To Die in Chicago

[crashresidue]

Cheers,

First, let me apolpgise - my post "Heritage" was supposed to dovetail into the post directly below it - Yea, I screwed it up AGAIN!

Anyway - Has anyone read the book in the subject line?  I've bumped into it on a couple of retail sites and before I shell out a $20 for it, I'd like to know if it's worth it?

The "story" of it origin is that some IL. professor wanted to prove that the North had never done anything like Andersonville during the War.  What he found out was something entirely different.

I flew heavy lift in Chicago for a couple of years, and in one of the largest cemetarys, there are two huge mounds in the middle - called "the Confederate Mounds" - supposedly containing 6,000 remains - now whether that's "each" or "together" - I don't know.

If I break down and buy it first, I'll let ya know if it's good.

Gentle winds,
cr

[nohorse]

My great great uncle was in Tennessee when the war broke out. In May, 1861, he joined Henderson's Scouts.  He was in many skirmishes and did considerable scouting. He was first taken prisoner near Holly Springs, Miss., and retained at Cairo, Ill., for about one month when he was exchanged. After returning to Henderson’s Scouts was again captured in 1863 at Walnut Hills, Miss near Vicksburg and sent to Rock Island where he remained until the close of the war. As you probably know the prison received a mixed reputation.

Perhaps the Confederate mass graves you mentioned were prisoners from Camp Douglass in Chicago?

Prison conditions on both sides were less than tolerable with many men dying from disease such as small pox and also malnutrition.  In 1903 the United States Chief Record and Pension Office reported that twenty-five thousand, nine-hundred, and seventy-six Southerners and thirty thousand, two-hundred, and eighteen Northerners perished in Civil War prisons.  I don’t know how accurate that number is. History may never know their names or their personal sacrifices but it is good that we occasionally pause and reflect upon such things.

Thanks for the post.  Please post a book review if you read it.

[Ramrod]

Here is a short story about a camp not far from where I live. The local PBS television station did an excelent documenary not long ago about it. I think they put the death rate at about 25%
http://www.ci.elmira.ny.us/history/prison_camp.html
Do a google search for "Hellmira" for lots more.

[nohorse]

Ramrod:  I went to the link at read about the Elmira camp.  I don't know how big the average prison was but this one was 30 acres...that's a pretty big place!   Thanks for the link, it is most informative and interesting!

[mikedb]

Cheers,

First, let me apolpgise - my post "Heritage" was supposed to dovetail into the post directly below it - Yea, I screwed it up AGAIN!

Anyway - Has anyone read the book in the subject line?  I've bumped into it on a couple of retail sites and before I shell out a $20 for it, I'd like to know if it's worth it?

The "story" of it origin is that some IL. professor wanted to prove that the North had never done anything like Andersonville during the War.  What he found out was something entirely different.

I flew heavy lift in Chicago for a couple of years, and in one of the largest cemetarys, there are two huge mounds in the middle - called "the Confederate Mounds" - supposedly containing 6,000 remains - now whether that's "each" or "together" - I don't know.

If I break down and buy it first, I'll let ya know if it's good.

Gentle winds,
cr

I watched a special recently on Andersonville.  The conclusion I came to is that Andersonville was not that much different from any other camp North or South and that Wirtz was murdered by the North via a sentence imposed Kangaroo Military Court.

[Georgian]

I've personally visited Andersonville, during a school field trip for US History and also to see a reenactment. The prison grounds are pretty big, but not nearly enough space for the men that were held there. The "creek" they had to use for drinking water was in the center of two down sloping hills, so everything ran into the creek, and the water would have been very bad. I couldnt imagine what those men went through during winter, I know it doesnt get as cold down here as in some places, but when the wind is blowing 10-30 miles per hour, and its 20-40 degree weather, it dont feel too good outside. Nothing can keep you warm in that kind of weather, the wind just chills everthing to the bone.

[Jim N Mo.]

C.R. you are correct that they contain a total of 6,000 bodies . Camp Douglas got it's name from the fact that the land was provided from the estate of Stephen Douglass , The Little Giant , of the  Lincoln Douglas Debates fame . Out of a total of 18,000 prisoners a solid third died . While that is terrible , deaths in Civil War prison camps must be put in context of the times . How many soldiers were dying every day without being wounded in battle ? For every soldier who was killed another 2 died of disease . These were rough times for large bodies of men , whetter they were in stockades or not . Especially in the South where transportation was not up to the task of moving the food supplies necessary . This problem only increased as the war went on . Lee's soldiers in Petersburg did not have things much better than the soldiers at andersonville .