Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
West Virginia’s Forgotten Union Soldiers: The Andersonville Story
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
West Virginia’s Union soldiers who fought, were wounded, and killed in the Civil War have received much attention in recent years, but there is one group of soldiers overlooked who were loyal to the Union cause—soldiers that were captured and held as prisoners in places like Andersonville, Georgia. The Andersonville prison was designed for a maximum of 10,000 prisoners but held more than 32,000 men. Of those, 12,920 died and were buried in a cemetery created just outside the prison walls. Many of these Union soldiers were West Virginians who stayed close together in order to survive Andersonville. Some held hope of surviving until the end of the war, some held hope to be exchanged, and some wanted to escape. Their stories are unmatched in the Civil War period for fortitude, perseverance, and shear grit. This paper will explore some of those stories of heroism and survival, from Andersonville to AppalachA’ville.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Cameron Mallow is a graduate of Shepherd University, with a major in History and a minor in Appalachian Studies. Cameron has been a volunteer at Antietam Battlefield and has worked at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. He has presented papers on the Civil War for his capstone experience and for the April 2018 Appalachian Studies Conference. Cam is currently working towards completing his MAT at Shepherd University. His field of interest is the Civil War.
West Virginia’s Forgotten Union Soldiers: The Andersonville Story
West Virginia’s Union soldiers who fought, were wounded, and killed in the Civil War have received much attention in recent years, but there is one group of soldiers overlooked who were loyal to the Union cause—soldiers that were captured and held as prisoners in places like Andersonville, Georgia. The Andersonville prison was designed for a maximum of 10,000 prisoners but held more than 32,000 men. Of those, 12,920 died and were buried in a cemetery created just outside the prison walls. Many of these Union soldiers were West Virginians who stayed close together in order to survive Andersonville. Some held hope of surviving until the end of the war, some held hope to be exchanged, and some wanted to escape. Their stories are unmatched in the Civil War period for fortitude, perseverance, and shear grit. This paper will explore some of those stories of heroism and survival, from Andersonville to AppalachA’ville.
