Andersonville National Historic Site

As we observe President’s Day, we remember the active role that our nation’s first president took in negotiating the proper treatment of prisoners during the American Revolution. George Washington was particularly concerned with the abuse directed at captured Continental Army officers. Early in the war, British and Hessian troops refused to acknowledge the rank of Continental officers. In 1775, Washington warned British commander Thomas Gage about mistreating Continental pris...oners. Washington stated, Obligation arising from the Rights of Humanity, and Claims of Rank are universally binding and extensive and added except in Case of Retaliation. Throughout the Revolution, thousands of soldiers, militiamen, and civilians were taken prisoner. Given that Patriot prisoners were seen as rebels and traitors, their treatment was inconsistent and sometimes severe. As was common in wars of the era, unsanitary conditions and rudimentary prison facilities caused more death than actual combat. In the early stages of the Revolutionary War, Continental soldiers were denied official status as prisoners of war. It was only after the Battle of Saratoga, when American forces captured large numbers of British and Hessian troops, that the British began improving conditions for Continental prisoners for fear of retaliation. It was not until 1782 however, that the British negotiated a formal prisoner exchange. They also recognized American officers on equal terms with their British counterparts. These were important steps toward the British acknowledgement of American independence. Image credit: Library of Congress Alt text: A black and white image of an engraving of guards and prisoners aboard Colonial-era prison ship. -D.D.

A.J. Riddle was born in New Castle County, Delaware on February 28, 1828. He became interested in photography in 1846, while studying under famed photographer and lithographer, Napoleon Sarony. In the 1850s he opened a studio in Columbus, Georgia and later expanded to Macon and Rome. During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate Army in various occupations, including photography. In 1862, he was arrested in Maryland while trying to smuggle photographic supplies from W...ashington, D.C. to the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. His supplies were confiscated and he was allowed to return to Richmond. Riddle was arrested a second time for smuggling more supplies and was imprisoned for four months before being released. In July of 1864, he was appointed chief photographer of the western armies of the Confederacy under General Joseph E. Johnston. At the time, he was the only confirmed official photographer for the Confederacy. On August 16, 1864, he produced photos in and around Andersonville Prison. These photos included pictures of the stockade, prisoners on burial details, and the cemetery. He also photographed General John Winder, the camp commandant and commander of all prisons east of the Mississippi River. In addition, he made a portrait of Captain Henry Wirz. Riddle’s photos illustrate the realities of camp life at Andersonville during the prison’s deadliest month. They also stand as the only surviving photos of a Confederate prison camp while in operation. Image credit: NPS/ANDE Alt text: A black and white photo of prisoners at Andersonville burying their comrades in a long trench grave. -D.D.

In 1865, Andersonville National Cemetery was established to provide a permanent place of honor for those who serve our nation. The men who suffered and died here, died for a cause greater than themselves. Like so many other veterans, they chose death rather than dishonor. Today, veterans from every major American conflict are buried at Andersonville National Cemetery. Andersonville survivor, Robert Kellogg, wrote, Andersonville becomes an object lesson in patriotism. To thi...s retired and beautiful spot will thousands resort in the long years to come, to learn again and again lessons of heroic sacrifice made by those who so quietly sleep in these long rows of graves. Alt text: A black and white image of an honor guard folding an American Flag over a veteran’s casket. Image Credit: C. Goodin/ANDE -T.S.

General Orders 100, also known as the Lieber Code, were issued by President Abraham Lincoln in April of 1863. The Lieber Code set out to govern the conduct of soldiers during the Civil War. The Code protected the rights of both soldiers and civilians. Many of these laws outlined how the United States government expected prisoners of war to be treated. The laws were authored by Prussian-born academic and soldier, Francis Lieber. Prior to immigrating to the U.S., Lieber served ...in the Prussian army and saw combat during the Napoleonic Wars. After receiving his doctorate from the University of Jena, he became a professor in South Carolina. While in South Carolina he accumulated files on international military and domestic policies in Europe and the Americas. Around 1855, he accepted a teaching position at Columbia College (now known as Columbia University). In February of 1863, Lieber produced the first draft of a guide to the laws and usage of war, which were reviewed by members of the War Department. The Code covers nearly all legal issues an army officer was likely to encounter. This includes treatment of prisoners of war, punishment of spies and guerillas, proper use of the white flag of truce, cease-fire agreements, and the treatment of enemy civilians and civilian property. The Code also declared that the law of war forbade racial discrimination. After the Civil War, the Code was used for the basis of around 1,000 military tribunals including the trial of Henry Wirz. Image credit: NPS/ANDE Alt text: A black and white photo of man in 19th century period clothing. -D.D.

Today marks the 150th anniversary since the day that Father Peter Whelan passed away in 1871. Reverend Peter Whelan ministered to the Union soldiers and Confederate troops who paid allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church here at Andersonville. Father Peter Whelan’s charisma and grace made him a popular help throughout the prison. While a Catholic Priest, Father Whelan won the sincere admiration of most prisoners, of whatever faith and even prisoners who did not subscribe to ...Catholicism began seeking his religious counsel. It did not take long before the number of prisoners seeking his help became too many for him to adequately attend to. Wanting to avoid neglecting the prisoner’s spiritual needs, Father Whelan sought help from his colleague, Father Claveril. Even after Father Claveril arrived to Andersonville, still, Father Whelan would spend all of his day, on hands and knees, crawling into dugouts in order to hear confessions or administer extreme unction while laying alongside sick or dying prisoners". Father Whelan brought comfort to the prisoners of war held captive at Andersonville during the Civil War and earned the personification of, Angel of Andersonville. Through illness, famine and death, Father Whelan remained dedicated to the spiritual deliverance of each man he encountered from the time of his arrival to Andersonville in June of 1864, until his departure in September of 1864. Andersonville National Historic Site is honored to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Father Peter Whelan's death and we encourage all to recognize his selfless service to not only the prisoners of war held captive here at Andersonville, but also to many other Georgians. ALT TEXT: A black and white sketch of five men, two limp, two laying ill and one praying. Image Credit: ANDE NPS -M.S.

As a reminder, applications for our Data Internship Specialist closes today at 5:00 PM EST. ALT TEXT: A color flier of an internship opportunity announcement.

Jeremiah Denton was born in Mobile, Alabama on July 15, 1924. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1947 and rose through the ranks to become a top naval aviator. In 1964, he arrived in Vietnam and was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Independence. On July 18, 1965, Commander Denton led a squadron on a bombing raid into North Vietnam. His plane was shot down and he parachuted into the Ma River. He was captured and spent the next seven years in various prison camps i...ncluding: the Hanoi Hilton, the Zoo and Alcatraz. During this time, he endured torture on a regular basis. Despite this reality, he resisted his captors and became a source of inspiration for his fellow prisoners. He was singled out for particularly rough treatment due to his influence over other prisoners. In 1966, Denton was forced to take part in a televised interview. During the interview he never stated he was tortured but instead blinked the word torture in Morse code. This confirmed U.S. suspicion that prisoners were being tortured. From then on treatment of prisoners of war became an important issue in press coverage of the war. Upon his release he was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism in resisting torture and alerting the U.S. to the brutal treatment of prisoners. He published an account of his experience entitled When Hell Was in Session. He reached the rank of Rear Admiral before retiring in 1977. From 1980 until 1987, Denton served as a U.S. Senator representing the state of Alabama. Following his retirement, he founded a humanitarian aid program. He died on March 28, 2014 in Virginia Beach. Image credit: NPS/ANDE Alt text: Black and white photo of man in flight suit standing in front of plane.

Described by General John Winder as the largest prison camp in the world, Camp Lawton was established in effort to alleviate the overcrowding, supply and health problems at Camp Sumter. Built near Millen Junction, Georgia and modeled after Camp Sumter, Camp Lawton featured a 15 ft. high stockade wall, guard towers and a dead-line. Lawton featured several brick ovens and kettles for cooking; however, prisoners often cooked their own rations in small messes. Water for drin...king and washing was supplied by a stream flowing through the camp. Prisoners drank and washed upstream and used the latrines downstream. Earthworks were built outside the stockade along with a hospital and two burial grounds. Most of the Camp Sumter prisoners arrived at Camp Lawton from Savannah. Prisoners constructed shelters with items they carried such as blanks, clothes, and shelter halves. They were also allowed to search for material from the stockade construction. Because most inmates were veteran prisoners, they suffered from a host of illnesses. These illnesses were exacerbated by cold, and sometimes freezing temperatures, which killed hundreds of prisoners. Despite some improvements in ration quality and quantity, water supply, space and sanitation, Camp Lawton suffered from many of the same problems that existed at Camp Sumter. Although records differ, at least 725 prisoners died at Camp Lawton. Those who died were initially interned at Lawton National Cemetery before being reinterned at Beaufort National Cemetery in South Carolina. The site of the prison is now preserved at Magnolia State Park in Millen, Georgia. Image description: This map depicts the stockade and surrounding area where the Confederate camp, fort, hospital, and Confederate officers’ quarters were located. Image credit: Library of Congress Alt text: Map showing prison camp, in light green, and surrounding area in tan. A blue creek and green forest can also be seen on the map.

In April 1865, the Andersonville Prison Camp was in operations for nearly 14 months and claimed the lives of nearly 12,000 Union prisoners. The dead were buried in mass graves at a site 300 yards north of the Andersonville stockades. Laid shoulder to shoulder, hundreds upon hundreds of bodies were accommodated by a series of trenches which were 3 feet wide and 200 feet long. By July 1865, the burial site was appropriated by the U.S. Government, establishing the property as a ...national cemetery. A month later, Clara Barton, the famous Civil War nurse, surveyed the cemetery to identify and mark the graves of the Union dead. In 1868, Union soldiers who were temporarily buried in the local area were reinterred at the Andersonville National Cemetery. As a result, the number of Civil War graves increased to nearly 13,700 buried Union soldiers. Andersonville becomes an object lesson in patriotism. To this retired and beautiful spot will thousands resort in the long years to come, to learn again and again lessons of heroic sacrifice made by those who so quietly sleep in these long rows of graves. Robert H. Kellogg, Andersonville Survivor After the Civil War, the Andersonville site returned to private ownership and was reverted to agricultural use. The massive wooden timbers that made up the wooden stockades of the prison camp were either rotted away or dismantled. In 1890, the former prison site was purchased by a veterans’ association known as the Grand Army of the Republic. After improving the grounds and erecting a number of monuments at the site, the Grand Army of the Republic donated the property to the National Women’s Relief Corps (NWRC) in 1896. The NWRC eventually donated the property to the U.S Government in 1910. By 1970, the Andersonville prison site was designated by Congress as a National Historic Site, transferring the site’s management to the National Park Service. Alt text: Modern image of rows upon rows of marble tombstones, some white and others a lighter grey, sitting under a cloudy sky and in front of a large leafless tree with a forest in the background.

Every Civil War prison was a terrible place for a soldier to find himself, but for Confederate soldiers, Elmira Prison stands out among the worst. Located one mile west of the town of Elmira, New York on the Chemung River, the prison was originally established as a training ground for Union recruits. The ground chosen for this site was lower than the surrounding country. It did not drain well and was prone to flooding. Thirty-five barracks were constructed to house the priso...ners. They consisted of one-story wooden structures and were meant to hold between ninety-five and one hundred troops. Initially, the prison was supposed to hold 4,000 prisoners, but many Union officials believed Elmira could house up to 10,000. On July 6, 1864, the first POWs arrived at Elmira. By the end of July over 4,400 prisoners were confined in the prison, and by the end of August, there were more than 9,600. Most of these prisoners were poorly clad in summer uniforms. The barracks at the prison quickly filled to overflowing and there were not enough tents to house all the prisoners. As cold weather came, so did disease. In September, the poor drainage at the site caused the prison to become a cesspool, as one prison official called it. Diarrhea and dysentery invaded the camp and worsened by exposure to the elements. Scurvy was an epidemic. The winter of 1864 was harsh, especially for Southern soldiers who were not used to such conditions. The temperature dropped to eighteen degrees below zero on at least two occasions during the winter, and smallpox spread. Prisoners had to stand ankle deep in snow during roll calls. In the cold and wet conditions of the camp, pneumonia also became an issue. Food rations were inadequate and some prisoners were forced to eat rats, stray cats or dogs that wandered into the prison. Over 12,000 prisoners came through Elmira Prison with just under 3,000 dying at the camp. The approximately 25% death rate makes Elmira second only to Andersonville at 29%. Prisoner F.S. Wade wrote, If there was ever a hell on earth, Elmira was [it]. Image Description: Elmira Prison 1864. Library of Congress Alt text: Rows of prisoner tents and men surrounded by stockade wall at Elmira Civil War Prison. Library of Congress

For more than 150 years, Captain Henry Wirz has been a controversial and polarizing figure at Andersonville. Wirz formally took command of the prison's stockade on March 27, 1864 and remained there until the end of the war. Although Wirz was not in command of the entire military prison, he oversaw everything that occurred inside the stockade walls, including distribution of rations and prison discipline. Henry Wirz was arrested in early May of 1865 with his trial beginning Au...gust 23rd. On November 10, Captain Henry Wirz of the Confederate Army was executed after being found guilty on charges of conspiracy and murder at Andersonville. Two hundred and fifty spectators’ tickets were issued for the execution and many more gathered to watch the grim proceedings which took place within view of the U.S. Capitol. At 10:32 A.M., the trap was sprung, and the crowd chanted, Wirz, remember Andersonville. The meaning of the trial, verdict, and execution has been debated ever since. Image Credit: NPS/ANDE Image Description: Captain Henry Wirz

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, American and Filipino troops in the Philippines were cut off from American reinforcements. Without reinforcements, the Japanese were able to capture the Philippines through a war of attrition. After holding out for 4 months, American and Filipino forces surrendered on April 9, 1942. Those who surrendered embarked on what became known as the Bataan Death March. The men who survived the malnutrition, heat exhaustion, dysentery and malaria t...hat accompanied the march arrived at Camp O’Donnell. The conditions at Camp O’Donnell were not much different than those on the march itself. Food and water were scarce, and water became more scarce as time went by. Prisoners were not given containers in which to carry water and were issued meager rations. The principal diet consisted of rice with the occasional tablespoon of camote, the native sweet potato. The camote was often rotten. Meat was only issued twice every two months and was approximately one square inch. In addition, many prisoners had no shelter. During the first week, American prisoners died at a rate of twenty per day. The death toll increased to fifty per day in the second week. The death rate among Filipino prisoners was six times greater. It is estimated that 1,500 Americans and 26,000 Filipinos died at Camp O’Donnell. Of the 22,000 American servicemen captured on the Bataan Peninsula, only 15,000 returned to the U.S. This accounts for a death rate of 30%. Comparatively, Allied POWs held in Nazi and other Axis prison camps died at a rate of 3%. Image description: American prisoners on burial detail at Camp O’Donnell in March of 1942. Image credit: Encyclopedia Britannica

Andersonville National Historic Site Superintendent Gia Wagner closes out our online commemoration of the park's 50th anniversary. We are honored to preserve and share with future generations the stories of what happened at Andersonville during the Civil War, of those buried in Andersonville National Cemetery, and of American prisoners of war throughout history. We look forward to continuing our mission on behalf of the American people for the next 50 years! #Andersonville50 #FindYourPark (NPS video)

Take a behind-the-scenes look at a few objects in our museum collections and other aspects of the resource management program at Andersonville National Historic Site in this installment of our #Andersonville50 video series! (NPS video)

In 1879, Thomas O’Dea saw a photograph of the Andersonville Prison Camp that depicted the Prison to be well-organized, clean, and orderly. After reading many accounts of life at Andersonville, O’Dea vowed to provide a true description of Andersonville as he had known it. O’Dea felt he lacked the talent of writing about his experiences and decided to pencil sketch, despite not ever having drawn before. The natural gifted artist based his masterpiece exclusively on his memory, ...taking six years to complete the drawing. The scene of indescribable confusion among the prisoners presents them in every imaginable position, standing, walking, running, arguing, gambling, going to or coming from the Branch with cups, dippers, canteens, or rude pails with water, lying down, dying, praying, giving water or food to the sick, crawling on hands and knees, or hunkers, making fires and cooking rations, splitting pieces of wood almost as fine as matches, the sick being assisted by friends, others skirmishing for graybacks [picking lice off of their bodies], washing clothes and bodies in the branch, trading in dead bodies, fighting, snaring, shouting ... Thomas O’Dea, History of O’Dea’s Famous Picture of Andersonville Prison (1887) When O’Dea was finished, he produced a 4.5’x9’ bird’s eye panoramic view of Andersonville as it existed in August 1864 when the Prison contained more than 33,000 prisoners. In both the main image and marginal sketches, O’Dea was able to capture every aspect of Andersonville. Filth, disease, hunger and death echoed within every inch of O’Dea’s drawing. Scenes of corpses being carried by a wagon, prisoners being shot at the deadline, the gangs of Raiders, and dead bodies being stripped of their clothing are all shown. However, amongst the horror, O’Dea included two uplifting images: Providence Spring and Father Peter Whelan. Providence Spring was an underground stream that was suddenly exposed one night by a bolt of lightning that provided fresh water for the prisoners. Father Whelan was known as The Angel of Andersonville who ministered to all of the prisoners, whatever their race or nationality. In 1887, the drawing became an immediate hit. O’Dea was able to set up business and ordered nearly 10,000 lithograph copies, selling them for $5 apiece. O’Dea went on to create additional masterpieces which provided more detailed accounts of the Prison Camp. Today, O’Dea’s artwork is known as the only true representation of the horrors at Andersonville. Image Description: Famous picture drawn from memory by Private Thomas O’Dea, E Company of the 16th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment and prisoner of war at the Prison Camp at Andersonville as it appeared on August 1, 1864 when the Prison reached a population of more than 33,000 prisoners of war. (Library of Congress)

Volunteers and Interns are essential members of the Andersonville National Historic Site team! From former POWs sharing their experiences with visitors, to youth crews aligning headstones in the national cemetery, to RV volunteers staffing the National POW Museum, to living historians bringing Union and Confederate soldiers to life, to interns cataloging donated artifacts, to scouts and biker groups placing thousands of Memorial Day flags, and more, volunteers and interns help with virtually every program and event in the park. We could not have made it to our 50th anniversary without them! #Andersonville50 #VolunteersInParks #VIP (NPS images)

"Hate keeps a man alive." These famous words are echoed in Lew Wallace’s novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880) which is comprehended as the most influential Christian book ever written in the nineteenth century. Lewis Lew Wallace is a dynamic figure in the Civil War narrativehe was a Union army officer, a territorial governor of New Mexico, a minister (ambassador) to the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), and a best-selling author. He served as part of the military tribunal f...or the Lincoln Conspirators and presided over the military tribunal that condemned Confederate Major Henry Wirz, Commandant of the Andersonville Prison Camp. Battle has a fascination which draws men as birds are said to be drawn by serpents. They listen; then wish to see; lingering upon the edge, they catch its spirit, and finally thrill with fierce delight to find themselves within the heat and fury of its deadly circle. Lew Wallace A veteran of the Mexican-American War, Wallace was called to arms again during the Civil War and rose through the ranks quickly. At the age of 34, Wallace became the youngest man in the Union Army to achieve the rank of Major General for his brilliant action at the Battle of Fort Donelson (Fort Donelson National Battlefield). However, his military competency was put to question after the Battle of Shiloh (Shiloh National Military Park) and was also briefly brought into doubt during the Battle of Monocacy (Monocacy National Battlefield). Wallace was often assigned to administrative duties, which he handled in the most efficient manner. Wallace was a deeply religious man and was widely known for his intelligence. Thus, he served on the military commission that tried the conspirators that assassinated President Lincoln (Ford's Theatre National Historic Site), and he was hand-picked by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to serve as president of the military commission for Andersonville Prison Commandant Maj. Henry Wirz’s trial in 1865. After the war, Wallace became an author and an international statesman. In 1865 he resigned his post in the U.S. Army and accepted a Maj. General's commission from Mexico to help repel the Second French Intervention until 1867. By 1880, Wallace published his most famous novel Ben-Hur, sparking a global phenomenon as it was adapted into a Broadway stage play and into several films later in the twentieth century. That person lacks the true American spirit who has not tried to paint a picture, write a book, or get out a patent on something [or] tried to play some musical instrument. There you have the genius of the true American in those fourart, literature, invention, music. Lew Wallace to a New York Times reporter in 1893 Image: Union Major General Lewis Lew Wallace during the Civil War. (NPS)

Andersonville National Historic Site preserves and shares thousands of stories of sacrifice, duty, honor, and heroism - from Union soldiers who suffered at Camp Sumter to American prisoners of war throughout history to the honored dead buried in Andersonville National Cemetery. This is the job of the park's interpretation division - to share their stories and help today's visitors and future generations understand and appreciate the sacrifices that our American military men and women have made for their country. (NPS video)

NOW war is [over], and peace is come to greet our happy land, A tale, sad of wickedness, has lately come to hand; A tragic story you shall hear, from Britain comes the news Of Yankee sailors there [confirmed] and how they have been [used]. The Dartmoor Massacre by I. H. W., New York Commercial Advertiser (June 6, 1815) ... On April 6, 1815, British guards fired on American prisoners of war at Dartmoor Prison in England. The massacre forms the subject of the poem Dartmoor Massacre by I. H. W. Parts of I. H. W.’s poem was transposed in verse in the New York Commercial Advertiser on June 6, 1815 and was also published in the Boston papers that same month. It is believed that these verses have not been reprinted since its appearance in 1815. Though the identity of I. H. W. has yet to have been discovered, the poem has been comprehended as one of the most authentic accounts of the Dartmoor Prison Massacre. Our hardy tars and seamen bold, a shameful dire disgrace! To British power and British rule, and Dartmoor was the place, This tragic scene was acted o er sad dreadful massacre By one sad fellow, Shortland called, and all accounts agree That he a ruthless tyrant was, most fell and savage plan And pre-concerted sought the lives of unoffending. The Dartmoor Massacre by I. H. W., New York Commercial Advertiser (June 6, 1815) During the War of 1812, Dartmoor imprisoned 6,000 American sailors along with an even greater number of French soldiers who were captured during the Napoleonic wars. With the Treaty of Ghent signed in December 1814, ending the war, the United States had no clear plan of the repatriation of American prisoners at Dartmoor. Conditions at the prison were harsh as there was heinous food restrictions, spaces were cramped and dark, and hundreds of prisoners were dying of disease and deprivation. Captain Shortland, the prison’s commandant, ordered his prison guards to fire on American prisoners after suspecting their attempt to escape the prison. Seven prisoners were killed and 31 were wounded. Afterward, Shortland was tried for his crimes, but witnesses were unable to identify the soldiers who fired. As a result, Shortland was not convicted. Image Description: A representation of the massacre of American prisoners at Dartmoor Prison on April 6, 1815. (Library of Congress)

The Japanese hell ships of World War II were repurposed merchant ships the Imperial Japanese Navy used to relocate Allied POWs to Japan or elsewhere in the empire. These ships were floating prison camps in which prisoners were denied, space, air, adequate food, and water. Many lost their lives due to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and physical assault. But, most prisoners died from the friendly fire of U.S. and Allied, ships, submarines, and aircraft. The Battle of Leyt...e Gulf, in October of 1944, started the American conquest of the Philippines. This prompted the Japanese to move people, including POWs, and resources to the Japanese archipelago. Tens of thousands of POWs began being evacuated aboard merchant ships. These ships were dangerously overload with people and supplies which caused conditions in the holds to deteriorate quickly. Approximately 1,540 POWs died from ship conditions and violence, but more than 19,000 deaths occurred because of friendly fire from Allied forces. During the war, Japan required both labor and raw materials in order to fight. These raw materials were transported in cargo ships that double as prison camps. This made it almost impossible for the Allies to distinguish between cargo ships and prisoner transports. As the Allies sunk Japanese ships carrying cargo used to wage war, they would not have known that POWs, and even Japanese civilians, were onboard as well. One such ship was the Oryoku Maru which was built as a luxury liner before being pressed into service as a merchant ship. As it awaited departure it contained 1,600 Allied POWs. Lieutenant Colonel Ovid O. Wilson, of the United States Army, described the conditions as overcrowded and hot. He reported that men could die quick in the hold of the ship of heat exhaustion and suffocation. Many men aboard the Oryoku Maru had been held prisoner since the Bataan Campaign of 1942 and were a part of the Bataan Death March. Japanese civilians evacuated from the Philippines were also on board. On December 14, 1944 the Oryoku Maru came under attack by U.S. Navy aircraft. The Japanese defended the ship as prisoners attempted to escape from the holds. Sentries shot prisoner as they tried to escape. The Japanese guards eventually abandoned ship amidst the chaos. Most prisoners were recaptured in the water or ashore. After the war U.S. authorities found only 128 survivors of the Oryoku Maru. Japanese treatment of POWs was deadly. Image description: The Montevideo Maru was the first Japanese hell ship to be sunk by the U.S. Navy. Image credit: Naval History and Heritage Command.