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October 2006 Civil War 440 pages, 6 x 9 978-0-88146-012-4 $35.00t, Cloth Illustrations, index, bibliography MUP/H703 | Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville Essays in American Civil War Social History Robert S. Davis Andersonville’s myths and misunderstandings are cleared away to tell the story of the real prison camp The name Andersonville, from the American Civil War to the present, has come to be synonimous with “American death camp.” Its horrors have been portrayed in its histories, art, television, and movies. The trial of its most famous figure, Captain Henry Wirz, still raises questions about American justice. This work unlocks the secret history of America's deadliest prison camp in ways that will spur debate for many years to come. However, more than a story of a notorious place of death, this work sets out to uncover unknown aspects of life among Americans immediately before and during the Civil War. Persons who found themselves connected with this prison tell the story of a new country in a period of rapid change. They include, among others, the mysterious figure known as Limber Jim, mercenary D. W. Vowles, sea captain Herbert Hunt, lawyer O. S. Baker, and even general William Tecumseh Sherman. This work uncovers the lost history of the prison itself, the least understood element of this massive human tragedy in Civil War Georgia. While a work of deep introspection and high adventure, it also corrects myths, misunderstandings, and major mistakes that have appeared in print and popular history. ROBERT S. DAVIS is director of the Family and Regional History Program, Wallace State Community College, a program that pioneers local and family history research in a college environment. His more than 1,000 publications on records and research include a number of books and more than 70 articles in professional journals. He has been quoted or interviewed by Time, Smithsonian, CNN, NBC, and the Wall Street Journal. He is the author of Cotton, Fire, and Dreams: The Robert Findlay Iron Works and Heavy Industry in Macon, Georgia, 1839–1912 (Mercer University Press 1998) and Requim for a Lost City: Sallie Clayton’s Memoirs of Civil War Atlanta (Mercer University Press 1999). Titles of Related Interest "Our Connection with Savannah": A History of the 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters Call us toll free at 800-637-2378, ext. 2880 or 800-342-0841, ext. 2880 (in GA) |
