Andersonville National Historic Site

Andersonville, or Camp Sumter as it was officially known, was one of the largest Confederate military prisons that existed during the Civil War. The prison site was erected in 1864 to relieve the overcrowding of prison sites that resulted from the breakdown of the prisoner exchange system. Camp Sumter was built to hold 10,000 prisoners but held over 45,000 during the 14 months that it was in operation. Of these, 13,000 prisoners died and were buried in mass graves on land adjacent to the prison site. The cemetery was established as a national cemetery on August 17, 1865. Not only is Andersonville National Cemetery the final resting place for those soldiers that died at Camp Sumter but also for veterans from all conflicts of war. Currently, there are approximately 19,000 graves. Freedom does not come free. No one knows this better than the men and women who have served and continue to serve in the military. For those whose freedom was taken away, the National Prisoner of War Museum was established in 1998. Andersonville National Historic Site is the only park in the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war throughout the nation's history.