Georgia, Andersonville Prison Records, 1862-1865

What is in This Collection?

The Georgia, Andersonville Prison Records, 1864–1865 collection contains images of records of Federal (Union) prisoners of war confined at Andersonville Prison in Georgia during the last 14 months of the Civil War. The collection consists of prison hospital admissions, death and burial records, registers of prison departures, prisoner claims for reimbursements, and consolidated monthly reports. This collection is part of the National Archives and Records (NARA) microfilm publication M1303 and is from Record Group 249 Records of the Commissary General of Prisoners. The microfilm publication for M1303 can be located and downloaded from the National Archives Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive Catalog. Microfilm Publication 1303 includes the following NAIDs:

Related National Archives Collections

• Requests for Information Relating to Missing Soldiers Which Were Received by Quartermaster James Moore, 1863 - 1867 NAID 606207 RG 92 Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General
• Burial Registers of Military Posts and National Cemeteries, ca. 1862–ca. 1960

General Information About Andersonville Prison

Andersonville Prison was built at the Confederate garrison of Camp Sumter just outside of Andersonville, Sumter County, Georgia in 1864. Built as a more secure location for Federal prisoners of war located in Richmond, Virginia, Andersonville was the largest Confederate Prisoner of War camp. The prison housed 45,000 prisoners during its 14 months of operation. Andersonville was designed to house a maximum of 10,000 prisoners, but received as many as 400 prisoners a day, housed an average of 22,000–26,000 prisoners, and held 32,000 prisoners during its peak operation of August of 1864.

The location of Andersonville Prison was chosen because it was in an area with a more abundant food supply; however, due to deteriorating war conditions the Confederate army was unable to provide adequate housing, food, clothing, or medical care to the soldiers held captive at Andersonville. Because of deteriorating conditions and a breakdown of the prisoner exchange system, the soldiers at Andersonville endured much suffering, and there was a high mortality rate. Many of the prisoners at Andersonville were moved to other prison camps throughout the South after Sherman’s march through Georgia. Andersonville was closed in April–May of 1865 after General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

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What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

• Prison

Collection Content

Sample Image

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  1864 Record