Why andersonville is important?

Andersonville was one of the worse prison camps in the civil war. Thousands died while kept there. Located in GA it opened in 1864 and was meant to hold a max of 10,000 federal prisoners, but by Aug it held 33,000 and was the 5th largest city in the Confederacy. Prisoners were not able to build shelters and most lived in holes scratched in the ground covered by a blanket. Any man caught closer than 15 feet to the stockade was shot. The daily ration was a teaspoon of salt, three tablespoons of beans, and a half a pint of unsifted cornmeal. A trickle of water called Sweet Water Branch served as both drinking water and sewer. Thirteen thousand died there and were buried in mass graves. On one day they died at the rate of a man every 11 minutes. If you want to see photos and get more info the book The Civil War by Geoffrey C. Ward. Ken Burns used this book for his series on the civil war.