Friday, February 27, 2009

The Haunting of Andersonville



On today's date in 1864, the Confederate Army founded Camp Sumter in Andersonville, Georgia. Camp Sumter also included a prison for Union prisoners of war. Like many war prisons of the time, there were very poor living conditions for the prisoners - starvation and disease were rampant. The only drinking water came from a stream that ran through the stockades. This water quickly became polluted as it was also used for bathing and disposal of human waste of thousands of prisoners. Close to 13,000 captured Union soldiers died in the Andersonville prison.

Since 1999, the site of the former prison serves as home to the National Prisoner of War Museum. It educates visitors about what prisoners of war have experienced in each war America has been involved in. The location has also been the scene of apparent hauntings. Witnesses have come out of the Andersonville National Historic Site with stories of disembodied voices moaning and talking, apparitions of soldiers and other supernatural experiences.

Pay a visit to the Andersonville National Historic Site to learn more.

-Tom G

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