Golden Thread Andersonville National Historic Site

Don't think I took pictures of all the monuments there and some I did take didn't turn out so good. Just gonna post a few. This is the Pennsylvania Monument. A better photographer than me could probably do some cool things with the portal in the magnolia trees next to it.

View attachment 294870

View attachment 294867

View attachment 294869

View attachment 294868
I was not aware of the monuments, so I find this really interesting. One of my husband's ancestors died at Andersonville. He was from Pennsylvania and served with the 143rd Inf.
 
I'd really like to get there. I don't think anyone has ever posted an Andersonville photo that didn't get to me, these are wonderful.

Question, please? Are the headstones original, meaning the markers Clara Barton brought to Andersonville? We see so many era photos where they had to use wood, did she bring wooden markers that were later replace when the cemetery was planned? It didn't seem possible she'd have been able to bring so many if they were stone. ( apologize in advance if that's a silly question ).
 
I'd really like to get there. I don't think anyone has ever posted an Andersonville photo that didn't get to me, these are wonderful.

Question, please? Are the headstones original, meaning the markers Clara Barton brought to Andersonville? We see so many era photos where they had to use wood, did she bring wooden markers that were later replace when the cemetery was planned? It didn't seem possible she'd have been able to bring so many if they were stone. ( apologize in advance if that's a silly question ).
I don't recall the details of that but perhaps it is in the book I read. It's a good question. Maybe I can find the answer with a quick lookup later.
 
The New Jersey Monument from a distance and up close.

2018-06-22 07.22.49.jpg


2018-06-22 07.29.17.jpg


2018-06-22 07.29.29.jpg
 
I stood in the bed of my truck to take this picture and it's actually my favorite picture that I took at the cemetery that morning. It's actually a sad picture too...a sea of gravestones. If I'd had more time that morning,I woulda walked that section.

2018-06-22 08.01.57.jpg
 
Great pictures all.

Such a sad, sad story and unfortunately I've never been there. Almost certainly never will. However it reminds me of the main French military cemetary at Verdun. Rank upon rank of stone markers gently sweeping down a very, very long hill. Views of the bones beyond measure from where they couldn't identify which body they belonged to in the ossuary under the main building there and with the eeriest, grimmest feeling I've ever had (and I'm not superstituous)...
 
Before leaving Andersonville National Cemetery,I couldn't resist going back to the section I started at and taking a few more pictures. By then,it was a beautiful day.

2018-06-22 08.05.29.jpg


2018-06-22 08.07.16.jpg


2018-06-22 08.06.33.jpg
 
Great thread Bobby. Reminds me that I haven't posted my pics yet of my only visit to Andersonville back in October following the CWT Chickamauga meeting.
Thank you sir. 2018 was a busy year and I just never got around to it. Takes me awhile to finish these threads once I start them.
 
Wanna get back on track with this thread. So I looked at my watch after taking my last picture at the cemetery and saw that it was 9:08am and I only had 2 hours to spend at Andersonville National Historic Site(ANHS). I had gotten there before 8am but the Cemetery was already open. I boogied over to the Prison Site. I had an hour at most to spend there.The Museum doesn't open until 9:30am according to the NPS website so I went straight to the Prison Site grounds first. Here is Civil War Traveler's Companion tip number 2 for this thread. If you get a chance to go to ANHS and it may be your only chance to go or a long time before you can go again and you'll only have 2 hours to spend there....go! You'll regret it if you don't. If you get a chance to go to ANHS and you can be there 3-4 hours or more.....go! You'll regret it if you don't. 2 hours is not enough time but I am so glad I went and saw what I saw. I am impressed with what the NPS has done with ANHS. I had seen a few pics of it here in the forum and I knew of course that nothing remained of the original stockade walls and outbuildings,but the site itself is still very well-preserved and marked. Took lots of pics. Can't wait to go back and have more time to walk the grounds at the Cemetery and Prison Site.
 
NPS Map:

Tried posting it but could only do a link to a PDF. Didn't want that. Wanted the image in this post.
 
Last edited:
Fabulous thread! Thanks for sharing your visit with us!
 
As you can see on the site map,the entrance to Andersonville National Historic Site is on Hwy 49. There is a one-way exit road out of the Prison Site back to Hwy 49. A road on the north side of the Cemetery connects it to the Prison Site. A park road goes all the way around the Prison Site.
 
As you can see on the map,the north side of the prison site is behind the National Prisoner Of War Museum. There is a parking area on the road around The Prison Site on the north side. Along and just inside the site of the north wall of the stockade are some monuments and interpretive signs. The boundary of what was the stockade walls and the deadline inside the walls is clearly marked. I was impressed with that. From what I know,the NPS was able to determine where they were with reasonable accuracy. Eventually,the grass grew back where the prison site was and trees returned in the area around it and the topography is pretty much the same as it was in wartime.

2018-06-22 08.10.07.jpg


2018-06-22 08.14.05.jpg


2018-06-22 08.13.33.jpg
 
As you can also see on the map above,at various points around the perimeter of the prison stockade the Confederates constructed earthworks for gun emplacements. These guns were in the earthworks at the northwest corner of the perimeter.

2018-06-22 08.10.50.jpg


2018-06-22 08.10.58.jpg


2018-06-22 08.12.02.jpg


2018-06-22 08.12.08.jpg


2018-06-22 08.12.26.jpg
 
Back
Top