Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons

The author recounts fifteen months as a prisoner of war, tracing capture, confinement in Richmond’s prisons and transfer to the notorious camp at Andersonville. He records daily life under starvation, disease, overcrowding, cold and filth; the collapse of food, clothing and medical care; and high mortality. Chapters describe camp society and institutions — raids, regulators, executions, attempts at escape by tunneling and fencing, ill-treatment by guards including Captain Wirz, improvised commerce, religious services, songs and games to pass time — alongside hospital horrors, amputations and the moral strain of survival. The account blends detailed episodes, practical observations and reflections on endurance amid systematic neglect.