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Prison Conditions During The Civil War

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During the Civil War, the capture of Large amounts of Prisoners became a common practice, and an exchange system developed. A prisoner could be exchanged for an enemy soldier, depending on his rank , and as a result, about 200,000 soldiers on both sides were freed. However, this exchange system stopped in 1864 when General Grant refused to trade any more captives in an attempt to wear down the South by attrition.This policy greatly affected the Confederacy. Prison conditions had been relatively good, but they quickly worsened. Almost any building was hastily converted into a prison, and camps quickly became overcrowded. Prison camps also suffered from food shortages, inadequate medical care, and lack of shelter. One of the Confederate 's
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