The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-08-10
AN INCARNATE FIEND.
How Capt. Heavy wsrts Murdered eus
Prisoners.
VIVID PICTURE OF ANDERsoNrILLE
General WindeF and his Son ON
ROttfng Yankees.

VIVID PICTURE OF ANDERSONVfLLE.
General Winder and his Son on
ROttfng Yankees.
'he " flentsr. ~
New YoRx, Thursday, Aug 8, 1865.
To the Editors of the Ecening Post:
| There appears to be disposition on the
part of some of the public press to mitigate
the offences and crimes of Maj Henry Wert4,
late the responsible keeper of the stockade at
| Andersonyille, Ca, and to throw upon others
the responsibilities that justly attach to those
| alone who were in immediate command Of
that prison. Being personally acquainted
with most of the officers who were stationed
at Andersonville, and knowing much of the
treatment of those who were so unfortunate as
TO have been confined in that pen of horror. l
| have thought condensed statement OF how
things were managed and prisoners of war
were treated there might not be entirely un-
acceptable to your readers.
/ | wrsh it to be understood as not desrous
to forestall the action or opinion of the COM
mission which is about to investigate this
matter, or TO add anything to the feeling en-
tertained toward Maj Wertz. Ii is enough
| for him to rest now and forever, under an
| obloquy that no time and no repentance can
| obllterHte to feel within himself the unenvi-
able pangs wich the recollection of his pow
erless murdered victims will ever arouse, and
to know that whatever may be the award of a
human tribunal, his punishment is already
decreed
| The prison of Andersonville is stockade
| of about eighteen feet high, the posts com
| prising it being sunk in the ground Eve feet !;
II,- oT
acres. but was subsequently enlarged to
twenty seven acres. The enclosure is upon
| the side of hill, looking toward the South.
at the foot of which is small creek about
| FIVE feet wide and as many inches deep. which
| furnished the water for the use of the prison
| ers. Within this enclosure were turned the
prisoners as they arrived, and left TO provide
for themselves, there being no shelters or ar
bors, or any kind of protection afforded by
trees or otherwise against the burning rays of
the Southern sun, the furious storms or the
| freezing winters.
| The position was selected by Capt Winder.
son Of Gen. John II. Winder, who was sent
from Richmond for that purpose in the latter
part of 1863. When il was suggested to him
! by disinterested but humane spectator Of his
operations that it would perhaps be better to
leave the trees standing within the proposed
stockade. as they would afford shade 10 the
prisoners, he replied THAT was Just what
he was not going to do; he was going TO
make pen for the - Yankees. who're
they could rot faster than they could be sdnt
there.
And admirably did he accomplish his mis-
sion.
The first commander Of the post was Col.
Persons, who was soon succeeded by John II.
4 Winder. with his son as adjutant, his nephew
as commissary and sutler, and Henry Wer,z
In the immediate command of the prisoners.
There were generally stationed there for guard
duty from three to SIX regiments of infantry,
with one company of artillery, having bat
tery of six pieces, according TO the exigencie:
of the case the number of prisoners then con
fined, or 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 search for money
valuables, dc, which ostensibly were to bt
restored when they were released from cap
,iyity, but which in reality went into the pock
cts of those who controlled the prison. Not
withstanding law of the Contederaey ex
pressly prohibited the dealing in green
backs yet the initiated, IA few whose :" 10y
atty was unquestioned, could always obtain
for consideration, the ereenbaeks they re
quired
The writer of this was the foreman of tn,
last grand jury which was empannelled fo
Sumner county, Ga, and in the performanc,
of his duties he had to investigate a large
number of presentments for dealing in tn,
forbidden currency, which was brongh
| against poor Union men IN every instance
Struck by this fact, he resolved to examine
as his position gave him right to do. int
all the circumstances where the money orig
inaly came from, who did the selling of i,
indeed the whole mod,H operaladi and h
, elected the fact above stated. how the inone'
e was obtained, that Winders and Wertz wer'
) the principals acting through subordinates
) in gathering bushels of plums, in the way o
premiums, &c Meanwhile the prisoners wer
A left 10 the tender mercies OF their iaiIor an,
: commissary for their food, which might hav
/ been improved in quantity ut least, if thei
t money had been left in their own possession
Al FIRST it was customary to send wagoI
4 into the stockade every morning at 10 O clock
loaded with the rations for the day-bacol
g and corn bread. nothing else but as the mum
ber Of prisoners increased, and the greed Q
gain grew upon the trio above mentioned
$ the corn bread was reduced in its quality
being then manufactured of equal proportion
/ of ground field peas and corn, unbolted, un
r sifted, uncleansed indeed from the dirt AM
trash which peas naturally accnmulatey an
at last when the number Of prisoners incfease,
e to over 81 900, the meat rations per weel
we're reduced to piece Of bacon, for eacl
g man, about three inches long and two wide
with one pone of the bread above describes
/ per day. Then, also, the custom of carryin
3 the prisoners food into the stockade in wae
$ ons was abolished. They drove up to tn
gates, which we're slightly opened, and tn
2 scanty food, foul and unhealthy as it was, wa
: thrown inside by the guard, to be scramble
for by the wretched prisoners, the stronges
I and those nearest the gate getting the larges
: share, the weak and sickly getting none.
Il l have mentioned the small brook whic
S runs through the lower part of the stockade
and which supplied the water for drinkin
and washing. This brook has its rise in
s swamp not far from the prison, and at n
8 time, certainly not for heightened period, wa
f the water suitable or healthy; but when tn
8 feces and filth, the drainage of the Who'll
s camp of prisoners, came to be superadded t
: the natural unf;ness Of the water for drinkin
q or cleansing purposes. my readers can judg
j what thirst was assuaged, or fever cooled, Q
/: throbbing temples washed, BY this Aoatin
|. stream of filth and diseased AT any time
4 under the most rigid Aygienic restrictions,
is difficult to maintain health and cleanliness
among large body of men What do 70
9 think WAS the condition of 81 600 hall. naked