The only basic necessity Confederate authorities provided for was food. Official rations, however, were grossly inadequate. As prisoner numbers grew, the quality and quantity of rations grew poorer and poorer. Dirty black pea soup, a small supply of hardtack, and a two-inch square of cornbread were a typical daily ration. There were days in which no rations at all were distributed. Often, available rations were uncooked and the prisoners had to cook for themselves.

The prison pen covered 26.5 acres of land enclosed by a 15 foot-high stockade with dimensions 1,620' by 779'. As many as 33,000 men were contained in this area. This gave each prisoner an area of only 4 square yards. Many hundreds of prisoners were without shelter of any kind to protect them from rain, sun, heat, or cold. With the sky for a roof, the discomfort and suffering caused by a lack of shelter was terrible.

Inadequate clothing added to the discomfort of the Andersonville inmates. Prisoners who needed clothing could expect no help from their captors who could not even adequately clothe their own Confederate army. Extremely dirty, tattered, or no clothing at all was common among the prisoners.