The Confederate prison, Andersonville, was a destitute, and overall miserable prisoner of war camp. Prisoners lacked basic human resources including fresh water, food, proper shelter, and firewood for warmth. They constructed rough shelters, dubbed "shebangs," from the meager supply cloth, sticks, and other materials they had. The prisoners wore torn clothing, if they had it, and were so severely famished that dead bodies became a regularity at the camp. These bodies often lay naked, because they were soon stripped of material immediately after death. The prisoners often traded the materials they had in exchange for tobacco, food, and etc., or they gambled it with "chuck luck" men via dice. The camps water supply was rancid and unsanitary due waste from the Confederate camp downstream. All of this contributed to the overall deep despair amongst the POW's.The commander of the prison, Henry Wirz, was immorally cruel in his doings regarding the prisoners, and was later court martialed and hanged for the his war crimes against incarcerated solders. Andersonville had the highest death toll out of any prison in the Civil War, totaling over 13,000-45,000 deaths during its operation.
