Joshism
Captain
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2012
- Location
- Jupiter, FL
Most Civil War POW camps, North and South, were pretty awful places and I don't wish to deny that. However, something occurred to me while visiting Andersonville: POW death rates seem high, but how high were they really comparatively speaking?
As I recall the the oft-cited statistic is that about 2/3's of Civil War deaths came from disease. Even if POW camps had been operated in much better conditions than they were, especially at places like Andersonville or some of the especially overburdened Northern camps, those conditions would not I think have been better than those experienced by soldiers in the field. Less marching sure, but still lots of humans in not lots of space with dubious sanitary conditions without antibiotics will breed lots of sickness.
On the other hand, POW deaths would be counted among the overall casualties for the war. Since nearly all those deaths were by disease is that making the danger of death by disease while actively serving (i.e. not a POW) higher than it actually was?
As I recall the the oft-cited statistic is that about 2/3's of Civil War deaths came from disease. Even if POW camps had been operated in much better conditions than they were, especially at places like Andersonville or some of the especially overburdened Northern camps, those conditions would not I think have been better than those experienced by soldiers in the field. Less marching sure, but still lots of humans in not lots of space with dubious sanitary conditions without antibiotics will breed lots of sickness.
On the other hand, POW deaths would be counted among the overall casualties for the war. Since nearly all those deaths were by disease is that making the danger of death by disease while actively serving (i.e. not a POW) higher than it actually was?