The Civil War prison camps were very important in the Civil War because they were responsible for claiming thousands of lives from both sides. What were these prison camps used in the Civil War? They were places where each side would keep most of their Prisoners of War, or more commonly known as P.O.W.’s, incarcerated. The camps were usually coastal fortifications, old buildings, existing jails, or barracks enclosed with high fences. Conditions at these camps were very harsh and the mortality rate, or the chance you have of getting out alive, was on average 27%. There were more than 150 prison camps established throughout the Civil War. They were all filled way past their capacity limits so inmates were very crowded with very little provisions and surrounded by disease. Three infamous prison camps are the Union’s Fort Delaware, Elmira Prison in New York, and Camp Sumter or Andersonville Prison. An estimated 56,000 men perished in prison camps during the Civil War. (National Geographic Society) The Union’s Fort Delaware, which was nicknamed “The Fort Delaware Death Pen”, was completed being built in 1859. The camp was located on Pea Path Island. The prison was in the shape of a pentagon and covered a total of six acres. The fort was feared but the fort’s own commandant, General Albin F. Schoepf, along with the Confederates. …show more content…
There were many prison camps used during the Civil War and they were all terrible. The prison camps during the Civil War helped claim the lives of thousands of the deaths from the Civil War, and most people don’t know how much of an impact the prison camps had on the total number of deaths throughout the Civil War. They killed thousands of soldiers on both sides, making an impact on each side’s soldier count, and adding another fear to the soldier’s head. The prison camps used during the Civil War killed as many as 56,000
Scaffolding was set up along one side of the building where, on the night of April 21, a fire broke out. At the time of the incident 4,300 inmates were housed in the prison, nearly three times the amount that was appropriate for the facility. The cell-block adjacent to the fire housed 800 prisoners; by the time the fire had become noticeable, many them had already
45,000 prisoners. From those 45,000 men, 12,920 died as a result of poor sanitation, diseases, overcrowding, and malnutrition; and were buried in the cemetery located just outside the prison walls (unknown, 28). Around the perimeter of the prison 90-foot walls and there were two entrances on the west side. Inside the camp, a short distance from the wall, was a “deadline,” which prisoners were forbidden to cross. If a prisoner were to cross the deadline, Captain Wirz had them shot.
Ulysses S. Grant took no part in the operation in the prison camps. He did not have anything to do with the creation of these camps let alone taking part in the operation, which he could not have done based on his rank early in the war. Most of the camps were built and officially started operating between the years 1861 and 1862, when Grant was off "displayed his military prowess early in the conflict. In 1861, he led 3,000 troops into his first major engagement.” This meaning he was busy in combat while other leaders when discussing the camps.
August 1st, 1863 one of the worst prison camps for confederates in the civil war was created. Point Lookout was established right after the Battle of Gettysburg to take confederate soldiers. Point Lookout had caused many conflicts for prisoners in camp. Some conflicts that Point Lookout caused for soldiers was disease, hunger, and even death. Nearly 50,000 soldiers became prisoners and 4,000 died in the process.
Civil War soldiers fought for something more than just manhood, duty, government, and their country. They fought for and against slavery, which for most soldiers was their primary motivation beyond defending their home. Slavery for many was more than just an institution, it was the fabric of their economic society that provided the wealth and opportunity to the South. Without slavery the South could not operate and prosper which made it impossible for the notion of emancipation. However, those in the North did not immediately rely on the institution of slavery in such dire manner.
Most suffered from PTSD for the rest of their lives, along with other permanent mental and physical damage. After returning home, the Union soldiers told stories of the hardships they endured at the Andersonville Prison. Northerners and Southerners alike were appalled after finding out what was really going on in Southern prison camps. Demanding someone be blamed for these horrors, government officials asked those involved, and the answer was most often the same: nearly 150 former prisoners, guards, civilians, and medical staff testified that Wirz was to be blamed, as he had violated the laws of war by not only withholding available food and supplies, but also by issuing orders that resulted in the death of Union prisoners of war. Henry Wirz was charged with all of the deaths that occurred at the Andersonville prison.
This large star shaped fort held 13,000 confederate soldiers after the appalling battle of Gettysburg. This fort was very important to the union winning the civil war. Major Alexander C.W. Fanning was the first commander of Fort Delaware. Many of these confederate soldiers,who were caught, attempted escape many times which is why many believe the fort is haunted by confederate soldiers.
Some of the things that caused death during the war, were cannons, muskerry, swords, and pistol/ buckshot. Even though a lot of reasons for death was M. LaBeau 2 unkown, illness played a big part of it. Most of the soldiers bodies were burned on the battlefield, but others were burned at the hospital by the staff who worked there. There were more than 4,000,000 soldiers captured throughout the Civil War.
300,000 prisoners of war were sent to the Gulags. The conditions in these forced labour camps were awful. They had no sanitation, very little food, and slept in tiny rooms with wooden slates spread far apart for beds. Also the working conditions were very dangerous and detrimental to the convicts health. Since the conditions were so poor in these camps, it created a really high death rate.
Life for the Union Soldier was not only brutal on the battlefield, but the camp life for a Union soldier was just as cruel. With the lack of personal hygiene, unsavory and repugnant food, and the shortage of clothing made living, a very difficult thing to do. Growth in the number of people with diseases was also a contributing factor to the massive amounts of death within the camp and as well as the post-battle wounds that often left either a man with one less limb or put in a mental institution. A Union Soldier’s life during the Civil War was cruel and horrific during their stay at the camps.
. From those 500,000 laborers, 200,000 black soldiers and circumnavigators, a multitude of them were former veterans, served in the armed forces (Holzer). The North now had more strategies and tactics. The discharged captives could also barricade forts, positions, stations, and other locations, and to other mens bateaus (Emancipation Proclamation Civil Rights in the United States). The Emancipation Proclamation proved superior, Lee capitulated his army at Appomattox Court near Lynchburg, Virginia.
Is it fair that an African American man is sentenced up to life in prison for possession of drugs when Brock Turner is sentenced to only 14 years, later to be reduced to six months for sexually assaulting an unconscious women. The judiciary system are believed to have a high african american incarceration rate as a result of discrimination. At a presidential debate on Martin Luther King Day, President Barack Obama said that “Blacks and whites are arrested at very different rates, are convicted at very different rates, and receive very different sentences… for the same crime.” Hillary Clinton said the “disgrace of a criminal-justice system that incarcerates so many more african americans proportionately than whites.”
Horror stories about the brutal treatment of inmates in prisons has been the focus of several popular movies over the last few decades. The fact is that prison brutality is real and prisoners at Alabama prisons went on strike to protest against inhuman conditions and treatment at Alabama prisons. The 29,000 male and female prisoners that are housed in Alabama prisons went on strike May Day. The prison strike clearly showed that prisoners are coming together to organize and demand better conditions along with better treatment.
Slavery, the War on Black Family While slavery in America was an institution that was started over 400 years ago, the affects were so horrific that it is still felt today by modern day African Americans. Many families had to deal with the constant stress of being sold which made it difficult to have a normal family life. Slaves were sold to pay off debts, an owner dying and his slaves were sold in an estate sale, or when an owner’s children would leave the home to begin a life of their own, they would take slaves with them. Often times, children were not raised by their parents, other family members of someone designated to watch the children because the mother and father had to work long hours and the children were too young to join them.
There are over 120,000 people in North Korean prison camps. Over 400,000 people have died in the North Korean prison camps. Shin Dong-H yuk, author from CNN says, “ The people chose the system and that they are happy”. They are really lying to the rest of the world and everyone knows that the concentration camps exist and it is hard to deny but they are doing it.