Panic strikes as part of the west wall near the prison creek washes away
during a storm, Brigadier General and Post Commander John H. Winder ordering
guards to man the gap to prevent the 33,000 inmates from escaping, and
telegraphs Adjutant General Samuel Cooper in Richmond to send no more
prisoners of war.
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August 13, 1864
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A new source of fresh water for the prisoners gushes from the ground inside
the stockade near the recently washed away 100 foot portion of the west
wall, saving hundreds of lives and believed by many to be an act of Divine
Providence; thus the name given by the inmates, Providence Spring.



Heres the deal. This was without a doubt the worst time at Andersonville,
The population exploded to more than 33000 prisoners and as diarrhea was the
number one killer, it was from the polluted water supply. ( the small creek
that flowed through the stockade.) This was August when more than 100 a day
average were being taken to the cemetery for burial. Diaries during this
eriod as well as those written following the war reported that prisoners
were having a mass prayer asking God for fresh water. There was this
massive rainstorm and some reported lightning striking the ground where the
spring eventually showed. This was looked upon as a devine act of providence
by God which is where the name came from.

When the water receeded from the low lying area when the wall blew out, it
gave the stockade a good " Flushing " and as the water level dropped, there
was a spring that appeared out of the North side of the hill but within the
deadline. Several prisoners were reported to have been shot crossing the
deadline to the water. Prisoners were aloowed to tie cups to poles and
reach across the deadline and eventually allowed to build a trough to carry
the water across the deadline rail where they could have access to it.

After the war, locals told of the spring that was there prior to the
stockade being built where they would wash clothes. Its believed that when
the stockade walls were placed, it stopped the flow of the water. When the
massive storn hit, the pressure was to great and when the wall blew out, it
released the flow of the spring.

I dont care which story is the truth. In my opinion, if the spring was
new,, it was an act of God. If it was opened by the storm, it was still an
act of God.
There is a large memorial built over the spring ( I can send a photo if you
like ) and to this day, even in years of severe drought in Georgia, the
spring has always flowed.