3.07.13
Andersonville
     Andersonville was a prisoner of war camp during the Civil War. It was located in Georgia and many Union soldiers who were captured were sent there. Its location was chosen because it was in the middle of nowhere and was therefore unlikely that any Union soldiers would raid the camp and free their fellow troops. The location was optimal also for the small stream of water running through the camp. The idea was that the soldiers could use the water to drink or cook. Unfortunately, prisoners suffered from diseases resulting from the contaminated water supply as well as swarms of insects and filth. The stream was polluted because the soldiers' waste invariably ended up in the stream. In the beginning, soldiers were sent out to bring firewood back to the camp. When the guards discovered that these soldiers were using fire wood detail as an opportunity to escape, the soldiers were no longer allowed this small privilege. As a result, the soldiers had no fires for warmth or cooking. To make matters worse, the prisoners did not treat each other kindly or with respect and gangs soon formed. To maintain basic cleanliness, the prisoners would use sand as a substitute for soap, harsh though it may sound. The camp was intended to hold about 10 thousand prisoners but ended up holding over 30 thousand. As a result, there was a major lack of shelter. As a solution, prisoners built crude dwellings out of scrap materials that were known as shebangs. The commander of the camp was Henry Wirz. He was hostile and the primary target for prisoners. When the war was over, Henry Wirz essentially became a scapegoat as he was the only one executed for war crimes. At one point, the Georgia militia ran the camp when the infantry left. To maintain control, they established a strip of land armed with weapons dividing the prisoners rom the guards. If a prisoner were to cross this strip he would be shot. This was also the fate for any soldier caught trying to escape. Chances of escape for the prisoners at Andersonville were very slim because informants would turn them in. Today, Andersonville has become a state park and a cemetery memorial. 
Sources:
http://gahistoryglaser.wikispaces.com/file/view/andresn.jpg/117595397/andresn.jpg
http://gahistoryglaser.wikispaces.com/file/view/Andersonville.jpg/117594717/Andersonville.jpg