Birds Eye View of Andersonville Prison Ga.

Boell, William · 1866

The largest Confederate prisoner of war camp constructed to house captured Union troops, Andersonville held 45,000 troops over the course of its 14 month existence. Conditions within the camp were horrific and 13,000 Union prisoners died from disease, exposure, and food shortages. This print shows the 26.5-acre Camp Sumter, with dozens of tents contained within a rectangular stockade. Fortifications armed with cannon guard the camp’s corners. Although many men can be seen in the camp, the print does not truly represent the overcrowded conditions that existed inside. The facility was built to house a maximum of 10,000 prisoners but at times held more than 32,000.