Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-10-19
4 Z d OFTIlf,
DErAKTHESr or WARRINGTON. ID. Z.

gwen theif ives 10 ther country.
A q n OrTIeE,
DErAKTHESr or WASHINGTON. d. Z
September 20. 1865
IL Bresei MAJOR General N &. Mics, O VI.
General L >. A Washington:
GENKRAL:-In accordance with Special Order.
No. 10. Y NJ. Generals Once, dated June 10th
le65, directing me to proceed 20 Andersonville
/ Georgia, for the purpose OF marking the graves
OF Union soldiers for future identification, and
enclosing the cemetery. ! have the honor to 70
port as follows: | left Washington on tue stb Of
\ July .sst, with mechanics and materials for the
purpose above mentioned On my arrival al
| savannah, ! sscertained there was no railroad
communication whatever 10 Andersonyille the
direct road 10 Macon being broken. and
that from Augusta, via Atlanta, in the same
condition. endea-ored TO procure wagon
/ transportation. but was informed oy the
General commanding the Department OF
Georgia, that sufficient number Of teams could
not be had in this State 20 haul one half of nv
/ stores, and the roads we're bad and the Ill.
lance mose shan 400 miles, | abandoned all idea
81 attempting 70 transport taem over road
| through country ciiicut aud tedious under
more favorable circumstances The prospect OF
reaching Andersony.e At this lime was by 10
! means favorable, and nearly one week had elaps
ell since NV arrival az Savannah had tele-
I
daily and received replies thai the railroads were
not completed. Al length, OH the morning of
tue le-h OF July, gratifying telegram from Au-
( Isia wss received. announcing the CON-
peton Of the Augusta and Macon road u Atlanta
| AZ once determine to procare a 0oa; and
/ proceed TO Augusta by the Savannah river The
dispatch boat was secured aud in lweaty -four
| hours after the receipt OF the telegram alluded
| TO, Vas my way with men and material for
Augusta. 0n my arrival there found the rail-
roac completed 10 Macon. and that from Macon
10 AndefsonyIlie having never been broken, aud
| experienced little difficulty 10 feechiBg INV desli-
nation, where ! arrived on July l5;h, after a
! tiTesO!ne trip. occupying SIX dsys and nights.
Major deEeral Wilson detailed one COMPANY Of
| the Fourth United States cavalry aid one from
| the One Hundred and Seventh Regiments United
| States c0lOIed infantry. 20 assist tue NUN
Der OF the former were killed TN the 9Th ol
| August at station named Monlizums on
| Southeastern Road The soling stock of ali roads
| over which Travelled - IA miserable condition
| and very seldom Create rste Ot speed Oh
! tsiued than twelve nnles al nOgr ihe % ect
! OF the expedition we'll known - the differ
| cut stations along the route ana not unfre-
quenuy men wearing he garh OF ftbe soldiers
| would enter the and discuss the treatment
| of our prisoners At Andcrsonvlle all of whom
candidly admitted that j, was shameful and q
/ blot OF the reputation of the South which years
| would not efisce. While eucsmpei - Ander-
sonyille | wac daily visited by men from the sur
rounding country. and had an opportunity OF
cleaning their feelings towards the Government,
and With hardly an exception. found shose
| who bad been in the rebel army penitspt
aud more kindly disposed than those who never
took part and anxious TO become citizens OF the
Government which they fought so hard TO dc.
stroy. On the morning OF the 2os. OF j ulV the
| work OF identifying graves. painting and letter
| ing head boards, laying out walks AID enclosing
the cemetery Was commenced. and On the eve
ming of August 10th was completed. with eIcep
| tons hereafter mentioned The dead were
found buried IN trenches OH Z site selected by the
rebels, about thirty yards from the stockade The
| trenches were from two 10 three feet below The
surface, and in several instances, where the rain
had washed away the earth. but n few inches 70
NAMED. Additional earth. however, was put
upon the graves, making them u still greater
depth. So close were they buried without cof-
fms or clothing 10 cover their nakedness that not
more than twelve inches were allowed to each
man; indeed. the little tablets marking their
resting place, measuring nearly ten inches in
width, almost touched each other. The sol
diers. while prisoners at Anderson vile, had been
dstai Ell TO utter their companions, and by sim
| pie stake at the head OF esC IA grave. che number
corresponding with a similar number and name
| upon the Andersonyille hospital record, ! was
enabled 10 identify and mark with neat tablet
similar to those in the Cemeteries At Washing
| ton the uu mber, name, rank. reg meni Sc and
The date of death or ~, 466 gTavs-, there are
but 49, which bear he Inscription % unknown
One hundred ana twenty thousand 1set Of pine
| lumber are used in shese tablets slOne The
Cemetery contains ht.y acres, annd has bsen di-
vdei 10y main avenue running through
the ceuNe, and subdivided into blocks aud
sections IL such mrnner that with the
, aid OF the record which | am nov hAv-
ING copied l1f tie Superintendent, the WISH
tore xil experience no difficulty il finding any
grave force OF men i nov engaged laying
out walks and clearing Tue Cemetery of stumps
preparatory 70 planting trees and flower. nave
already commenced the manufacture Of brick
and slll have sufficient numoer by the hrst OF
October - pave the numerous casters through
oG; the Cemetery, the clay IN the vicinity OF she
stocksde being well adapted Eos the purpose Of
brick making Appropriate inscriptions are
placed through the grounds. and | have ar
ranged a. lar a. nv heIlllie- would permit TO
transfer ihis Mid aud unhonorel grave yard into
BIZ place Of intermenl Tor the nation gallant
dead A! the entrance the words A Nations
Gene sery. Au3efson.ille, G., designate the city
! Of the dead
On the morning Of the 18th o. August, a, sun
| rise. the Stars and Stripes hoisied IN The
centre OF the Cemetery, when Rational salute
VAS bred ana several AAhOnAi tongs sung Ov
those present IL be men vino accompanied me
and ID shom | ain iudeb'ei -; the early com
petop OF my mission .woi ed zsslously and faith
/ fully from early IA the morning un'il lste AZ
night, although Suffering extremely lt0m the
| effects Of the heat, unaccusiomei a. thev were 10
I the climate Oas .fleE smother taken sick
With the lever incident % The country snd in a
brief period NV force OF ncch-nics Wa consider
ably lsssened ooligiug ne 20 detail others from
! the residents 10 difeIen, parts OF the State All
nv men however. recovered bn, one SIR
| Eddy Watts, Who died on the l6Ih Of jaly
i Of typhoid tersr. afters sickness of three weeks
| I brought his BODY back ~ith TIE, snd delivered
il 20 hi. family IN his city Serer, Of ID.
| United States CASslGy Get=ile1 OF General W H.
son de- OF the same fever shortly after Joining
their command AZ Macon Andstsonvills i stu
ated on the Southwestern R.ilro,d, sixty mile.
/ from Macon. mere /. hut one house in the
place. eIeept those erected bv the so-cslled Con-
! iederste Government a. hospitals, officers quar-
tiers and comnisssry and quarlernlas,sr build
ing l. VAS formerly Known ss Anderson. but
since the vile mas been added. The country is
covered mostly with pines and hemlOcks. and
the sol - sandy. sterile and unfit for cR!-
| tivatiOu, aud unlike the section OF country out
few miles north AMI south Of the place.
where the soil Is veil adapted FOR agricultural
purposes, and cotton IS well a. corn Is extsn-
sivsly raised IL IS said 10 be the NOS; unhealthy