Cairo evening times. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-19


information in which the people are interested,
and will doubtless be appreciated by the rela
| tives and friends of those who have gwen
| their lives to their country:
ASST. @ NJ. OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF
WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON D. c..
September 20, 1865.
To Brecet Maj. Gen. NJ. c. Meigs, Q. NJ G.
y. s. A., Washington, D. c.:
GENERAL:-In accordance with special order
| No. 10, Quartermaster Generals Office, dated
June 80, 1865, directing me to proceed to An
Jacksonville, Ga. for the purpose of marking
! the graves of Union soldiers for future identii-
| cation and enclosing the cemetery, have the
| honor to report as follows:
l left Washington on the 9Th of July last,
with mechanics and material for the purpose
| above mentioned. On my arrival at Savannah
1 ascertained that there was no railroad CON-
| munication whatever to Andersonville, the
direct road to Macon being broken, and that
| from Auguta via Atlanta being also in the same
condition, I endeavored to procure wagon
| transportation, but was informed by the General
commanding the Department OF Georgia, that
! sufficient number Of trains 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 four hundred miles, I abandoned
| all idea of attempting road through the
| country, difficult and tedious under more pro-
| ptious circumstances The prospect of reach
ing Andersonville at this time was by no means
| favorable, and nearly week had elapsed
since my arrival at Savannah I had tele-
| graphed to Augusta, Atlanta and Macon al
most daily, and received replies that the rail-
roads were not completed. At length on the
morning of the 18th of July gratifying tele-
gram from Augusta was received, announcing
the completion of the Augusta and Macon
| Railroad to Atlanta. I at once determined to
procure boat and proceed to Augusta, by the
| Savannah river. The desired boat was Sc
cured. and in "a hours after the receipt of the
! telegram alluded to, was my way with men
and material for Augusta On my arrival
there found the railroad completed to Macon,
| and that from Macon to Andersonville having
! never been broken, experienced but little diff
| 6cu:ty in reaching my destination, where I
arrived July 25th, after a tiresome trip, occu-
plying six days and nights. At Macon General
Wilson detailed one company of the 4th Z. S.
cavalry and one company of the 18th regiment
z. S. G. /. TO assist me. A member ofthe former
company, killed the 9Th of august at
station named Montezuma, the South Wes-
tern Railroad.
The rolling stock of all roads over which
travelered was in miserable condition, and
very seldom a greater rate of speed Was al
lowed than twelve miles per hour.
At the different stations along the route the
object of the expedition was well known, and
not unfrequently men wearing the garb of rebel
soldiers would enter the cars and discuss the
treatment of our prisoners at Andersonvile.
All of whom candidly admit that it was shame
full and a blot on the escutcheon Of the South
that years would not efface it.
While encamped at Andersonville was daily
visited by men from the surrounding country,
and had an opportunity of cleaning their feel
i-gs towards the Government, and with hardly
an exception found those who had been in the
rebel army penitent, and more kindly disposed
than those who had never taken part, and
anxious of again becoming citizens of the Gov
eminent which the had fought so hard to de-
stroy.
On the morning of the Goth of July, the
| work of identifying graves, painting and letter.
ng head-boards laying out walks and enclos-
Ing the cemetery was commenced and on the
morning of August 9th it was completed, with
| the exceptions hereafter mentioned.
The dead were found buried in trenches on
sites selected by the rebels.
About two hundred yards from the s,ockade
| trenches were found from two to five feet deep,
and in several instances where rains had washed
away the earth, but few inches additional
earth Was however thrown ia the graves, max
| ing them Of still greater depth So close were
they buried without collins or ordinary cloth
| ing to cover their nakedness that not more
| than twelve inches were al owed to each man;
indeed the little tablets marking their resting
places measure hardly ten inches in width
almost touching each other.
| United States soldiers while prisoners at An
Jacksonville, had been detailed to inter their
companions, and by a simple stake at the head
Of eacl grave, which bore numbers correspon-
| ding with a similar numbered name upon the
| Andersonville hospital rolls, [ was enabled
to identify and mark with neat tablets similar
to those in Cemeteries in Washington, the
number, name, rank, regiment, &C., and date
of death of II, 466 graves, there being but
1854 which bore the inscription ''Unknown U.
S. Soldiers There were 1900 feet of pine
lumber used in the tablets alone.
| The cemetery contains fifty acres, and has
been divided by one main avenue, and subdi-
| vided into blocks and sections in such a man.
ner that with the aid Of a record which / am
now having copied for the Superintendent, the
visitor will experience no difficulty in finding
any grave. A force of men is now engaged
| laying out vaults and cleaning the cemetery oil
stumps preparatory TO planting flowers and
| trees. Ihave already commenced the manu-
facture of brick, and will have a sufficient
| number by the first of October to pave the
| numerous cutters of the cemetery, the clay
| in the vicinity of the stockade being well
adapted for the purpose Of brick making. APP.
propriate Inscriptions are placed through the
grounds, and have endeavored as far as my
facilities would permit, to transfer this wild
and unhonored graveyard into fit place o.
interment for our nations gallant dead. At the
entrance the words National Cemetery
! Andersonville, GA designate the city of the
dead. On the morning of the 18th of August,
at sunrise, the stars and stripes were hoistcc
| in the centre of the cemetery, when natona
salute was fred and several national songs
sung by those present The men who accom-.
panied me, and to whom / am indebted for the
early completion Of my mission, work zeal
ously and faithfully from early in the morning
until late at night, although suffering intensely
from the effect of the heat. Unaclimated az
they were, one after another taken sicb
with the fever incident TO the country-, and in
brief period my force of mechanics was con
sideraby lessened, obliging ne to obtair
others from different parts Of the State. Al
my men recovered with the exception of Mr.
typhoid fever, after sickness of three weeks
brought his body back with me and delivered
it to his friends in this city. Several Of the
United States cavalry, detailed by Gen. Viii
son, died of the same fever shortly after gain
ing their command at Macon.
Andersonville is situated on the South Yves
tern Railroad, sixty miles from Macon. There
is but age house in the place except those
erected by the late Confederate Government az
hospitals, officers quarters, commlssary ant
nuartermaster's buildings II was formerly
known rs Anderson, but since the war thu
willie has been added. The country is coy
..ul ,,octl, with ,,inac and baD,locLrc and tbr