Daily national Republican., 1865-08-04
THE TREATMENT OF THE AN
DERsONvILLE PRISONERS.
Highly Interesting Letter from eeor-
| nls Planter.

HtGnty lntefehttnN hSttoH hta eN.oh-
gia Planter.
The New York Eveniag Post, Of yester-
day, publishes letter from the counsel Of
Capt. wEHr1, protesting against the forma-
tion Of opinions BY the American public
against their client; and tho same paper also
prints the subjoined letter from Georgia
planter, (received at the same timc,) which
will be read with the deepest interest In ref
srencs to the man wkRrz and the Anderson
Vile prisoners:
| To The Editor Of the Evening Post
| There appears to be . disposition on the
part Of some Of the public press to mitigate
the offences and crimes Of Major Henry
wertz, late the responsible keeper Of the
stockade at Andersonville, Georgia, and to
throw upon others the responsibilities that
Justly attach to those alone who were in i'm.
mediate command Of that prison. Being
personally acquainted with most Of the OH
GERS who were stationed at Andersonyille, and
knowing much Of the treatment Of those who
were so unfortunate as to have been confined
in that pen Of horror, have thought that a
condensed statement of how things were
managed and prisoners Of war were treated
there might not be entirely unacceptable TO
your readers. ..
1 wish to bo understood as not desirous to
forestall the action or opinion Of the COM
mission which Is about TO investigate this
matter, or to add anything TO the feeling en-
tertained towards Major Werts. 1t is enough
for him to rest, now and forever, under an
obloquy that no time and no repentance can
obliterate; to feel within himself the unen-
yiable pangs which the recollection Of his
powerless murdered victims will ever arouse,
and to know that whatever may be the award
Of human tribunal, his punishment Is al
ready decreed.
The prison Of Andersonville is stockade
Of about eighteen feet high, the posts com
prising IL being sunk in the ground five feet;
Il originally comprised an area Of eighteen
acres, but was subsequently, enlarged to
twenty.seyen acres. The enclosure is upon
the side Of q hill, looking towards the south,
at the foot Of which is q small brook about
Eve feet wide and as many inches deep, which
furnished the water for the use OF the pris.
soners. Within this enclosure were turned
the prisoners as they arrived, and lett to
provide for themselves, there being no shell
ters, or arbors, or any kind Of protection al
forded by trees or otherwise against the
burning rays of the southern sun, the furious
storms of the freezing winters.
The position was selected by Capt. Winder,
a son OF General John II. Winder, who was
sent from Richmond for the purpose in the
latter part Of 1858. When IL was suggested
TO him by n disinterested but humane spec
tator Of his operations that II would perhaps
be better to leave the trees standing within
the proposed stockade, as they would afford
shade to the prisoners, he replied: THAI
was just what he was not going to do; he wa
going to make pen for the id Yankees,
whore they could rot faster than they could
be sent there
And admirably did he accomplish his mis-
sion.
The first commandant at the post was Col
onel Persons, who was soon succeeded by
John II. Winder, with his son as adjutant
his nephew as commissary and sutler, and
, Henry Werz in immediate command ol
the prisoners. There were generally sta
toned there for guard duty from three to sis
regiments Of infantry, with one company oi
artillery, having a battery Of six pieces, ac
cording TO the exigencies of the case, the
number Of prisoners then confined. or the
fears entertained Of an attempt to set them
at liberty by the raiding parties Of United
States troops.
When prisoners were first received 1t wa
usual to subject them to search for money
valuables, ETC., which ostensibly were to b'
restored when they were released from cap
! tivity, but which in reality went into tn,
4 rockets of those who controlled the prison.
Notwithstanding q law Of the Confoderacy
expressly prohibited the dealing in "green
backs, " yet the initiated, few whose "loy.
atty was unquestionod, could always obtain
for consideration the greenbacks which they
required.
The writer Of this was the foreman of tn,
last grand jury which was empannelled fol-
Sumter county, Ga, and in the performanc,
of his duty he had to investigate large mum
her of presentments for stealing in the for
hidden currency, which were brought against
poor Union men in every instance. Struck
by this fact, he resolved to examine, as his
/ position gave him q right to do, into all the
circumstances; whero the money originally
oame from, t0hO did the selling Of it--indeed
the whole modns opermadi-and he elicitd
> tho fact above stated, how the money wai
obtained; that the Winders and the Vert,
: were the principals, acting through subordi
: mates in gathering bushels Of plums, inthe wa,
of premiums, &C. Meanwhile the poor pris
oners were left to the tender mercies Of theil
jailor and commissary for their food, whicl
might have been improved in quantity a
least, If their money had been left in theil
own possession.
, At first II was customary TO send wagoI
into the stockade every morning at 10 clock
loaded with the rations Of the dny-bacor
= and corn bread, nothing else; but as thu
number Of prisoners increased and the greed
, Of gain grew upon the trio above mentioned,
the corn bread was reduced In Its quality,
being then manufactured Of equal proper.
tions of ground field peas and corn, upbolted,
unsifted, uncleansed, indeed, from the dirt
and trash which peas naturally accumulate
: and at last, when the number Of prisoners
increased to over thirty-seyen thousand, the
meat rations per peet were reduced to O
piece of bacon for each man about three
inches long and two wide. with one pone oi
| the bread above described per day. Then,
also, the custom of carrying the prisoners
food into the stockade in wagons was abol.
: ished. They drove Np TO the gates, tchieh
tcere Mghtiy opened, and the seanty food,
foni aud uMheaithy as IL ioas, scas Mrop'i
INSIDE by tie guard to be scrambled for by
tie 1cretchsd prisoners, the strongest and
those nearest the gate getting the largest
share-the weak and sickly getting none.
have mentioned the small brook which
, runs through the lower part Of the stockade,
and which supplied the water for drinking
and washing. This brook has its rise in a
swamp not far from the prison, and at nc
time, certainly not for a heightened period,
T was the water suitable or healthy but when
the feces ard filth, the drainage Of the whole
| camp of prisoners, came to be superadded to
} the natural unftness Of the water for drink.
ing or cleansing purposes, my readers can
Judge what thirst was assuaRed, or fever