The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-10-26

OF tho oven.
Z. WELLS AND SPRINGS.
The number Of wells is stated ot fif.
ty. 1t was difficult to find them all,
but | think that estimate is not too
great. The greater part of them are
dug along juston top of the banks of
the creek, though many are found in
various parts of the stockadc, and
some in Che highest ground. tbs the
tradition here, among the negroes and
the inhabitants, that the prisoners us
cd split pcach-trce twigs, after the
manner Of "water-kungers," as the ne
groes have it, to ascertain where they
should dig, and, with true Yankee
shrewdness, the boys seem to have
frequently discovered indications close
to tho dead,ine. BY digging here
they would DO enabled to burrow out;
and was surprised that tho guards
should allow them to do it. Ono Of
these wells is still shown, where q
number of the prisoners made long
tunnel, at least twelve feet under
ground, and escaped. All these wells
have scripture names, as Jacobs WE'LL
&c.
The springs arc fifteen in number.
Of these two, as l have said, como out
west of the railroad, and all the rest,
except three, which are in tho stock
ade, come out between the railroad
and the stockade Their names are
as follows: Soldiers Delight, Church
Spsing, Lovers Spring, Winon Spring,
{ tlicers' Spring, Brickyard Spring,
Fort Spring, Friendship, Wayside,
Chaylybcate, Clara Barton, Captain
Moore, Prisoners Comfort, Lets Drink
and Like Home. All these furnish
an abundance Of clear, wholesome wa
ter though it is only moderately cool.
1t is now as dry season as the year
commonly furnishes, and when l Wis
tied the stockade the stream of water,
where it enters the wall, was about
five feet wide and an inch and half
deep. Lets Drink is fine, clear
shaft of water, bubbling up right in
the chanel OF the creek, and furnish
ing stream of three inches in diane,
ter. Provokingly enough, it comes
up just outside the dead-line, and l
can we'll imagine that more than one
poor fellow has paid the penalty of his
life for seeking to taste its clear waters
at the fountain head. Prisoners' Com
fort seems to have been providential
gift to the prisoners, since it broke out
in place where none had been before,
while they woie most in need of wa
ter. 1t, too, comes out q few inch es
outside of the fatal line, but a
trough was placed in such way that
it was carried inside the line, and
| made available to the prisoners. This
yields o stream as large as ones
arm.
The margins of the creek are now
covered with willows and sedges, but
when it was trodden by the prisoners
it was bed of miry mud. One of my
informants, who had seen the prison
ers once whilc there, told me he had
seen the whole channel Of tho creek
and the cool, oozy mud beside it, GOV.
cred with men, lying fat, who sought
thus some refuge from the heat. When
they did this the scant supply from
the wells and the single trough was
their only resort for water to drink
FREQUENTLY the sick lay for hours in
this creek, as the most comfortable
place they could select. A considera
bic length of the creek, near where i
issued from the stockade, was conver
ted into sink.
, THE CEMETERY.
In Q we'll. chosen, level pieco o
ground, half a mile to the north o
the stockado, and surrounded on al
sides by walls of Pine, the dead of An
dersonvilc lie buried. 1t is credita
Bile to their comrades that such spo
was selected and that such care anC
taste was exercised in buying them
The lot is now inclosed by a pickle
fence, whitewashod, which is compile
E ted on three sides, and will soon b.
, on the fourth, where thore is now ;
! temporary structure of boards. 1t i
., estimated to contain fifty acres. Th'
, principal entrance now is on the soutl
!, side, toward the stockade; but it is IN
tended, when IL is completed, to hav'
it on the west side, toward the rail
road The plan at present, is, tha
the lot shall be divided into four sec
, tions by two roads crossing in the cen
ter, at which point is to be erected,
:, splendid monument, now being Gle
! signed at Washington. A road viii
be cut through the thick pines to tn
railroad, and tho side of the cut level
, ed so that travellers may catch q sigh
of the monument as they pass. En-
! tering at the south gate, we pass u
' along the road; on the right are thrc
l sections Of graves, ofabout three-quar
. ters of an acre each, divided by tw
Y alleys, and on the left are two of equ1
: extent. All tho dead lie facing tn
Q cast; the head boards are two feet an
. half high, and ten inches wide, wit
;, spaces between of four inches, allow
y ing fourteen inches to each pody, an
y y between tho foot Of each row of grave
y y and the next line of hoad-boards is
:, : brick walk. The graves are finishe
y in common level, and will be neatl
- - sodded. Tho head boards are painte
= white, and lettered on the inside wit
- black. In the north corner is
. . solid section of an acre and quartz
~ y and in the northwest corner are I'll
Ill graves of one hundred and fifteen rel