March 8, 2008
Andersonville --- It was a sight that rivaled the twinkling stars in the night sky.
"We are doing this to give our visitors a visual representation of the suffering and death that happened here at Camp Sumter during the civil war," said site Superintendent, Fred Boyles.
Hundreds of volunteers spent hours placing and lighting candles that represent each person that died here during the civil war.
"There are over 13,000 luminaries. One for each of the union soldier prisoners who died here in Andersonville, and one for each of the 237 confederate guards who died here in Andersonville," said Boyles.
"It took hundreds of people working all day, since 9:00 AM this morning, filling each bag with sand and a candle, getting the bags just right, and then transporting them into the prison site.
We could never do it with out our volunteers. And of course tomorrow morning its all go to be cleaned up."
And all of this hard work was done for one reason. "To remember the sacrifices that have been made for us and for our freedoms, and that's really what its all about," said Boyles.
And though the civil war is over 150 years old, it accomplished a lot for the country. "It was the war that kept our country together, and it was also the war that ended slavery.
So its very significant and very important to all Americans," said Boyles. Without it we may not be the United States today.
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