Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1865-10-26
THEDEAD OF ANDERSONVLLE.
REPORT Or CAPT MOORE.

The following report OF Capt. j
NJ. Moore. A. q NJ, who was sent to
Ahdcrsonville, Georgia, to mark the
graves of Union prisoners for future
Identification, contains valuable in.
formation, in which the people are
interested and will doubtless" be ap
prcciated by the relatives and friends
of those who have given their lives
to their country:
A Q. M OFFICE, DEP'T. OF WASHINGTON,
WASHINGTON, d. &. Sept. 90, ls65, (
To Brega 4HJ. Gen. e. N Meigs, O.
H. General, u S. Il Washington:
GENERAL: in accordance with
special Orders No. 10, Quartermas-
ter Generals Office, dated June 80,
1860, directing me to proceed to
AndersoDville,. Ga, for the purpose
of marking the graves of Union sol
diers for future Identification, and
inclosing the cemetery, 1 have the
honor to report as follows:
left Washington on the Sth of
July last, with mechanics and mate
rials, for the purpose above men
toned. On my arrival at Savannah,
l asceitained that there was no rail
road communication whatever with
Andersonville, the direct road to
Macon icing broken. and that from
Augusta via Atlanta also in the same
condition. l endeavored to procure
wagon transportation, but was in
formed by the General commanding
the Department of Georgia that a
sufficient number of teams could not
be had in the State to haul one half
of my stores, and as the roads were
bad, and the distance more than 400
miles, | abandoned all idea of at
tempting q road through a country
difficult and tedious under more pro-
pitious circumstances. The prospect
of reaching Andersonville at this
time was by no means favorable, and
nearly one week had elapsed since
my arrival at Savannah. 1 had tele-
graphed to Augusta, Atlanta and
Macon almost daily, end received re
| plies that the railroads were not com
pleted. At length, on tue morning
of the 18th of July, a gratifying
telegram from Augusta was received
announcing the completion of the
Augusta and Macon Road to Atlanta
| at once determined to procure q
boat and proceed to Augusta by the
Savannah river. The di :patch boat
was secured, and in twenty -four hours
after the receipt of the telegram al
luded to, was on my way with my
men and material for Augusta. On
my arrival there, ] found the rail
road completed to Macon, and that
from Macon to Andersonville having
never been broken, / experienced
little difficulty in reaching my desti-
nation, where l arrived July 18th
after tiresome trip of six dayn and
nights. At Macon Major General
wilson detailed one company of the
4th US. Cavalry, and one from the
18th U. S c. T., to assist me. A
member OF the former company was
killed at i station named Montezuma,
on the Southwestern Railroad. The
rolling stock of all the roads over
which travelled, is in a miserable
condition; and very seldom a greater
rate. of speed was obtained than
twelve miles an hour At different
stations along the route the object of
the expedition was well known, and
not lnfrequently men wearing the
garb Of rebel soldiers would enter
the cars aud discuss the treatment of
our prisoners at Andersonville, all of
whom candidly admitted that it was
shameful and a blot on the reputa-
ton of the South, which years would
not eface. While encamped at
Andersonville / was daily visited by
men from the surrounding country,
and had an opportunity of learning
their feelings toward the Govern.
ment, and with hardly an exception
found those who had been in the
rebel army penitent and more kindly
disposed than those who never took
part. and anxious to become citizens
of the government they fought so
hard to destroy. On the morning of
the 10Th ofJuly the work of identi-
flying the graves, painting and letter
ing the head boards, laying out the