Part 7/10:

While certain prisons offered glimpses of reasonable sustenance, many others devolved into squalor. Andersonville Prison in Georgia, perhaps the most infamous, housed thousands of men in overcrowded conditions. Written accounts describe rationing that consisted of diminished provisions, often contaminated with vermin or mold. The lack of hygiene, coupled with rampant diseases, created a precarious environment where survival was not guaranteed.

The shift in prisoner numbers exacerbated these dire circumstances. Earlier in the war, exchanges between the Union and Confederate forces kept populations manageable. However, as these exchanges dwindled, prisons filled to capacity, overcrowded with men who faced starvation and disease daily.