American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-10-25
FROM WASHINGTON.

I tUeOTRlu, " lnui ? INC 60
prisoners for future iudenti6cation, con
tains valuable Information in which the
neople are Interested, and will doubtless
be appreciated by the relatives and friends
o2 soldiers who have given their lives to
their country.
ASST QUARTERM MASTERS OFFICE,
DEPARTMENT OF WAsHIN6ToN,
WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. 20, 1865. u.
10 Brcret Major General H. @. Aegs,
Q. H. g., U. S. H., Washington, d
GENEuAL--In accordance with special
orders No. 10 from the Quartermaster
Generals Office, dated June Both, 1853,
directing me to proceed to Andersonyille,
ga, for the purpose ofmarkingthe graves
of Union soldiers for future idenifcat-
ton and enclosing the cemetry, | have
tie honor TO report as follows: left
Washington on the Sth of July, with
mechanics and materials for the purpose
above mentioned.
On my arrival at Savannah, l ascer-.
tainsd that there was no railroad commu
nlcation whatever to AndersonvilIe, the
road direct to Macon being broken, and
that from Augusta via Atlanta, also in
the same condidition, 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 half of my stores, and as
the roads we're bad and the distance more
than 1,400 miles, | abandoned all idea Of
making a road through a country difficult
and tedious under more propitlous cir
cumstances. The prospect Of reaching
.2nJer bnyille at this time was by no means
favorable, aud nearly TWO weeks, elasped
since my arrival.
At Savannah had telegraphed to Au-
gusta, Atlanta and Macon almost daily
and received replies that the roads were
not completed. At lenght, on the morn
ing Of the 18th of July, received a
gratifying telegram from Augusta, aud
at once determined to procure boat and
proceed to Augusta, by Savannah. The
dispatch boat was secured, and in twenty
four hours af.r the receipt OF the tele-
gram alluded to, was on my way, with
men and material, for Augusta.
On my arrival there, found the rail
road completed to Macon, and that from
Macon to Andersonville having mover
been broken, | experienced but little diff
ficulty in reaching my destination, where
l arrived on the 25th of July. After a
tiresome trip, occupying six days and
nights. At Macon Major General Viii.
con detailed one company of the 10th
United States cavalry, and one from the
124th United States Cavalry to assist me
A mempcr of the former company was
killed the 5th August, at station named
Monteseno, on the South Western Rail.
road. The rolling stock of all the roads
ever which travelled is in a miserable
condition, and very seldom greater rate
of speed was obtained than twelve miles
an hour.
At the different stations along the route
the object of the expedition was wei
known, and not unfrequently men wear
ing the garb OF rebel soldiers would enter
the cars and discuss the treatment Of
our prisoners at Andersonville, all Of
whom candidly admitted it was shame
ful, and blot on the South that year:
would not efface
While encamped at Andersonville,
was daily visited by men from the sur.
rounding country, and had an opportuni
ty of cleaning their feeling towards the
Government, and with hardly an exception
found those who had been in the rebe
army penitent and more kindly disposed
than those who had never taken a part
anxious again to become citizens of the
Government they fought SO hard to de-
stoy.
On the morning IF the Goth of July
the work Of identifying graves, painting
and setting headboards, laying out walks
and enclosing the Cemetry, was ccmmen
ced, and on the evening of August 9th
was completed with the exceptions here
after mentioned. The dead wore found
buried in trenches on site selected by
the rebels about three hundred yards from
the stockade. The trenches wero from
wo to three feet below the surface, and
in several instances, but few inches OF
earth was thrown in the graves. So close
were they buried without cofiins, or ordi
nary clothing TO cover their nakedness
that not more than twelve inches were
allowed to each man Indeed these
little labels marking their resting place
measuring hardly ten inches in width
9 almost touch each other. q lited States
soldiers, while prisoners at Andersonville
had been detailed to enter their compa
nics, and simple stake at the head OF
each grave bore number corresponding
with the similar number on the Ander
sonville Hospital record, and was to ena
bic US to identify and mark with neat
tablet, similar to those in Americus, the
number, name, rank, regiment, company
and date of deathof 12,466 graves, there
being but 467 which bore the inscription
I" Unknown United States Soldiers. -
One hundred and twenty thousand feet
Of pine lumber was used for these tablets
alone. M aa
! The cemetry contains fifty acres, and
has been divided by one main avenue
running Though the centre, and subdi
vided into blocks and sections, in such
a manner that with the aid of the record
which l am having copied, the visitors
will experience no difficulty in finding
any grave. A force Of men are engaged
in laying out walks and clearing the Gem.
etry of stumps, preparatory 20 plantinp