Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-10-20
ANDERSO
Report Of Captain j. NJ. Moore.
ACCOUNT or THE WORK DONE.
I3.4Gl GRAVES EDENTIFEED.-EACH
MARKED WITH a TABLET.

diers for future Identification, and inclosinE the
cemetery, have the honor to report as follows.
| left Washington on the Sth Of July last for An
dersonHllie. Ga, via Savannah with mechanics and
material for the purpose above mentioned.
| On my arrival at Savannah ! ascertaned there was
| no railroad communication whatever to Anderson
VILE the direct road TO Macon being broken, and
| that from Augusta, via Atlanta in the condi-
Iloh. enteaN"Ted to procure wagon transportation,
| but was informed By the General commanding the
| Department of Georgia that sufficient number of
teams could not be had IN the State to haul OnC-half
OF my stores, and, the road bad and the dis
tance more than four hundred miles, abandoned all
| idea Of attempting route through country difficult
| and tedious under more propitiou> circumstances.
The prospect of reaching Andcrsonyillca ut this time
| was by no means favorable, and nearly one week had
elapsed since my arrival at Savannah: had tctc-
glaphcd to Augusta, Atlanta and Maroon. almost da-
ly, and received replies that the railroads were not
yet completed. At length, on the morning ofthe 18th
| OF july, the gratifying telegram from augusta was
received, announcing the completion of the Augusta
| and Macon road to Atlanta, when at once dot r
| mnct to procure boat and proceed to Augusta by
| the savannah river.
| The desired boat was secured. and in wcnty-four
hours alter the receipt ol the telegram alluded to
| was on my way with men and material for Augusta
| On my arrival there found the railroad completed
| to Macon, and that from Macon to AndcrSonvilIe
having never been broken experienced very little
difficulty in reaching my destination. where arrived
July 9th, after tircsomc trip occupying six days
At Macon Major General Wilson detailed one COM
rany Of the Fourth l. ;. Cavalry and one from the
States Coiofed Troops 70 assist me- member OF the
former company was killed on the 9TH of August, at
station named Montezama, on the Southwestern Rail
road.
The rolling stock on all the roads over which tray
cllcd is in a miserable condition, and very seldom
greater rate of speed attained than twelve miles
an hour. At the different stations along the route
the object of the expedition well known. and not
unircqucny men, wearing the garb of the rebel SOL
dicrS, would enter the and discuss tn" treatment
of our prisoners ut AnderSOnVic, all of whom can
didly admitted il was shameful, and blot on the
cScuchcOn Cl the South that years would not ciacc
While cncampcd mt hnderSonyic | was daily
visited by men from the surrounding country, and
had al opportunity oG cleaning their feelings toward
the tioycrment, and, with hardly an exception.
found those who had been in the rebel army pcntent
and more kindly disposed than those who had never
taken part, and anxious to again become citizens of
the Government which they fought 50 hard to de-
stroy.
On the morning Of the 2jth of July, the work OF
identifying the graves, painting and lettering the
hcadboards laying ont walks and mc0Sng the ccmc-
terry, was commenced, and on the evening of August
18th completed, with the cNccptiQps hereafter
mentioned. The dead were found buried in trenches,
site selected by the rebels, about three hundred
length from fifty to hundred and fifty yards The
bodies il the trenches were from two to three feet
below the surface. and il several instances where the
rains had washed away the carth but II few inches.
Additional earth was. however, thrown the
grave, making them OF Il atiil greater depth. So
close were they buried without collins or the ordi
nary clothing to cover their nakGnCsS that net IGre
than twelve inches allowed to each man; indeed,
the little tablets marking their resting place. mcasur-
ing hardly ten inches Iii width, almost touching each
other.
United States soldiers. while prisoners at Ander-
and by simple stake at the head of each grave,
which bore number corresponding with similar
numbered name upon the AndersOnvilc hospital re
record. was enabled to identify and mark with
neat tablet, similar to those in the cemeteries at
Washington, the number, name rank, regiment etc.
and date of death of twelve thousand four hundred
and SiXtyOnc graves. there being but four hundred
and fifty which bore the inscription II Unknown
United States Soldiers
One hundred and twenty thousand feet of pine Ium-
Der was used in these tablets alone.
The cemetery contains fifty acres, and has been di
inl
centre, and sub-ovded into Ll0cks and sections in
such manner that with the aid of the record which
am now having copied for the superintendent, the
visitors will experience no difficulty in finding any
grave.
4 force of men is now engaged in laying out walks
and clearing the cemetery OF StumpS, preparatory
planting trees and flowers.
| have already commenced the manufacture of
bricks. and will have sufficient number by the Ist
of October TO pave the numerous cutters throughout
the cemetery the clay III the vicinity of the tOckade
being well adapted for the purpose of brick !nakinc
Appropriate inscriptions are placed through the
grounds. and have cndeayored, as far my icili-
ties would permit TO transfer this wild, unmarked
for the nations gallant dead.
At the entrance the words National Cemetery
Dead.
On the morning of the 18th of August. at sunrise
the Stars and Stripes hoiSted in the centre of
the cemetery, when National salute was fired, and
several National songs sung by those present.
The men who accompanied me, and to whom am
indebted for the early completion of my mission,
worked zeaouSly and faithfully, from early in the
morning until late at night, although suffering iu-
tensey from the effects of the sum- Unacclimated is
they were, one after another taken sick with the
fever incident to the country, and i'll brief period
my force Of mechanics was considerably lcsSencd OBJ
lighting me to obtain others from the resid entS in
different parts Of the State.
All my men, however, recovered, with the cxccp-
ton Of Mr.. Eddy Watts. ettercr, who died on the
18th of July, of typhoid fever, after sickness of
three weeks. brought his body. back with me, and
delivered it TO his friends in this city.
Several of the Fourteenth United States Cavalry.
detailed by General Wilson, died of the same fever
after Joining their command at Macon;
Andersonvilc is situated on the Southwestern Rail-
road, sixty miles from Macon. There is but one
house i'll the place, except those erected by the So
called Confederate Government as hospitals officers
quarters. and commiSsary and quartcrmastcrS build
ingS 1t was formerly known a$ Anderson, but since
The country is covered mostly with pines and hem
lock, and the soil Is sandy, sterile and unfit for cult
walton. and unlike the section of country few miles
north and south of this place, where the soil is well
adapted for agricuur purposes, and cotton as well
as corn extensively raj sed 1t is said to be the most
unhealthy part of Georgia. and was probably selected
as depot Tor prisoners on account OF this fact AT
midday the thermometer in the shade reaches fire.
quenty ~ degrees and in the sun the heat is almost
The inhabitants of this sparsey settled locality are,
with few exceptions OF the most ignorant clas, and
chills and fever are distinctly visible.
The noted prison pen is fifteen hundred and forty
feet long and seven hundred and forty feet wide and
contains twenty acres. The dead line is sew
enteen feet from the Stockade and the sentry boxes
are, thirty yards apart The inside stockade is
the distance between the two is one hundred and
twenty feet.
Nothing has been destroyed. As our exhausted,
emaciated and cnfeeblcd soldiers left it, so it stands
to-day, as a monument to an inhumanity unparalleled
in the annals of war.
How men could survive well as they did in this
pen, exposed TO the rays Of an almost tropical by
day and drcnching dew> by night without the slight
est covering, is wonderful
The ground is filled with holes where they had bur
rOwed in their efforts to shield themselves from the
weather. and many poor fellow, in cndeayoring to
protect himself IN this manner, was smothcred to
death by the earth falling in upon him.
very worthy man has been appointed supcrin-
tcndent of the grounds and cemetery, with instruc-
tiOns to allow no buildings or structures of whatever
nature to be destroyed particularly the stockade sur
rounding the prison pen
The stories told Of the suferngs of our men while
prisoners here have been substantated by hundreds
and the skeptic who will visit Andersonville even
now and examine the stockade, with its black oozy
sand, the cramped and wretchcd burrows the dead
line and the slaughterhouse, must be a callous OBJ
indeed if he is not convinced that the miseries
depicted OF this prison-pen are no cXaggeration.
have the honor to be, General, very respectfully
your obedient servant