Andersonville: The Last Depot (Civil War America)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent -- dispels a lot of myths
Review: I found this book an excellent read. My sole sources about Andersonville prior to it were Mackinlay Kantor's captivating novel "Andersonville", The 1970 PBS powerful drama "The Andersonville Trial, A Play by Saul Levitt" - directed by George C. Scott, the brief and not really well researched references to it in the PBS special "The Civil War" by Ric Burns and the rather one-sided TNT moltion picture "Andersonville". Prior to reading this book I had been particularily touched by "The Andersonville Trial". The acting was very well done (William Shanter, fresh from Star Trek cancellation portrayed the "hero" of the play -- Colonel Chipman") and the purpose of that play, in my opinion, was to try and make Andersonville appear as a percursor of the Nazi Death camps and Captain Wirz a percursor of the guards and commandants who "only followed orders" in those places. However after I read Mr. Marvel's well researched account of this most infamous prison I am convinced that Captain Wirz was more a victim of circumstance and Colonel Chipman's vengence rather than some cruel monster of a man who had lost his soul to General Winder as portrayed by Mr. Levitt. Indeed, perhaps, I would suggest that maybe Mr. Levitt, if he still lives, should read this work and perhaps, consider a rewrite of his play keeping faitful to facts this time rather than using have baked anecdotes of dubios origin -- or if he isn't, maybe someone ought to try and revise it. In any event, and to conclude, I heartily agree with James McPherson, well known author of "The Battle Cry of Freedom" that this is " . . . the best account of the tragedy of Andersonville that we have or are likely to have."

Rating:
Summary: A lasting tribute to the nearly 13,000 men who died there.
Review: In Andersonville: The Last Depot, William Marvel gives the serious student of Civil War history a balanced and highly accurate account of what transpired during those fourteen awful months between Feb. 1864 and Apr. 1865. The events of Capt. Henry Wirz's trial and execution are also covered in detail and for the first time we begin to get a glimpse of who the real man was. While the book is filled with many historical facts about the prison itself, Mr. Marvel does not neglect the human side of Andersonville. Through thorough and meticulous research, Mr. Marvel acquaints the reader with men like Thomas "Chickamauga" Herburt, George "Albert", Salvador "Thomas" Genzardi as well as many others. How important is this historical work? In July 2002, I traveled to Andersonville spending two days walking the stockade grounds and those of the national cemetery. This book served as my guide.

Rating:
Summary: Objective? Unbiased? Am I missing something here?
Review: In this piece of revisionist history the author seems determined to exonerate Henry Wirz as largely a victim of circumstances. I do not think that this book is biased in favor of the Confederacy, only biased in favor of disproving the traditional view of Andersonville. To me, the bottom line on Andersonville is that, despite an abundance of trees in the vicinity, the prisoners were provided no shelter nor were permitted to build their own. Perhaps the accounts of Wirz's cruelty were exagerated, but he was in charge of the camp, and, at a minimum, was criminally negligent. As the author states, almost 13,000 men, a third of those interned at Andersonville, died there. This was more than twice the average death rate at other prison camps, North and South. Wirz was responsible for the welfare of these men, and I found the author's excuses for his failure unconvincing.

This "comprehensive" account is only 249 pages long, with only four pages devoted to Wirz's trial, the issue of most interest to contemporary readers. Marvel never mentions all of the members of the military tribunal or the substantial body of official correspondence, from Confederate government sources, critical of conditions at and the administration of Andersonville, that was submitted as evidence during the trial.

For a far more believable account of Wirz's trial, I suggest you read the article on the Wirz trial written by John H. Stibbs, a member of the military tribunal that tried Wirz. You can find it in "A Perfect Picture of Hell" by Ted Genoways & Hugh H. Genoways. If Stibbs' account is inaccurate, I would like to understand in what way that is the case. By the way, Stibbs is never mentioned in Marvel's book.

Rating:
Summary: Objective? Unbiased? Am I missing something here?
Review: In this piece of revisionist history the author seems determined to exonerate Henry Wirz as largely a victim of circumstances. I do not think that this book is biased in favor of the Confederacy, only biased in favor of disproving the traditional view of Andersonville. To me, the bottom line on Andersonville is that, despite an abundance of trees in the vicinity, the prisoners were provided no shelter nor were permitted to build their own. Perhaps the accounts of Wirz's cruelty were exagerated, but he was in charge of the camp, and, at a minimum, was criminally negligent. As the author states, almost 13,000 men, a third of those interned at Andersonville, died there. This was more than twice the average death rate at other prison camps, North and South. Wirz was responsible for the welfare of these men, and I found the author's excuses for his failure unconvincing.

This "comprehensive" account is only 249 pages long, with only four pages devoted to Wirz's trial, the issue of most interest to contemporary readers. Marvel never mentions all of the members of the military tribunal or the substantial body of official correspondence, from Confederate government sources, critical of conditions at and the administration of Andersonville, that was submitted as evidence during the trial.

For a far more believable account of Wirz's trial, I suggest you read the article on the Wirz trial written by John H. Stibbs, a member of the military tribunal that tried Wirz. You can find it in "A Perfect Picture of Hell" by Ted Genoways & Hugh H. Genoways. If Stibbs' account is inaccurate, I would like to understand in what way that is the case. By the way, Stibbs is never mentioned in Marvel's book.