, and many died due to starvation and disease.

In a journal entry recorded over several scorching days in July, 1864, a captured sergeant describes his sickness from the heat, threats from prison guards, and the death of a fellow inmate.

He further reports on the horrific lack of rations and the actions taken against fellow inmates who informed on prisoners attempting to escape.

Prisoners were given little to no supplies for making their own shelters inside the stockade.

Soldiers captured away from the battlefield may have had extra clothing or even tents they could use. Those captured during battle had little more than what they were wearing. Many unfortunate inmates dug themselves holes in the ground in an attempt to avoid to elements.

Some inmates gathered brush and other materials from their surroundings to make shelters, occasionally called shebangs.

Exposure was a common cause of death for Andersonville prisoners. Literally, exposure means a fatal lack of protection from weather and the environment.