Pigeon-Roosts

Pigeon-Roosts (HM1OD9)

Location: Andersonville, GA 31711 Macon County
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Country: United States of America
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N 32° 11.746', W 84° 7.621'

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Inscription
Sentry boxes or "pigeon-roosts" were mounted every 100 feet along the top of the stockade. The guards there had orders to shoot any prisoner who crossed the deadline. Otherwise they had little control over conditions inside.

Perched above the camp, the guards themselves became prisoners of tedium and anxiety—always fearful of prisoner uprising or Union cavalry attack. After a while the noise, the stench, and the view across acres of ragged men and shelters have numbed the senses.

The guards also suffered from many of the same health problems as the prisoners, resulting in a high death rate in that group as well.

"Each of the guards faced the vast mass of prisoners and was ordered to closely watch the dead line before and below him half way to his comrade on his right and left."
John L. Maile, 8th Michigan Infantry, May 22, 1864

(captions)
(center) The guards—mostly old men and young boys from the Georgia Reserve Corps—were reluctant witnesses to the misery at Andersonville. More seasoned troops were sent to stop Sherman's drive toward Atlanta.

(right) Local townspeople sometimes came to gawk at the prisoners.
Details
HM NumberHM1OD9
Tags
Placed ByNational Park Service
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, October 2nd, 2015 at 1:02pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16S E 770839 N 3565755
Decimal Degrees32.19576667, -84.12701667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 32° 11.746', W 84° 7.621'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds32° 11' 44.76" N, 84° 7' 37.26" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)229
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling South
Closest Postal AddressAt or near Prison Site Rd, Andersonville GA 31711, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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