The Horrors of Andersonville: Life and Death Inside a Civil War Prison (Exceptional Social Studies Titles for Upper Grades)
Grade 5 Up—To tell the story of the notorious Civil War prison, the author relies upon memoirs of soldiers who survived the camp; government documents, including the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion; and contemporary newspapers and periodicals. A history of the camp's origins is followed by an engrossing story of deterioration and despair not only for the Union soldiers housed within Andersonville's walls, but also for the Confederacy. The author focuses on six Union soldiers, including John McElroy, who was 16 when he enlisted in the Illinois Cavalry in 1862 and spent 14 months at the prison and later wrote a memoir. Others include James Madison Page, who wrote a book about Henry Wirz, commandant at Andersonville and the only Confederate officer hanged for war crimes, and John Ransom, who kept a detailed diary of his experiences. Along with Wirz, two other Confederate officers played a part in this story as well as three individuals who were associated with Wirz's trial. Combined with photographs and illustrations, the firsthand accounts and quotations make a compelling, interesting book. Numerous sidebars offer intriguing stories about hospital gangrene and surgical fevers, distribution of rations, escape attempts, and cleanliness issues such as lice. A welcome addition for all Civil War collections.—Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL(c) Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.