Chapter 4 discusses the case of the Andersonville Prisoner of War Camp established during the American Civil War, which stands out as one of the most brutal and deadly camps then in operation. It describes how officials provided shockingly few resources, no basic infrastructure, and essentially no governance within the facility. However, prisoners themselves did little to organize because there were few benefits from doing so. There was no access to outside economic activity, no trade was possible, and there were few natural resources within the perimeter of the camp. As such, there were no gains from acting collectively. As chapter 4 explains, the case of Andersonville shows that governance institutions do not emerge automatically, even in the face of state failure.
A Soldier’s Faith: The Civil War Experiences and Reflections of William Porcher DuBose