“Andersonville Revisited,” a unique living history program that takes place in the original location of the old Civil War prison stockade, offered visitors this past weekend the opportunity to see and experience what life was like at Camp Sumter (Andersonville), the infamous Civil War prison camp.
Civil War period living historians portrayed Andersonville prisoners and guards. Over 60 members of various reenactment groups and several Boys Scout troops volunteered over the weekend to make the annual event a great success. The weekend day activities were attended by well over 1,500 visitors. Demonstrations and scenarios throughout the weekend included the arrival of prisoners, shebang (shelter) building, issuing of rations, a raider attack, inspection of the camp, escape and punishment, guard drill and artillery demonstrations.
The evening candle lantern tours allow the visitors to take a step back into time. Volunteers portraying former Andersonville prisoners, visiting the old prison grounds as members of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), talked to visitors about their experience and took them from the present to 1895. The GAR members guided the groups by candlelight to the reconstructed northeast corner of the stockade, where they again stepped back in time to 1864 and saw various camp scenarios play before their eyes. The evening candle lantern tours, which required prior reservations, were enjoyed by close to 200 visitors.
