The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-06-17
The AndersOnYille PFis0n-Mr. David.
SONS Statement.
IT, DO N1'HfIIi7 VuIuu.I
CH1TrANoogA. June Ia

OoHepondence Of the Nashville UniOn.l
C~H4TrASoo0A, june "a, 1855.
have just finished reading a states
msnt of private H II Davidson, dated
from Department Headquarters, Nash
vile, with regard to the treatment of
Federal prisoners at the Andersonville
stockade, o. scamp Sumter, Georgia,
every word Of which is literally true
On The 10th of June, 1854, l was taken
prisoner near Staunton, Va, whilst
with the command of Msj. Gen. Crook
as an Army Correspondent and Bas
Subsequently shipped TO AndersonEille,
arriving there on the Sth day Of July,
two days previously to the hanging of
six of our own men by their fellow pris-
oners. The Capt Wirz Of whom Mr.. Da-
wilson speaks, was an A. D. c. 10 that
hoary-headed old traitor and tyrant
Brig. Gen john H. Winder, and had
command Of the interior of the stock
ade. He is by birth a Pole, and the
very incarnation of all that is malig-
nAnt vindictive and degilish, lost to
to every feeling of humanity, dead to
every sense Of shame, and devoid ofev-
cry principle which snimates an hon
orable bosom. The horrors which l
have seen perpetrated at the command
Of that human monster and loathsome
libel on his species, would curdle the
blood in their recital and sicken the
heart in their perusal If he has fallen
into the hands of our Government
there is no possible punishment which
human ingenuity could award him,
which would be commensurate with
what his crimes would merit
A few days after my arrival in the
stockade, I drew up S petition 10 the
President of the United States with re
gard TO the statas Ofthe prisoners, and in
conjunction with young Romeo Higgin-
son. = private from Illinois, (now a
Maior) got up several meetings, and
several of us waiting on Gen. Winder,
we procured, through him, permission
from the Rebel Secretary of War for
six prisoners to accompany the petition
TO Washington. Higginson, Barnes,
Tracey, Noirob Denniston aud myself
were the persons selected by our fell
low-prisoners 70 bear the petition to
Washington, and we left Andersonville
on the Sth day Of August 1865, for that
purpose The first four men named got
through with the petition at Port Roy
al, s c; DenninstOn and myself being
aocidently left behind.
Thus was l only for a month a wit
ness OF the horrors Of that human char
nal house; but should I live a hundred
yesrl, the terrible scenes of woe, and
misery, and dispair, and wild, hopeless ag
ony which we there witnessed could new
er be etfaced; where stout,framed men,
with eyeballs glaring with the blaze of
insanity, rushed recklessly over the
fatal dead line" and were shot
down BY the sentrys like dogs, whilst
living skeletons were slowly aud pain
fully dragging their rstthng frames 10
q shady spot TO diel Horriblel but sll
too true
When We left the ssockAde in An
gust the deaths averaged 100 per dAy,
out Of some 32,O0G and as though this
terrible mortality was not sufficient
each reBsl guard Sko killed a Eadsral SOL
der saas ailo,Osa a diry days 6rrbrgk
This is strictly true, for ] received the
information from one Of their " OH
Gers, Capt Tom Hunt ofGen. Hardee's
staff
Comment Is Unnecessary, although
can safely affirm that one-haH OF the
horrors Of the AndersOnville pen have
not been, and never can be written
Very respectfully,
WM n J~oHxsoS,
Army Correspondent