First major stop, after visiting friends in tiny Bluffton GA, was Andersonville National Historic Monument… Everyone should have a look at this place. It’s not about the North, it’s not about the South, it’s how wrong things go in war. They point out that the Union was having trouble feeding and caring for the POWs that found their way into Northern Prisoner of War camps as well, but Andersonville is an example of how bad it can be.
13,000 dead after only 14 months of the camp being open. They started with just under 2,000 men interned and within a very short time there were over 40,000 in a space of 26 acres. I can’t repeat the details after one visit, but the visit was very sobering. I wonder why we use the term “inhuman” to describe what humans do to one another. I’m starting to think it is very human to treat our fellow humans so badly.
The prison area itself is accessible by car as is the national cemetery. There is no charge to visit any of the sites, this includes the POW museum. They show a 20 minute movie and have a lot of reference books. The Museum covers the History of POWs, I found the Viet Nam section interesting and somewhat disturbing.
Nearby Andersonville has a “civil war village” but it’s not much and was completely closed on Monday. They had a population of 20 when the prison was opened in 1863… a few more now.
To continue the Meander rant, we stopped for breakfast at “Eggs Up” in Albany… it’s still amazes me how friendly everyone is. I have to get used to taking some pictures for the blog, we left without taking a picture of the restaurant, but I wanted to mention it.
Will, I really appreciate what you are doing here. Again I get to see things thru your eyes and camera that I would have seen without all your work.
Thanks Gloria, as you saw from the black on blue comment box, I have work to do. The site isn’t ready and comments all have to be approved. I’ll get there.