Andersonville prison, officially known as Camp Sumter, became a focal point for the incarceration of Union soldiers during the American Civil War. Its establishment followed the need for an efficient prison facility after the number of captured soldiers surged during intense battles between the Union and Confederate armies. On this day, the first group of Northern prisoners reached the camp, adding to the growing population of detainees. The prison was located in Georgia, a state that was part of the Confederacy, and grew rapidly in size due to the influx of soldiers from various engagements across the South. As the war progressed, prisoners of war were subjected to increasingly dire conditions.Conditions at Andersonville were infamous. Overcrowding was rampant, with the facility designed to house a fraction of the inmates it eventually held. Prisoners faced limited access to food and water, severe hygiene issues, and rampant disease. The site became a grim representation of the struggle to manage logistics and supply chains during wartime. The Confederate government, overwhelmed, often failed to provide adequate resources for the prisoners, which led to widespread malnutrition and suffering. The captives faced not only the peril of starvation but also the psychological toll of imprisonment.The arrival of Northern prisoners at Andersonville starkly underscored the brutality of the Civil War as loved ones on the home front worried for their safety. Reports of the horrendous conditions reached the North, infuriating the public and influencing the Union's own treatment of Confederate prisoners. This event marks a notable point in the evolving narrative of civilian and military interactions during the war, reflecting the harsh realities of a conflict that would leave an indelible mark on American society.