BPC students tour Andersonville

BPC students shown left to right are Ray Minks, Chelsey Scott, Roy Scoggins and Tyler Watts near part of the reconstructed walls to the prison at Andersonville, Ga.

MOUNT VERNON—Brewton-Parker College’s History Society sponsored a Saturday trip to Andersonville, Ga. to tour the National Prisoner of War Museum, Nov. 6.

Trip attendees included students Victoria Simpson, president of the History Society; Roy Scoggins, vice president; Ray Minks, secretary; Ashley Marsteller, Tyler Watts and Chelsey Scott, and professors Ian Crowe, Harry Vogel and Mary Waalkes.

According to Dr. Waalkes, the National Prisoner of War Museum tells a multi-faceted story, with replicas of parts of the Civil War prison outside the museum, displaying the walls, make-shift tents constructed by the Civil War prisoners, and Providence Spring, which provided much-needed clean water for the camp.  Inside the museum, video and panel displays resemble a collage that makes the somber point that all prisoners of war suffer, as do their families.  Courage and hope are also a part of the human story told at the museum.

BPC students examine a part of Providence Spring at the National Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville, Ga. Nov. 6. (Photos provided)

After touring the museum, the students and faculty drove through the national cemetery where the closely-placed headstones bore witness to the nearly 13,000 individuals who died at Andersonville prison in the last two years of the war.  In honor of Veteran’s Day, large American flags flew from poles lining the cemetery lanes.

The trip to Andersonville was one of many projects undertaken this fall by the History Society, which kicked off its season by showing The Young Victoria on campus. History Society members also raised funds with a booth at the Lawn Sale on campus, served as guides for a visit from Montgomery County Middle School students, and were re-enactors and guides for the Historic Village during the BPC Chili Cook-off.

The History Society plans to finish the semester with exhibition cricket matches sponsored by Dr. Ian Crowe in early December. 

For more information about the History Society, which is open to all students on campus, contact Dr. Mary Waalkes at 912-583-3110. Brewton-Parker College is the only accredited four-year Christian college in South Georgia.

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