Book on Civil War Military Prisons Wins Prestigious Jefferson Davis Award

Newswise — A book by a Kansas State University history professor has been recognized with the Jefferson Davis Award for distinguished book length narrative history from the Museum of the Confederacy.

Charles W. Sanders Jr., wrote "While in the Hands of the Enemy: Military Prisons of the Civil War," published by the Louisiana State University Press in 2005.

"I am pleased to learn that this outstanding book on the Civil War prison system by Chuck Sanders has won the very prestigious Jefferson Davis Award," said K-State President Jon Wefald. "Reviewers have called it 'the best book ever published on Civil War prisons and prison policy.' I am proud that Chuck is a member of our faculty both for his knowledge and for his engaging teaching style; his expertise and enthusiasm greatly benefit our students."

The Museum of the Confederacy's annual book awards competition recognizes outstanding historical research and writing on the period of the Confederate States of America. Each winner is presented with a framed certificate bearing a red wax impression from the original Great Seal of the Confederacy.

The judges chose Sanders' book from among 35 nominations after narrowing the field to five finalists. "While in the Hands of the Enemy" challenges the prevailing view among historians that the infamously horrible conditions in Northern and Southern prison camps "resulted from factors beyond the control of the belligerents and that neither the North nor the South was guilty of systematically mistreating prisoners." Sanders argues that the main reason for the inhumane treatment of prisoners owed to "Union and Confederates leaders who knew full well the horrific toll of misery and death their decisions and actions would exact in the camps."

Michael B. Chesson, chairman of the Davis Award Committee, praised the book's "sober and even-handed condemnation of both sides" and concluded "this work is indispensable, and will be added to various lists of the top Civil War books." Sanders' book is a volume in the Louisiana State University Press's "Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War" series. It is the ninth book published by LSU Press to win the Davis Award in its 36-year history.

Sanders' primary field of study is 19th-century U.S. History, and his secondary interests include military history and American political history. He teaches a variety of American history courses, including The United States to 1876, The Civil War and Reconstruction and the Advanced Seminar in History. He was a history instructor from 2000-2001, an assistant professor, from 2001-2005, and was promoted to associate professor in 2005. He was a graduate teaching assistant in history from 1996 to 2000 and has been an instructor for K-State's Division of Continuing Education. Sanders was recognized for his teaching in 2003 with the William L. Stamey Award for Teaching Excellence and again in 2004 for excellence in undergraduate teaching with the Commerce Bank Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. He earned a bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University, a master of education from North Georgia College, a master of arts from the U.S. Naval War College and a doctorate in history from K-State.