There were 26,436 Confederates out of 220,000 Confederate captives in the north who died in the northern prisons.
Let's consider a few things when discussing the issue of POWs in the Civil War:
1) The Confederates were consistently short on supplies. In the latter years, they couldn't even reliably get their own soldiers enough shoes. What makes us think they're going to be able to lavishly pour goodies upon enemy POWs?
2) The Union could have rescued many of its soldiers in POW camps if it hadn't stopped prisoner exchanges halfway through the war.
3) Being in a POW camp, belonging to EITHER side, would not have been a fun experience. Both sides didn't have enough resources or personnel to "waste" supplying and guarding enemy prisoners. There were some Northern POW camps that were every bit as bad as Andersonville - and it wasn't because the Northerners were evil, genocidal monsters. The same, however, holds true for the Southerners.
I can't state that I've read every account of southern POWs in Federal hands, but could you point me towards said info could be found?
An agricultural nation (which the South was) couldn't even find enough food?
Yes, let's.
The Confederates were consistently short on supplies. In the latter years, they couldn't even reliably get their own soldiers enough shoes. What makes us think they're going to be able to lavishly pour goodies upon enemy POWs?
The confederates had transportation and resources enough to get the prisoners to the camps, but they didn't have resources enough to provide them with food?
The Union could have rescued many of its soldiers in POW camps if it hadn't stopped prisoner exchanges halfway through the war.
Exchanges were stopped because the South refused to treat black Union soldiers as POWs but instead said that they would be sent into slavery and their officers shot. The South also threatened to execute, without trial, specific Union generals.
Being in a POW camp, belonging to EITHER side, would not have been a fun experience. Both sides didn't have enough resources or personnel to "waste" supplying and guarding enemy prisoners. There were some Northern POW camps that were every bit as bad as Andersonville - and it wasn't because the Northerners were evil, genocidal monsters. The same, however, holds true for the Southerners.
I disagree. Both sides are culpable because both sides could have provided decent care for their POWS and neither side did. Both could have provided decent food, but didn't. Both sides could have provided decent shelter, but didn't. Both sides could have taken steps to reduce the fatalities, but didn't. Abuse and mistreatment was deliberate both North and SOuth.