ndersonville,
Georgia, is the site of the best known of all the American
Civil War (1861-1865) prisoner-of-war (POW) camps. Andersonville
is located in south-central Georgia, near the towns of Americus and Plains. Programs and exhibits
at Andersonville National Historic
Site depict the grim life suffered by prisoners
of war, North and South, during the war. In 1970, Andersonville
National Historic Site was designated by the U.S. Congress as a memorial
to all POWs in American history. Park programs interpret the accounts
of other Civil War POW camps, both North and South, as well as the accounts
of more recent conflicts. Just as Andersonville and the story of POWs
is of great interest for historical research, the
issue of fair and ethical treatment of POWs continues to be an issue
around the world today. In fact, it was Andersonville and the public
interest associated with it that led to world-wide concerns and eventually
to the Geneva
Convention on treatment of prisoners-of-war. |
Archeological
investigations
by the NPS Southeast Archeological Center in
1989 and 1990 have revealed new information on the architectural details
and conditions of the Andersonville prison:
NOTE:
You can find out whether or not a relative or other specific individual
was imprisoned, died, or was present at Andersonville by searching the
National Park Service/Andersonville POW database via the Civil War Soldiers
and Sailors System Web site at URL: http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/.
Written inquiries can be sent to Andersonville National Historic Site,
496 Cemetery Rd., Andersonville, GA 31711, e-mail:
NPSANDE@aol.com.
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