The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-10-19
Interesting Report
WASHINGTON, Oct. ls.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 1s.
The following report Of Capt. j. n. Moore,
A. y. H., who was sent to Andersonville to
mark the graves of Union prisoners for fnture
Iidenh6cation, contains valuable information,
| in which the people are interested and viii
doubtless be appreciated by the relatives and
friends of those who have given their lives to
their cocntry.
ASSISTANT @. N. OFFICE, l
DEPARTHExT or WASHINGTON,
WAsHxGIGrox, Oct. 16.
TO Brepet Maj. Gen. Keigs, O. n. g., United
States:
GENERAL: In accordance with special Or
ders, No. 100, Quartermaster Generals Office.
dated June 80, 1865, directing me to proceed
TO Andersonville for the purpose Of marking
the graves of Union soldiers for future identi,
fica ton, and enclosing the cemetery, have
the honor TO report ~ follows:
left Washington on the 9Th of July last
with mechanics and materials for the purpose
above mentioned. On my arrival At Savan-
nah ascertained that there whatever to An
ders0nville, the direct road to Macon being
| broken, and that from Augusta via Atlanta,
! was also in the same condition. endeavored
to procure wagon transportation, but was in.
formed by the General commanding the de-
partment OF Georgia, that . sufficient number
| OF trains could not be had in the State to haul
one half my stores, As the roads were bad and
the distance more than 400 miles.
abandoned the idea Of attempting it. The
road running through tae country was difficult
and tedious under more favorable circum-
stances and the prospect of reaching Ander-
sonyille at this time was by no means favor
able, and nearly week had passed since my
arrival at Savannah. had telegraphed to
Augusta and Macon almost daily, and re-
ceived replies tina, the roads were not com
pleted. At length, on the morning Of the 18th
Of July, the gratifying telegram from Augu,,
t. was received announcing the completion OF
the Augusta and Macon road to Atlanta
= once Determined to procure . baat and
proceed to Augusta by the Savannah nver.
A boat was secured, and in "a hours after the
receipt of the telegram was on my way with
men and material for Augusta On nv arr.
val | found the railroad completed to Macon,
and from Macon to Andersonville, having
never been broken, had little difficulty in
reaching my destination, where arrived July
18th, occupying SIX days and nights.
At Macon Gen. Wilson detailed q company
OF the 4th Cavalry, and company from the
the 18th Regiment L. S. volunteers to assist
me. A member Of the former cbmpany was
killed on the 9th Of August, dt u station
named Montezuma, on the the South western
Railroad. The rolling stock of all the roads
over which | travelled is in a miterable con.
dinon. and very seldom greater steed obtain.
ed than twelve miles an hour. At different
stations along the route the object of the ex-
pedition was well known, and men wearing
the garb Of rebel soldiers would enter the cars
and discuss the treatment of our prisoners at
Andersonville, all of whom candldly admitted
il was shameful and q blot on the escutcheon
of the South that years would not eface
While encamped at Andersohvil | was
daily visited by men from the surrounding
country, and had an opportunity u learning
their feelings.towards the Government. With
hardly an exception found those who had
been in the rebel army penitent, and more
kindly disposed than those who Had never Ia
ken part, and anxious 10 again become citizens
of the Government which they fought SO hard
to destroy.
On the morning of the 20th of July,
the work OF ideniihcation OF GRAVES, painting
and lettering of headboads, laying out walks
and enclosing the cemetery com menced, and
on the evening Of August 10th, was complet-
ed, with the exceptions formerly mentioned.
The dead were found buried I'D trenches on
the site selected by the rebels, about three
hundred yards from the stodkade. The
trenches were from two to thrde feet below
the surface, and in several inst hnces, where
rains had washed away the ed drth, but few
inches additional earth remained. So close
we're they Euried, without cofiins or ordinary
clothing to cover them, that not more than
twelve inches WAS allowed to each man In
deed the little boards marking their resting
places, measuring ten inches in width, almost
touched each other.
United States soldiers. white prisoners a.
Andersonville. had been detailed to inter
their companions. and by simple stakes at
the head of each grave, which have numbers
corresponding with similar nut hbered name
upon the Andersonville hospital record, was
enabled to identify and mark With neat tab.
lets similar 10 those in cemeteries at Wash
ington, the number, name, rank, regiment,
date and death of IL. 466 graves, there being
but 467 which bore the inscription unknown
United States soldiers. One hundred and
twenty thousand feet of pine luns sber was used
in these tablets alone.
The cemetery contains SO acres and has been
divided by one main avenue running through
the centre, and ub-divided into blocks and
sections, in such manner that with the aid
of the record, which / am now having copied,
for the superintendent, the visitors will ex-
perience no difficulty in finding any grave A
force of men is now engaged laying out walks
and clearing the cemetery of stumps prepar-
atory to planting trees and flowers. ! have
already commenced the manufacture of brick
and will have sufficient number by the lst
of October to have numerous cutters through
out the cemetery. The clay inside of the
stockade being well adapted for the purpose
of brick making. Appropriate inscriptions
are placed through the grounds, and have
endeavored as far as my facilities would per-
nit. On the morning Of the 18th of August
| at sunrise, the stars and stripes were hoisted
in the centre Of the cemetery, when Nation
al salute was fired and several songs were
| sung by those present.
The men who accompanied me and to whom
l am indebted for the early completion of my
mission, worked zealously and faithfully from
| early in the morning until late at night, al
| though suffering intensely from the effects OF
| heat. One after another was taken sick with
fever incident to the country, and in a brief
season my force was considerably lessened,
obiging me to obtain others from the resi-
dents in different parts of the State. All my
men, however, recovered with the exception
| Of Mr.. Addy Watts, who died on the 10th Of
July after sickness of three weeks. /
brought his body back with me and delivered
| it to his family in his city.
Andersonville is situated on the Southwes-
tern Railroad, sixty miles from Macon. There
is but one house on the place, except those