Aside from being held in prisoner of war camps, in many instances there were prisoner exchanges conducted by each side. In other situations, captured soldiers were given "parole" as the easiest method to handle this wartime situation. A parole situation normally developed when a victorious army on the move had little time to process and ship prisoners away. The parole system had a unique and effective operation. Captured soldiers would give their names and rank and set free with the sworn promise they would not re-enter the ranks of combatants. This was an "honor" system that actually worked.
They had limbs amputated They died of infection
They were very likely to die, as medical supplies were virtually non-existent.
During the Crusades, prisoners were often subjected to harsh treatment, including imprisonment, torture, or execution. Many were ransomed back to their families or kingdoms, while others were forced into slavery or conversion to Christianity. In some cases, prisoners could gain their freedom through acts of valor in battle or by providing valuable intelligence. The treatment of prisoners varied greatly depending on the circumstances and the captors involved.
During war, prisoners, often referred to as prisoners of war (POWs), may face a range of dire conditions, including harsh treatment, inadequate food and medical care, and psychological distress. They are typically held in captivity by enemy forces, where they may endure torture or forced labor. International laws, such as the Geneva Conventions, aim to protect POWs, but compliance varies, and many suffer violations of their rights. Additionally, the fate of prisoners can depend on the nature of the conflict and the policies of the detaining power.
Gangrene is a disease; it was not limited to the Civil War. Basically, it's the rotting of the body (while still alive) due to infection. It happened often in wartime because of the lack of proper sanitation.
Cotton was often called the King of the South during the Civil War.
Roll call was supposed to be a matter of checking that all the prisoners were present. However, it was often deliberately spun out to make it a misery for the inmates. During roll call they had to stand to attention in all weathers, while the guards were free to walk about. There are cases on record where some, already weak, prisoners collapsed and died during long roll calls in winter.
During the American Civil War, both the Union and Confederate armies held a significant number of prisoners. Estimates suggest that around 400,000 Union soldiers and approximately 200,000 Confederate soldiers were captured and held as prisoners of war. Conditions in these camps were often harsh, leading to high mortality rates, especially in Confederate prisons like Andersonville. The treatment and numbers of prisoners became a poignant aspect of the war's human cost.
They were held as prisoners of war. What that entailed depended upon the "enemy" who caught them. In Britain we often made prisoners of war work, but on the whole we treated them fairly well. In Japan many prisoners were treated extremely badly and were frequently tortured.
The prisoners in charge of the cell blocks during the Holocaust were often referred to as "kapos." These individuals were typically prisoners themselves who were appointed by the SS to oversee other inmates, manage labor details, and maintain order within the camps. Kapos could be of various nationalities and backgrounds, and their roles often involved a complex mix of collaboration and coercion under extreme duress.
High-status prisoners often had reasonable accommodation, but the rest were often held in dungeons.
A soterrano was a type of dungeon or underground cell used for the imprisonment of political or criminal prisoners during the Spanish Inquisition. It was often a cramped and dark space where prisoners were held in harsh conditions as a form of punishment.