Elmira

By Michael Horigan,

Book cover of Elmira: Death Camp of the North

Book description

The Civil War prison camp at Elmira, New York, had the highest death rate of any prison camp in the North: almost 25 percent. Comparatively, the overall death rate of all Northern prison camps was just over 11 percent; in the South, the death rate was just over 15 percent.…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Elmira as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A native of Elmira, Horigan sought to uncover the grisly story of the Elmira prisoner of war camp and why it was so deadly to its inhabitants. Not only does he reveal the constellation of hardships faced by prisoners, but a story of retribution which he pins on the Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and the penny-pinching Commissary General of Prisoners William Hoffman. In the end, Horigan lays out a damning indictment, which he carefully enumerates in his conclusion, of the conduct of the War Department and Officers overseeing the Elmira camp who he blames for the great suffering and…

From Derek's list on Civil War P.O.W. camps.

Want books like Elmira?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Elmira.

Browse books like Elmira

Book cover of Crossing the Deadlines: Civil War Prisons Reconsidered
Book cover of Portals to Hell: Military Prisons of the Civil War
Book cover of Haunted by Atrocity: Civil War Prisons in American Memory

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,351

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in New York State, prisoner of war, and the American Civil War?

New York State 563 books
Prisoner Of War 88 books