• North HillSide Photomerge

    Andersonville

    National Historic Site Georgia

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  • New Operating Hours for the National Prisoner of War Museum

    Beginning Monday, May 13, 2013, the National Prisoner of War Museum will adopt new operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. More »

Places

Historic Prison Site
The site of Camp Sumter (Andersonville Prison) is preserved as part of the the National Historic Site. The historic prison site is 26.5 acres outlined with double rows of white posts. Two sections of the stockade wall have been reconstructed, the north gate and the northeast corner.

Camp Sumter was established in late 1863 and early 1864 to provide an additional place to hold Union prisoners captured by Confederate forces. The first prisoners were brought to the new prison in February 1864 from Richmond, Virginia. Camp Sumter was built to help lessen the crowding in the facilities in and around Richmond. The new prison was orginally designed to hold a maximum of 10,000 prisoners and was 16.5 acres in size. Overcrowding was an almost immediate problem and by early summer an expansion of 10 acres was completed. By August of 1864, Camp Sumter held over 32,000 prisoners and the death rate was a staggering 100+ daily. In 14 months, nearly 13,000 Union prisoners persished.

 

Andersonville National Cemetery
The cemetery was established to provide a permanent place of honor for those who died in military service to our country. The initial interments, beginning in February 1864, were those who died in the nearby prisoner of war camp. Today the cemetery contains nearly 18,000 interments. Andersonville National Cemetery, administered by the National Park Service, uses the same eligibility criteria as cemeteries administered by the National Cemetery Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. For information regarding eligibility criteria, please visit the website of the National Cemetery Administration at www.cem.va.gov.

Did You Know?

Lock and key to the Andersonville military prison

Very little remains of the original Andersonville prison. On the grounds, only the earthworks remain. Housed in the National Prison of War Museum are the original lock, key, and hinge from the South Gate along with a piece of the deadline and a post from the stockade. Relics from prisoners include a mirror and sewing kit as well as handmade items such as a pipe and rings made of bone.