Description
Prisoner of War encampments during the American Civil War were often renown for being places that did not promote humanitarian conditions. Approximately 400,000 plus soldiers were taken as prisoners of war during the American Civil War. Whether the POW camp was in the North or the South, there were rampant infectious diseases, indescribable sanitation situations, extreme torture sometimes leading to death, massive food shortages, severe lack of housing conditions, excessive overcrowding, excessive lack of protection from local climate factors (hot or cold), deplorable clothing supplies, unfortunate suicides, and generally there was no access to any medical services. What was the typical daily routine of a POW? What were the odds of surviving a POW camp without suffering from malnutrition, developing a chronic disease, developing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and/or dying?
