1. Civil War Prison Camps

2. Early War POW’s Both sides unprepared for large number of prisoners
Adopted “Exchange System” (parole)
Oath not to fight for a time

3. Early War POW’s Temporary “holding pens” System broke down:
Not honoring length of paroles
Union strategy of attrition
Paroling prisoners ended by end of 1862

4. Military Fortifications
Both sides used military fortifications:
Castle Pinckney-Union prisoners
Charleston, SC
Fort McHenry-Confederate / political prisoners
Baltimore, MD

5. Converted Buildings Mainly in Confederacy Libby Prison: Union officers
Richmond, VA

6. Escape from Libby Prison
Over 100 prisoners attempted escape in Feb
Dug tunnel into nearby carriage shed; made it

7. Enclosures around Buildings
Camp Chase-Confederate prisoners
Columbus, OH
Over 2,000 prisoners died

8. Enclosures around Buildings
Elmira Prison in upstate NY
Union converted old training facility
Half barracks, half tent city
“Hellmira”: 3,000 died

9. Enclosures around Tents
Belle Isle-Union prisoners
Richmond, VA
Housed 30,000 prisoners
1,000 died
Point Lookout-Confederate prisoners
MD, Chesapeake Bay
Largest prison camp in North
Housed over 50,000
4,000 died

10. Open Stockades Only Confederacy used ‘open stockades’
Andersonville--most infamous Confederate prison
Built in 1864 in SW GA
House ‘overflow’
POWs began arriving before camp completed
13,000 died
Capt. Henry Wirz: commandant, executed for ‘war crimes’

11. Andersonville Documents Assignment
Using the documents, complete the chart on Death at Andersonville.
Answer the analysis questions.
Be sure to include the document where you found the info.
We will discuss this as a class when finished.