I've submitted a link for approval to a website that provides factual information as to who is buried at Confederate Mound, Oakwoods Cemetary, Chicago Illinois.
In doing research on my ancestors I discovered that 4 of mine were Confederate prisoners at Camp Douglas, two of which died there of diarrhea and "disease". That's from official records from the prison hospital at Camp Douglas. The two which survived were required to swear allegiance to the United States before they were released. The swearing of allegiance is fitting.
I also found documents where my ancestors enlisted for a year only, but were captured not long after enlisting in the Confederate forces. They were captured at Fort Donelson, Tennessee.
What I don't understand is why this video can't be found for purchase anywhere. I purchased it a few years back, but can't find anyone selling it now.
Having served in the Army from 1974 to 1976 as a 2nd Lt and working at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois but living in Davenport, IA, during this time, the difference in winter temperatures versus where I was from, Texas, was pretty drastic. I can only imagine how hard the winter was on the prisoners with insufficient resources for staying warm and having come from a warmer winter climate.
How would I know the resources were insufficient, one might ask. Both of my parents came from poor families and were share croppers around Farmer, TX. I have an autobiography from one of my Aunts that grew up in one of these families. There was just one fireplace in the house, no electricity or plumbing. They used a number of layers of quilts to stay warm inside the house in the winter, as well as sleeping two or three to a bed so the body heat helped also. This was Texas, not Illinois. Winter temps were warmer in Texas. Corn cobbs and other resources were used as toilet paper in the outhouse. They drew drinking water from a water well cistern which is still there to this day, but dry now. Very unsanitary. Bugs freely floated on top of the water in the cistern. Extra protein is what my Aunt called it. They took a bath once or twice a week. No antibiotics existed as they grew up. The first antibiotics were developed and mass produced starting around 1940. My Aunt's Father, my Granddad, died of tuberculosis in about 1940. He died at their house. So, no antibiotics existed during the time of the Civil War.
So, I can only imagine the living conditions at Camp Douglas. Cut back on food rations, throw in some inhumane physical abuse and it indeed must as seemed like a hell on earth.