Why the prison camps during the American Civil war were so terrible.

The prison camps of the American Civil War were terrible due to the falling apart of prisoner exchange programs, the decline of paroles available for officers, and poor war strategies by both sides. Camps were scattered across the country in both the North and the South. The best known of the Union camps were; Fortress Monroe, Virginia; Ohio State Penitentiary, Ohio and point Lookout, Maryland. The better known of the Confederate camps were; Danville, Virginia; …

…apparel; the dead none." This shows the desperation the prisoners had come to in their time at the prison camps. The death toll day to day reached over 100 and instead of being buried in coffins the bodies were buried shoulder to shoulder in long trenches. Poor rules in the war led to the death of thousands of inmates. The different political views from the North and South on the treatment of ex-slaves caused numberless deaths.