Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-08

l
| 1itwould be dificult to nll.
/ sill think the rank OF the comma nding Officer
| OF The post should be Brigadier General. lu
view Of the number OF troops that will be undel
his command, IL seems to me he should have thai
i superior rank over those that may be ordered 20
report to him. take the liberty Of euclo5i sing a
copy OF DR.. Bldridges report.
| am, General, very respectfully yolrs, &c.
81 Major General Commanding, sc.
TIE next paper offered In evidence was a letter
sent by wirz to Major Thomas Turner.
| I'D. CAPTAIN WRIGHT
testified that he had been in the confederate
army. Knew the handwriting Of Captain wirz
| and Gen. winder Witness here Identified the
paper, aud the letter here offered In evidence.
| 'a3 CAMP SUMTER, ASDERsoSvuLB, CAL
May s, 1884
| MAJOR: l have the honor to make the follow e
| Ing report in regard to the confederate States
military prison at this post. was assigned to
the command Of the prison by Col. A. W. Par
sons, the oommandant Of the post on the 9th OF
March, 1884, having reported to him for duty by
| order Of Gen. J. II. Winder, commanding con
tederate States military prison found the prison
| In n bad condition, owing to the want OF tools
such as axes, spades and lumbor-to erect proper
buildings.
Tho commaudant Of the post, Captain W. s..
Wipder, aud his successor, Col. A. W. Parsons,
had left nothing untried to supply these inpor-
tant articles. Only two weeks ago | received
| axes, spades, &c, from Columbus. Ga, and went
to work cutting ditches, &c. aud | hope to have
everything In the interior OF the prison completed
In two weeks. The bakery, which could not be
completed for want OF lumber, IL now In opera
tion. The necessity Of enlarging the stockade
| is unavoidable, and shall commence as soou as
[ can gather sufficient number Of negroes. I
would most respectfully ask you to present to
| the authorities at Richmond the impediment
thrown in my way by having the hospitals in
side OF the prison.
The number of prisoners on tho LIST day OF April
q,
received up to day from various points. o, 7S7
| received up to day rscaptured. 7
Total, l2, 95l
The number Of dead from the LIST Of April to sih
Of Nav Is Observation-Disclosures. 72S
The number escaped. ed.................... l3
Total, al
Leaving on hand l22l3
! consequently lost 8 prisoners.
would also call your attention to the danger
oftaviuJ our present guard force Withdrawn
and their places supplied by the forces Of
Governor Brown.
nCU Ic'uEol, allow me to make few remarks
concerning myself. am here In Il very unplc.s-
ant position, growing out OF tIe rank which |
now hold, and suggc sthe proprie.yo bcin pro-
moSed. Having the fi'l control Oftie prsOu ard
Of the daily prison guard, the orders which I
have to give are very often not obeyed v .th the
promptneSs the occasion requires, and | am Of
opinion that 1t emauates from the reluc. .!uce OF
ODeyInk hn OmCeF VINO nOlus tnB same rank -
they do. My duties are manifold and require all
my time daytime and very oIten part OF the
night. would most respectfully ask that two
commissioned officers Lieutonauts) would be as
signed to me for duty.
| am, Major, most respectfully, your obedient
servant, II. wRZ,
Capt. Com : Prison.
Maj. THos. TURNER, c. S.A.
The report of 4. 5. Eldridge, chief surgeon of
the Georgia reserves, was next read, and the
hand. writing ideutihed. II Is dated Macon, Ga,
May Q, 1854, aud states that in obedience to In.
structions from Maj. Gen. Howell Cobb al have
the honor to make the following report Of my
visit, In company with the General, to the prison
camp at Andersonville.
"a found the prisoners, In my opinion. too much
crowded for the promotion of even continuance o!
their present health, Particularly uurug the ap-
preaching summer months. The construction o.
properly arrsnycd barracks would, Of cou p
allow the same number Of men 10 occupy -
enclosures with material ad vantag re to their COM
fort and health At present their shelters consi,.
Of such rs they can make OF The boughs Of trees
poles. &c, covered with dirt. The few TENS
they have are 0c0npi. as II hospital.
"There is fine stream within few hundred
yards of the present enclosure, across which, In
my opinion. there should be made another en-
closure with sufficient hospital buildings, Two
patients.
"Tho patients. upon their admission into The
hospital, should be well washed in n pool ar
ranged on the sue OF lne sl'eam, aud furnished
ouly with clean shir,, with which dress they
woild hardly attempt 20 escape.
0'T consider the establishment OF u ho7pital ont
side of the present inclOsdro as eR.laiidL to the
proper treatment Of the SICK, and mos, urgently
recommend its immediate construction.
would also recommend the construction of as
many bathing pools within the prison rs the
stream would warrant, feeling ured from tie
appearance Of the prisoners, that their use worid
contribute materially to the health Of the batIers
The next paper offered In evidence was a letter
CAMP SUMTER, ASDEEsoSvILLg, GA,
July q, lS64
General S. Cooper, A,Uutant ddd Ia 7,sctor
General:
GENERAL: Your endorsement Of tho letter of
Lieut.: 5. Davis, relating to the strength OF the
gard at the post contains very severe ceusure
which AIN sure would not have been made II
you had clear comprehension of this post-of
"s wants aud Its difficulties IcBeos for II mo
nent-N,"Ol prisoners Of war, nauy of them
most desperate characters; u post a mile long by
fat mile wide; the stockaGe Cor prisoners
within 100 yards OF mile In circun ference; Mt
merOns avenues leading to the post 70 be & IA u =
ed public properly TO be cared for; guards d,
working parties, and the ordinary camp Guards
for the troopb-and you can form au esiimate
OF the number 1t would require for this purpose.
The following are tne daily guards .c1nirod,
and they cannot he reduced, but ought to be ia
creased:
stockade, 600 yards around; % posts super.
nnmefariesi 10, lO6 enlisted men, 9cOmmissiOned |
officers; hospitals q (unenclOsed } | ,735 patients
aud atteodantsi guard, IS; % posts; 90 aud
and l commissioned officer; |
pickets around the stocEade, aad This pioket is |
Indispensable to prevent eIoape by tunue'ling. |
Out lying niokets and railroad bridge guard, - |
men, doommiss,oned oalcors; { lard with parties |
cutting wood daily, 100; guard with wOrkiog |
parties, 3. This does NOT Include n5CiisH,di |
guards and camp guards. Total guards, Gl3.
strength OF guard July 20, 2,:2l, including the |
prisoner guard detained hero from which dCdLct |
bl7 sick; daily duty, 227, and tie artillery ,C.h-
pany, l26-S70, leaves ISL. You will obse we
that since It, Davis report tho detained prlso
er guard have been added to the strength OF 10
gnard. This gives the mort favorable report o.
The forces at this post and tue duties required OF
y. You speak in your endorsement OF placing
The prisoners properly. do not exactly cOh,
prehend what Is intended by 1t. know ofbu.
que way to place them, and that Is to put them
INTO the stockade, where they have between -four
DR. hye square yards TO the maui this includes
'.reets ald Two (2l acres OF g'ound about the
streams Respectfully, your Ob't serv't,
JOHE II. WISDRR, Brig. Gen.
'embling the witness Selph was again called %
be stand, when other papers We're offered IN ev-
dence, on which he identified tho hand wr.t.n :.
rhey were letters aud reports which have passed
between Wiz aud other rebel officers.
Al O clock. the hour at which our report
'osad, tle Judge Advocate was sim engaged in
'-erirS IN evidence tho letters and papers rela-
I've t. lie Anle.sonV Me prsou.
PERSONAL.
ANoNG the visitors at the Military commits