News Release

2023 Civil War Weekend at Andersonville National Historic Site

Cannon crew during Civil War Weekend.

ANDE

News Release Date: October 23, 2023 ANDERSONVILLE, Georgia – Join us on Saturday November 4 and Sunday November 5, 2023 as Andersonville National Historic Site presents our annual Civil War Weekend!

Kids can drill like Civil War soldiers, build miniature shelters, and discover more about the Civil War period at Andersonville by participating in our Junior Ranger program. Living historians will be portraying Father Whelan, the women of Andersonville, Confederate guards, and Union prisoners, all to help the history of Camp Sumter, better known as Andersonville Prison, come to life. Cannon firing demonstrations will take place at 10:30am and 1:30pm on Saturday and at 10:00am and 3:00pm on Sunday. Musket firing demonstrations will be at 12:00pm and 3:00pm on Saturday and 11:30am on Sunday.

At 1:00 pm on Saturday and at 1:00pm on Sunday, join our guest speaker Ryan McNutt, Director of the Camp Lawton Archaeological Project at Georgia Southern University. He will be lecturing on resistance, masculinity, and mental health in POW populations at both Andersonville and Camp Lawton. 

Dr. Ryan K. McNutt earned his B.Sc. in Anthropology from Middle Tennessee State University in 2006, and his MLitt and PhD in Archaeology from the University of Glasgow, where he specialized in conflict archaeology. His research interests include utilizing technology such as LIDAR and GIS to answer questions about battlefield and conflict sites, power and dominance in the landscape, and the impact of violence on non-combatants. Since 2016 he has been the director of the Camp Lawton Archaeological Project in Millen, Georgia, which is continually uncovering evidence of guard and POW relations in a Confederate prison camp.

Entrance into the park and all activities are free. For more information or to find out how you can become a living history volunteer, call 229-924-0343.

Andersonville National Historic Site is located 10 miles south of Oglethorpe, GA and 10 miles northeast of Americus, GA on Georgia Highway 49. The national park features the National Prisoner of War Museum, Andersonville National Cemetery, and the site of the historic Camp Sumter Civil War prison. ­Andersonville National Historic Site is the only unit of the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war. Admission to the park is free. For more information about the park call 229 924-0343 or check us out on Facebook and Instagram.