Very rare original photo of Andersonville Prison taken by photographer A.J. Riddle, who visited Andersonville in August 1864 and took the only known photographs of the prison during its operation.

This view was taken from a guard tower. Handwritten inscription on bottom of mount reads, “ANDERSONVILLE PRISON, GEORGIA / SOUTH-WEST VIEW OF THE STOCKADE / SHOWING THE DEAD LINE / PHOTOGRAPH BY A.J. RIDDLE, AUGUST 17^TH, 1864”.

Andersonville, or Camp Sumter as it was known officially, held more prisoners at any given time than any of the other Confederate military prisons. It was built in early 1864 after Confederate officials decided to move the large number of Federal prisoners in and around Richmond to a place of greater security and more abundant food. During the 14 months it existed, more than 45,000 Union soldiers were confined here. Of these, almost 13,000 died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding, or exposure to the elements.

The prison pen was surrounded by a stockade of hewed pine logs that varied in height from 15 to 17 feet. The pen was enlarged in late June 1864 to enclose 26 ½” acres. Sentry boxes—called “pigeon roosts” by the prisoners—stood at 90-foot intervals along the top of the stockade and there were two entrances on the west side. Inside, about 19 feet from the wall, was the “deadline,” which prisoners were forbidden to cross. The deadline was intended to prevent prisoners from climbing over the stockade or from tunneling under it. It was marked by a simple post and rail fence and guards had orders to shoot any prisoner who crossed the fence, or even reached over it.

Even before the war ended, stories began to emerge about prisoners at Andersonville being murdered at the deadline by the hundreds. Drawings of prisoners being shot at the deadline were widely reprinted, and today the term is almost synonymous with Andersonville prison. Deadlines were common forms of crowd control in military prisons of the era, especially open stockade type prisons. What constituted the deadline varied widely from prison to prison. At many prisons, such as Andersonville, Camp Lawton, Camp Douglas, and Florence, the deadline was a low rail fence. So while most people associate the prison deadline with Andersonville, it was not a feature that was unique to this place.

Measures 4 3/8” x 5 3/8”. Both photo and mount have yellowed with age and show scattered spotting. Image is clear with good contrast.  [SM]

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