Named For John Anderson, who was a director of the South Western Railroad at the time it was extended from Oglethorpe to Americus in 1853. Originally known as Anderson Station Known For Being the location of one of the largest Confederate prisons during the Civil War Most People Don't Know Andersonville's real name was Camp Sumter In History Over 45,000 Union prisoners were confined at Andersonville and over 13,000 died during the prison's 14-month existence Famous Sons and Daughters After the Civil War, Henry Wirz, the commandant at Camp Sumter, was court-martialed on charges of conspiracy and murder and hanged. He was the only Confederate official to be tried and convicted of war crimes resulting from the Civil War Notable Buildings Two sections of the stockade wall, the north gate, and the northeast corner have been reconstructed Top Annual Events Andersonville Historic Fair Best Kept Secret  Andersonville National Historic Site is the only park in the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American Prisoners of war Don't Miss Visitors can walk the 26.5-acre site of Camp Sumter, which has been outlined with double rows of white posts. Two sections of the stockade have been reconstructed Last Words The park's purpose is "to provide an understanding of the overall prisoner of war story of the Civil War, to interpret the role of prisoner of war camps in history, to commemorate the sacrifice of Americans who lost their lives in such camps, and to preserve the monuments located within the site"