Between 1861 and 1865, American Civil War prison camps were operated by the Union and the Confederacy to detain over 400,000 captured soldiers. From the start of the Civil War through to 1863 a parole exchange system saw most prisoners of war swapped relatively quickly.

Of the more than 150 prisons established during the war, the following eight examples illustrate the challenges facing the roughly 400,000 men who had been imprisoned by war's end. The Confederacy opened Salisbury Prison, converted from a robustly constructed cotton mill, in 1861.

By far the most infamous of Civil War prisons, Andersonville, officially known as Camp Sumter, did not exist until the winter of 1863-1864. With defeats at Chattanooga and Atlanta in the West and expanding Union offensive operations in the East, …

Apr 14, 2015 · When the Civil War began, neither side expected a long conflict. Although there was no formal exchange system at the beginning of the war, both armies paroled prisoners. Captured men were conditionally released on their oath of honor not to return to battle.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System currently includes information about two Civil War prisons: Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, once a temporary home to more than 15,000 Confederate soldiers; and Andersonville prison camp in Andersonville, Georgia, where more than 45,000 Union soldiers were confined.

Oct 31, 2022 · During the Civil War, over 400,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were held prisoner at more than 150 different prison sites. Approximately 56,000 of these died in captivity. Although Andersonville is the most famous Civil War prison, it is only one of many Civil War military prisons that are preserved by the National Park Service.

Whether they were situated in the North or in the South, prison camps in the Civil War were almost incredibly lethal, and no refinement of figuring leaves one side looking much better than the other.

Nov 9, 2009 · From February 1864 until the end of the American Civil War (1861-65) in April 1865, Andersonville, Georgia, served as the site of a notorious Confederate military prison.

5 days ago · There were over 160 prisons used throughout the Civil War. These institutions were established all along the East Coast as far north as Boston, as far south as Dry Tortugas Island off Key West, Florida, and as far west as Fort Riley, Kansas, and Fort Craig, New Mexico.

This website contains searchable databases of Union prisoners interned at Andersonville Prison and Cahaba Prison, as well as the Union prisoners on the Sultana. The databases contain the following information: Name; Regiment and company; Rank; Date and location of capture; Fate; Age and cause of death; Andersonville grave number; Remarks