Andersonville and Plains, Georgia

Camp Sumpter, or better known as Andersonville Prison, is located about 10 miles NE of Plains, GA, the hometown of President Jimmy Carter. “... The Confederate Military Prison at Andersonville, GA., consists of a strong stockade, twenty feet in height, enclosing twenty-seven acres. The stockade is formed of strong pine logs, firmly planted in the ground...The Federal prisoners were gathered from all parts of the Confederate States east of the Mississippi, and crowded into the confined space, until, in the month of June [1865] the average number of square feet of ground to each prisoner was only 32.3 or less than four square yards...From want of proper police and hygienic regulations alone it is not wonderful that from February 24 to September, 1864, nine thousand four hundred and seventy-nine deaths, nearly one-third the entire number of prisoners have been recorded.” (Ransom, John L., Late First Sergant Ninth Mich. Cav, Andersonville Diary, 1881, Auburn, NY) Total Union Soldiers who died at Andersonville was 12,912. If you have the opportunity, see the movie Andersonville: The Great Untold Story of the Civil War. Turner Pictures T6364.		Ball and Chain used to contain the prisoners.
Tunnel for escape.	Well marker.	Memorial
Overview. White outer stakes - Stockade Wall. Inner marker - Dead Zone.	Stream and water supply. Prison guards latrine.	Downstream prisoners water supply. Only slightly smaller than in 1864.
Looking upstream from prisoners water supply.	Cannonade to stop prisoner insurrections.	Site overview. Looking North.
Living conditons.	Living conditions.	Living conditions. (Taken from actual photos)
Entrance to the National Cemetary. (Still in use)	Head stone of Mahlon H. West. G-G Uncle	Mahlon H West died of scurvy. Age 21 years.
	Andersonville prisoner grave sites.	All of the white head stones are from prison deaths.
	Inscription on the cemetary memorial.	Inscription on the cemetary memorial.
Cemetary Memorial		Bob by Mahlon H West's tomb stone.

Plains, Georgia