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The Civil War was the beginning of America considering what now might be called war crimes. Several issues have surfaced. The two most important are POWs and the treatment of escaped slaves by the Confederacy. Americans were very disturbed (with some justification) by how the British treated prisoners of war during the Revolution. There were very high mortality rates. There were similar concerns during the War of 1812. The U.S. Army had regulations on how prisoners should be treated. Ironically the basic regulations were drafted when South Carolina icon and the father of secession, John C. Calhoun was Secretary of War. So at the time of the Civil War both sides had regulations mandating the humane treatment of prisoners. Actually they were the same regulations as the Confederate Government adopting the regulations of the United States on such matters. There were minor differences because of changes made by the Federal Army during the War. Overall both sides lived up to these regulations, but there were exceptions, especially on the part of the Confederacy. Perhaps the greatest violations occurred at the Confederate prison of Andersonville in Georgia. Federal prisoners when the camp was liberated were in terrible condition, some looked like the human skeletons that the U.S. Army found when it liberated Dachau. Much of this was the work of the brutal camp commander--Cpt. Henry Wirz. Lost Cause historians claim that death rates were high at Federal prisons as well. This is in part true, but largely Civil War camps were not healthy places, not only POW camps, but regular Confederate and Federal military camps as well. This was in part because of the lack of knowledge of sanitation. No camp, however, even approached the Andersonville death rates. Lost Cause historians also insist that the South was starving. You get a little of this in 'Gone with the Wind'. But this was simply not true. Thee was plenty of food in Georgia. The problem was getting food to the soldiers at the front because of the South's inadequate transportation system. And Wirz prevented local women from bringing fresh vegetables to Andersonville and limited access to fresh water. [Finkleman] No Confederate POWs came out of Federal camps looking like NAZI Holocaust victims. Other issues which need to be considered here are treatment of black prisoners and treatment of civilians. Beginning in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans were allowed to enlist in the United States Army. Eventually they would comprise about 10 percent of the Federal Army. Eventually some would be captured by Confederate forces. Their treatment varied, but was generally harsh. African-American captives might be shot. Confederate soldiers executed captive Black soldiers captured at Fort Pillow, Tennessee (1864). Captive Blacks were both shot and hanged. Their white officers were also treated harshly, commonly seen as 'outlaws' and often executed rather than treated as POWs. Union officers threatened retribution. This may have restrained Confederate officers. Another factor was that captives African-Americans had substantial value. As a result, many were returned to their previous owners if possible. Or sold into slavery. Another issue is the treatment od civilians in occupied areas.
The Civil War was the beginning of America considering what now might be called war crimes. Several issues have surfaced. The two most important are POWs and the treatment of escaped slaves by the Confederacy. Americans were very disturbed (with some justification) by how the British treated prisoners of war during the Revolution. American treatment of British POWs was far more humane. There were very high mortality rates. There were similar concerns during the War of 1812. The U.S. Army had regulations on how prisoners should be treated. Ironically the basic regulations were drafted when South Carolina icon and the father of secession, John C. Calhoun was Secretary of War. So at the time of the Civil War both sides had regulations mandating the humane treatment of prisoners. Actually they were the same regulations as the Confederate Government adopting the regulations of the United States on such matters. There were minor differences because of changes made by the Federal Army during the War. Overall both sides lived up to these regulations, but there were exceptions, especially on the part of the Confederacy. Herev we see Union POWs being marched tom acamp and being mistreated as a go through an unamed Southern town, (figure 1). Perhaps the greatest violations occurred at the Confederate prison of Andersonville in Georgia. Federal prisoners when the camp was liberated were in terrible condition, some looked like the human skeletons that the U.S. Army found when it liberated Dachau. Much of this was the work of the brutal camp commander--Cpt. Henry Wirz. Lost Cause historians claim that death rates were high at Federal prisons as well. This is in part true, but largely Civil War camps were not healthy places, not only POW camps, but regular Confederate and Federal military camps as well. This was in part because of the lack of knowledge of sanitation. No camp, however, even approached the Andersonville death rates. Lost Cause historians also insist that the South was starving. You get a little of this in 'Gone with the Wind'. But this was simply not true. Thee was plenty of food in Georgia. The problem was getting food to the soldiers at the front because of the South's inadequate transportation system. And Wirz prevented local women from bringing fresh vegetables to Andersonville and limited access to fresh water. 【Finkleman】 No Confederate POWs came out of Federal camps looking like NAZI Holocaust victims. A CIH reader mentions the Sultana, a steamboat that operated on the Mississippi. It was the greatest maritime disaster in American history. One of her boilers exploded. The incident was overshadowed by the death of John Wilkes Booth one day before. The ship was extremely overcrowded. It was designed to carry 376 passengers but held held approximately 2,200 that fateful day (April 1865). It was overcrowded because so many relaeased POWs weere so desperate to get home after the War ended. Tragically, many were the surviors of the horific Confederate prison camp at Andersonville. 【Bishop】
Confederate forces captured some run-away slaves--people that the Union called Contrabands. These people might have been used as labor by Federal forces. For the most part they were reenslaved, returned to their owners or sold in slave markets. We think the numbers here were limited because fofr the most part, northern forces were steadily occupying areas of the Confederacy. We are not sure how this went. You would think that with the war raging the value of slaves declined. Cotton planters were increasingly unable to sell their harvested cotton. And the value of the Confederate dollar declined steadily. Beginning in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans were allowed to enlist in the United States Army. Eventually they would comprise about 10 percent of the Federal Army. Eventually some would be captured by Confederate forces. Their treatment varied, but was generally very harsh. African-American captives might be shot. Confederate soldiers famously executed captive Black soldiers captured at Fort Pillow, Tennessee (1864). Captive Blacks soldiers were both shot and hanged. Their white officers were also treated harshly, commonly seen as 'outlaws' and often executed rather than treated as POWs. Union officials threatened retribution. This may have restrained Confederate officers. Another factor was that captive African-Americans had substantial value. Before the War a healthy male slave might command a price of $1,000--a very substantial price at the time. As a result, some were returned to their previous owners if possible. Or sold into slavery. This included both corner slaves and freedmen that had enlisted. We wonder if plantation owners would really want Federal POWs on their plantation. Surely such men could affect the thinking of the plantation slaves.
Another issue is the treatment of civilians in occupied areas.
Bishop, Stephen. Personal communixations (August 18, 2023).
Finkelman, Paul. War Crimes Trial of Henry Wirz.
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