Camp Sumter, commonly known as the Andersonville Prison, was a real place. As one of the largest Confederate prisons during the Civil War, it housed approximately 45,000 Union prisoners for the duration of 14 months from February 1864 until April 1865. These prisoners endured concentration camp-like conditions including disease, starvation, filth, violence, abuse, and exposure to harsh elements. Of those 45,000 prisoners, approximately 13,000 died. Many more perished once released from the confines of the prison. Some historians have described the Andersonville Prison entrance as the "Gates to Hell." Legends suggest dogmen encounters were reported in the South hundreds of years ago - and continue to this day.