Question
Command
1. Why would it be challenging to run a prison during wartime?
2. What rights should prisoners of war have?
3. Who was Captain Henry Wirz?
4. Should withholding food from prisoners of war be a crime? Why or why not?
5. What became of Captain Henry Wirz? Do you believe this was fair? Why or why not?
Andersonville prison was located in the south
they picked this area because of the nearby railroad
to house soldiers
It was to much people and many were dying quickly
They could have made more coffins for the prisoners
Andersonville Prison
D. Rogue Soldiers
1. Who were the Raiders and why were they significant?
2. Do you think the prisoners could have worked together to handle problems rather than
turning against one another?
3. How can we explain the actions of the Raiders
E. Water Supply
1. How many prisoners was Andersonville originally built to hold?
2. How many prisoners lived there by August 1864?
3. Why did Camp Sumter at Andersonville face challenging prison conditions?
4. What was wrong with the water supply at Andersonville prison?
F. Cemetery
1. Andersonville was originally a resting place only for Union dead. Why do you think it later
became a cemetery for others as well?
2. Union prisoner Dorence Atwater worked for Confederate prison officials. Why do you think
he chose to do this? Did it make him a traitor?
Read the journal entry of Private Michael Dougherty from 15 February 1864
1. Why would it be challenging to run a prison during wartime?
2. What rights should prisoners of war have?
3. Who was Captain Henry Wirz?
4. Should withholding food from prisoners of war be a crime? Why or why not?
5. What became of Captain Henry Wirz? Do you believe this was fair? Why or why not?
Andersonville prison was located in the south
they picked this area because of the nearby railroad
to house soldiers
It was to much people and many were dying quickly
They could have made more coffins for the prisoners
Andersonville Prison
D. Rogue Soldiers
1. Who were the Raiders and why were they significant?
2. Do you think the prisoners could have worked together to handle problems rather than
turning against one another?
3. How can we explain the actions of the Raiders
E. Water Supply
1. How many prisoners was Andersonville originally built to hold?
2. How many prisoners lived there by August 1864?
3. Why did Camp Sumter at Andersonville face challenging prison conditions?
4. What was wrong with the water supply at Andersonville prison?
F. Cemetery
1. Andersonville was originally a resting place only for Union dead. Why do you think it later
became a cemetery for others as well?
2. Union prisoner Dorence Atwater worked for Confederate prison officials. Why do you think
he chose to do this? Did it make him a traitor?
Read the journal entry of Private Michael Dougherty from 15 February 1864
Answers
GPT-4o mini
### A. Prison Conditions During Wartime
1. **Challenges of Running a Prison During Wartime:**
- **Resource Scarcity:** During wartime, resources such as food, medical supplies, and even staff are often limited due to military needs. This scarcity can lead to overcrowding and inadequate care for prisoners.
- **Overcrowding:** Prisons may become overcrowded as more soldiers are captured. This can lead to unsanitary conditions and increased risk of disease.
- **Security Risks:** Prisons can become targets for enemy attacks, necessitating heightened security measures for both the prisoners and the guards.
- **Moral and Ethical Dilemmas:** Ensuring humane treatment amid wartime pressures can create moral challenges for prison administrators, often resulting in inhumane conditions.
- **Logistical Issues:** Supply chains may be disrupted, hindering the ability to provide adequate accommodations for prisoners.
2. **Rights of Prisoners of War:**
- **Humane Treatment:** POWs should be treated humanely and not subjected to violence or intimidation.
- **Access to Food and Water:** They should have sufficient food and clean drinking water.
- **Medical Care:** POWs should receive necessary medical treatment and care for injuries and illnesses.
- **Communication:** They should be allowed to communicate with families and retain some form of personal dignity.
- **Legal Protections:** POWs should be afforded certain legal protections under international laws such as the Geneva Conventions.
3. **Captain Henry Wirz:**
- Captain Henry Wirz was a Swiss physician and Confederate officer who served as the commandant of Andersonville Prison during the American Civil War. He was responsible for the prison's management and the treatment of the Union prisoners held there.
4. **Withholding Food from POWs:**
- Yes, withholding food from prisoners of war should be deemed a crime. It constitutes a violation of international human rights and humanitarian laws. Starving prisoners can lead to immense suffering and death, and it undermines the ethical treatment standards established by the Geneva Conventions.
5. **Outcome of Captain Henry Wirz:**
- Captain Henry Wirz was tried and executed for war crimes after the Civil War, largely due to the horrendous conditions prisoners faced during his command at Andersonville. Whether this was fair is subjective; some argue he was a scapegoat for broader systemic failures, while others believe he bore personal responsibility for the suffering; fairness can thus depend on one's perspective on personal accountability versus systemic issues.
### B. Andersonville Prison
**D. Rogue Soldiers**
1. **Raiders:**
- The Raiders were a group of Union prisoners at Andersonville who resorted to theft and violence against fellow inmates in order to survive. Their significance lies in how they exemplified the breakdown of order and morality within the desperate conditions of the prison.
2. **Handling Problems Collaboratively:**
- Yes, it is possible that prisoners could have worked together to address shared problems rather than turning against one another. A united front might have improved conditions through collective bargaining, support systems, or self-governance, fostering camaraderie instead of conflict.
3. **Explaining Raider Actions:**
- The actions of the Raiders can be explained by the extreme desperation and dehumanizing conditions they experienced. Faced with starvation and suffering, some prisoners may have resorted to selfish acts to survive, reflecting both human instincts and the breakdown of societal norms.
**E. Water Supply**
1. **Original Capacity of Andersonville:**
- Andersonville was originally built to hold about 10,000 prisoners.
2. **Population by August 1864:**
- By August 1864, the prisoner population at Andersonville had surged to around 33,000, leading to severe overcrowding.
3. **Challenging Conditions at Camp Sumter:**
- The prison faced difficult conditions due to inadequate living space, food shortages, unsanitary conditions, and lack of infrastructure, which all contributed to high mortality rates among prisoners.
4. **Issues with Water Supply:**
- The water supply at Andersonville was contaminated and insufficient. Poisonous water sources and a lack of proper sanitation led to outbreaks of disease and added to the already dire living conditions.
**F. Cemetery**
1. **Broader Cemetery Significance:**
- Originally a resting place for Union dead, Andersonville later became a cemetery for both Union and Confederate soldiers as a symbol of reconciliation and a recognition of the shared tragedy of war.
2. **Dorence Atwater's Choices:**
- Dorence Atwater, who worked for the Confederate prison officials, might have done so to gain more privileges or help fellow prisoners. Whether this makes him a traitor is subjective; some might see his actions as pragmatic survival tactics rather than treachery.
### Journal Entry Context
- The journal entry of Private Michael Dougherty from February 15, 1864, would likely capture the dire conditions faced by prisoners at Andersonville, reflecting their struggles, fears, and perhaps their attempts to maintain hope amidst overwhelming adversity.
1. **Challenges of Running a Prison During Wartime:**
- **Resource Scarcity:** During wartime, resources such as food, medical supplies, and even staff are often limited due to military needs. This scarcity can lead to overcrowding and inadequate care for prisoners.
- **Overcrowding:** Prisons may become overcrowded as more soldiers are captured. This can lead to unsanitary conditions and increased risk of disease.
- **Security Risks:** Prisons can become targets for enemy attacks, necessitating heightened security measures for both the prisoners and the guards.
- **Moral and Ethical Dilemmas:** Ensuring humane treatment amid wartime pressures can create moral challenges for prison administrators, often resulting in inhumane conditions.
- **Logistical Issues:** Supply chains may be disrupted, hindering the ability to provide adequate accommodations for prisoners.
2. **Rights of Prisoners of War:**
- **Humane Treatment:** POWs should be treated humanely and not subjected to violence or intimidation.
- **Access to Food and Water:** They should have sufficient food and clean drinking water.
- **Medical Care:** POWs should receive necessary medical treatment and care for injuries and illnesses.
- **Communication:** They should be allowed to communicate with families and retain some form of personal dignity.
- **Legal Protections:** POWs should be afforded certain legal protections under international laws such as the Geneva Conventions.
3. **Captain Henry Wirz:**
- Captain Henry Wirz was a Swiss physician and Confederate officer who served as the commandant of Andersonville Prison during the American Civil War. He was responsible for the prison's management and the treatment of the Union prisoners held there.
4. **Withholding Food from POWs:**
- Yes, withholding food from prisoners of war should be deemed a crime. It constitutes a violation of international human rights and humanitarian laws. Starving prisoners can lead to immense suffering and death, and it undermines the ethical treatment standards established by the Geneva Conventions.
5. **Outcome of Captain Henry Wirz:**
- Captain Henry Wirz was tried and executed for war crimes after the Civil War, largely due to the horrendous conditions prisoners faced during his command at Andersonville. Whether this was fair is subjective; some argue he was a scapegoat for broader systemic failures, while others believe he bore personal responsibility for the suffering; fairness can thus depend on one's perspective on personal accountability versus systemic issues.
### B. Andersonville Prison
**D. Rogue Soldiers**
1. **Raiders:**
- The Raiders were a group of Union prisoners at Andersonville who resorted to theft and violence against fellow inmates in order to survive. Their significance lies in how they exemplified the breakdown of order and morality within the desperate conditions of the prison.
2. **Handling Problems Collaboratively:**
- Yes, it is possible that prisoners could have worked together to address shared problems rather than turning against one another. A united front might have improved conditions through collective bargaining, support systems, or self-governance, fostering camaraderie instead of conflict.
3. **Explaining Raider Actions:**
- The actions of the Raiders can be explained by the extreme desperation and dehumanizing conditions they experienced. Faced with starvation and suffering, some prisoners may have resorted to selfish acts to survive, reflecting both human instincts and the breakdown of societal norms.
**E. Water Supply**
1. **Original Capacity of Andersonville:**
- Andersonville was originally built to hold about 10,000 prisoners.
2. **Population by August 1864:**
- By August 1864, the prisoner population at Andersonville had surged to around 33,000, leading to severe overcrowding.
3. **Challenging Conditions at Camp Sumter:**
- The prison faced difficult conditions due to inadequate living space, food shortages, unsanitary conditions, and lack of infrastructure, which all contributed to high mortality rates among prisoners.
4. **Issues with Water Supply:**
- The water supply at Andersonville was contaminated and insufficient. Poisonous water sources and a lack of proper sanitation led to outbreaks of disease and added to the already dire living conditions.
**F. Cemetery**
1. **Broader Cemetery Significance:**
- Originally a resting place for Union dead, Andersonville later became a cemetery for both Union and Confederate soldiers as a symbol of reconciliation and a recognition of the shared tragedy of war.
2. **Dorence Atwater's Choices:**
- Dorence Atwater, who worked for the Confederate prison officials, might have done so to gain more privileges or help fellow prisoners. Whether this makes him a traitor is subjective; some might see his actions as pragmatic survival tactics rather than treachery.
### Journal Entry Context
- The journal entry of Private Michael Dougherty from February 15, 1864, would likely capture the dire conditions faced by prisoners at Andersonville, reflecting their struggles, fears, and perhaps their attempts to maintain hope amidst overwhelming adversity.