Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-27
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
The National Fair-The Case of Dor
ence Atwater-The Weather-Miscel-
IAneOus Topics.


WASHINGTON, June 81, 1866.
II NATIONAL AIR
in progress in this city for the benefit
of the orphans of soldiers and sailors,
gives evidence of success. The building
is a large temporary affair, and will have
served its purpose when the Fair is over.
I believe the material was furnished by
the War Department, ssand the Soldiers
and Sailors Union furnished the muscle
to erect it, while the ladies are entitled to
the credit of originating the enterprise.
1t is open from 2 P. NJ. to II P. NJ. every
day, and the ladies whose generous and
sympathetic impulses led them on in this
noble undertaking are as industrious and
earnest in their efforts to carry it on as if
their own lives were at stake. The build
ing internally is decorated so as to pro-
duce a fine effect. In this the visitor sees
evidence of woman's usefulness and her
nice appreciation of the beautiful. The
interior of the Hall, which l should think
was los feet long, is rooted with Ameri-
can flags. How four years of experience
will change the feelings and the opinions
of q people!
There are a host of attractions at the
| Fair. There is one sight there, however,
which claims especial notice. This is the
case of curiosities picked up in the An
d~or=onvilla prison or on the grounds
where it was, whenthe noble-hearted Miss
Clara Barton and her company went there
TO identify and TO re-inter our noble dead
about that great slaughter pen. Among
these articles are wooden paddles n
spoons, soup dishes or trOughs made from
| chips Of wood drinking vessels of gourds
and cattle horns; buckets OF the size OF
quart measures made from stayes, say an
inch wide and less than one-fourth OF an
inch in thickness, bound together with
tiny wooden hoops selves made from
pail covers and old pieces of iron and tin,
The holes having been punched with nails,
to sit meal from corn, ground =" cob and
ALL a checker board made from q barrel
head; the mail box, about thirty inches
long, by a foot perhaps square, and
pieces of the boards that defined that
terrible " dead line" &c, &c; and lastly,
with these relies for exhibition, is the roll
of the A~ndersonville dead, and standing
there. by Miss Barton, is the modest
voung man Dorence Atwater, who copied
if from the roll which he kept for the
rebels. This young mans brief history
il full of thrilling interest. The story OF
his suferings in the rebel prisons of Belle
Isle and AndersOnville for twenty
months awakens the livnest sympathy
whilst the treatment and imprisonment IN
Auburn State prison which he afterwards
!, received. at the hands Of the War Depart
/, ment of his own Government, stirs the
! indignant sense of every true American
! citizen. I give you this matter as nearly
. as l can, as Miss Barton gave it TO me.
AT A~ndersonville, Atwater, who has
now but lust turned his 2lst year, was de
tailed TO keep the mortality list OF HI;
comrades. and he secretly kept the copy
which is here on exhibition. About tn
time that Sherman came into the vicinity
: of A~ndersnnville, after his march down K
. the sea. Atwater YVES paroled to send Il
Killian's Mills, a, little place some four
j teen miles from Columbia, S. &, TO keel
the dead list there. In going, his rout
0 was a circuitous one, in order TO avon
Sherman's army, and when be reaches
Columbia. on his route, as it would seen
Providence directed, Sherman was there
After he left Andersonyille, from som,
K cause the rebels suspected that he had
: copy of the dead roll, and sent to get al
8 roll. and if it could not be got to brin!
him back but he was out OF harm S way
From Columbia he was sent North I
Annapolis. He wrote from there at ono
e to the Wa Department, saying that hi
T term of enlistment had expired some tim
D since, and that he wanted TO be mustere.
out, that he might publish the roll whic.
n he had of the Andersonviio dead. ID
was sent for at once and told TO bring To
n roll, which the Department desired t
> purchase. On reaching the Department
the proper officer was absent. He left hi
roll, TO come next day. He was aske
. then how much he would take for the rol
, He replied that he did not wish to dispos
of it. He was then told that he was
soldier, that he could take $500 for tn
roll or be arrested and punished for disc
bedience of orders. He took a day to col
slider, and then told the authorities this
he would take the $500, provided that
elerkship was given him and the roll 8
soon as It could be copied. This was agree
, to, but finally he was told, after havin
asked for it Eundry times, that he coul
3 not have the roll again.
When Miss Barton was about 10 G
down to Andersonville to identify th
:. dead there, this roll was called out froT
the War Department. She selected youn
Atwater as one of the men to 60 with he
When the work had been completed, Al
water returned with the roll in his pc!
session, and went directly to the Wa DE-
partment to keep the roll, now that ther
, were several copies oft, as was original
agreed between him and that Department
He was arrested without any parleyins
tried by court martial and sentenced I
the State Prison at Auburn, New 1orl
for eighteen months, and to pay back II
$500, and to return the roll. He was ironeC
i drummed through the streets OF Washing
d ton and sent to Auburn. He was release
under the general proclamation OF th
> President, Fsmitting the remainder {
a sentence to q certain Glass of criminal
II imprisoned during the war. Is there Gn
II punishment too severe, or any infamy TO
k lasting, deep and damning for those COZ
: eerned in this transaction
s, THE WEATHER
is said 10 be quite cool for this locality
The rains, thus far, are quite sessOnabl'
d and our markets show that in the vegeta
bic line they are producing a bountifr
a crop.
I'll ADJOURNMENT
day in Congress is yet uncertain. In th
e opinion of many this will not take plac
n before the LIST of August. We must wal
and see.
d visiting this city are numerous. We hav
: had here recently Head Centers Steven
is and Roberts. The former made a poe
e show before an audience; the latter a yer
fair one.
THEODORE TILTON
&c of the New York Independent who spok
here at the Fair recently, ~ashtonished m
by his youthful appearance. He is a yer
graceful, elegant and eloquent speaker
What a great heart throbs in his breast
MUSIC
n is now discoursed for the people at tn
d White House, the Capitol, or in Lafayett
= Psrk every evening during the week, an
# the circumstance calls out large crowds c
all classes.
II GAMING
l affair YOU see is to beinvestigated. Both G
the parties concerned are out of the city
l. Tho nepslty for these achievements wit