Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-17

|
There appears to be disposition on the
part of some of the public press to mltl-
gate the offences and crimes of Major Hen
| ry Wertz, late the responsible keeper of the
stockade at Andersonyille, Ga, and to throw
upon others the responsibilities that justly
attach to those alone who were In immedl-
ate command Of that prison. Being person
| ally acquainted with most of the officers who
were stationed at Andersonville, and know
| ing much Of the treatment OF those who
were so unfortunate as to have been CON
fined in that pen of horror, | have thought
| that condensed statement of how things
were managed and prisoners of war were
treated there might not be entirely unac
ceptable to your readers.
| wish to be understood as not deSirouS
to forestall the action or opinion Of the com
mission which is about to investigate this
matter, or to add anything to the feeling
entertained toward Major Wertz. 1t is
enough for him to rest, now and forever,
| under an oblOquy that no time and no re-
pentance can obliterate feel within him
self the unenviable pangs which the recol-
lection of his poweress murdered victims
will ever arouse, and to know that what
ever may be the award Ot human trlbu-
nal his punishment is already decrced.
The prison of Andersonville is a stOckade
Of about eighteen feet high, the posts com
prising it being sunk in the ground five
feet 1t originally comprised an area OF
eighteen acres but was subsequently .enlar-
ged to twenty-seven acres The enclosure
is upon the side of hill looking toward
the south at the foot of which is a small
1
inches deep, which furnished water for the
use of the prisoners. Within this enclose
ure were turned the prisoners as they arri-
we'd, and left to provide for themselves,
there being no shelters, or arbors, or any
kind of protection afforded, by trees or 9th
erwise, against the burning rays of the
Southern sun, the furious storms, or the
freezing winters.
The position was selected by Capt. Win
der, a son of Gen. John H. Winder, who
was sent from Richmond for that purpose
in the latter part of 1868. When it was
suggested to him by disinterested but
human spectator of his operations that it
would perhaps be better to leave the trees
standing within the proposed stockade, as
they would afford shade to the prisoners,
he replied That was just what he was
not going to do he was going to make a
pen for the-Yankees, where they would
rot faster than they could be sent there"
And admirably did he accomplish his mis-
sion
The first commandant of the post was
Col. Persons, who was soon succeeded by
john II. Winder, with his son as Adjutant
his nephew as commiSsary and Sutlcr, and
Henry VERT in immediate command of
the prisoners. There were generally sta
toned there for guard duty from three to
six regiments of infantry, with one cOmpa-
ny of artillery, having a battery of six pie
ces, according to the eXigencies Of the case,
the numberof prisoners then confined, OF
| the fears entertained OF an attempt to set
them at liberty by raiding parties of United
States troops.
When prisoners were first received it
was usual to subject them to a search for
money, valuables, &c, which, ostensibly,
were to be restored when they were relcas-
ed from captivity, but which, in reality,
went into the pockets Of those who control
led the prison. Notwithstanding Il law Of
the confederacy, expressly prohibiting the
dealing in green-backs," yet the initiated
- few whose loyalty" was unqucstion-
ed-Could always obtain for a cOmSdcra-
ton the greenbacks they required.
The writer Of this was the foreman of the
last grand jury which was empanncled for
Sumner Co., GA, and in the performance Of
his duties he had to investigate "a large
number Of presentiments for dealing in the
forbidden currency, which was brought
against poor Union men in every instance
Struck by this fact, he resolved to exam
inc, as his position gave him a right to do
into all the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the mon
ey originally came from, who did the sell
ing of it, indeed, the whole nloduS operandj
and he elected the fact above stated how
the money was obtained, that the Windscrs
and Wertz were the principals, acting
through subordinates, in gathering bushels
Of plums, in the way Of premiums, &c.
Meanwhile, the prisoners were left to the
tender mercies Of their iailor and commits
sary for their food, which might have been
| improved in quantity, at least, if their mon
ey had been left i'll their own possession
At first it was customary to send a wag-
on into the stockade every morning at ten
o'clock, loaded with the rations for the day
bacon and corn-bread, nothing else but
as the number of prisoners increased and
the greed of gain grew upon the trio above
mentioned the corn-bread was reduced in
quality, being then manufactured Of equal
proportions Of ground field peas and corn,
unbolted, unsifted uncleansed, indeed, from
the dirt and trash which peas naturally ac-
cumulate ; and at last when the number OF
prisoners increased to over thirty-seven
thousand, the meat ratons per week were
reduced to piece Of bacon, for each man,
about three inches long and two wide, with
one p0ne of the bread above described per
day. Then, also, the custom of carrying
the prisoners food into the stockade in
wagons was abolished. They drove up tc
the gates, which were slightly opened, and
the scanty food, foul and unhealthy as il
was, was thrown inside by the guard, to be
scrabbled for by the wretched prisoners
the strongest and those nearest the gate
getting the largest share, the weak and
sickly getting none
| have mentioned the small brook which
runs through the lower part of the stockade
and which supplied the water for drinking
and washing. This brook had its rise in a
swamp not far from the prison, and at nc
time, certainly not for heightened period
was the water suitable or healthy; but wheI
the faces and filth, the drainage of the whole
| oauD of priCOnarc oama tO no Suparo AZ or