The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-11-23

rs are gathered together in the broaC
trenches of this neglected field among the
pine forests of Georgia. What gather
ing is this What a monument of the
incarnation of political lust. of the reckless
desperation. the impEacability Of the de.
PRAYED human heart, when resolved upon
cruelty. The world does not offer.
among all of her extant memorials, a
more terrible, more impressive comment
upon the ambition, the power, the glory
OF mankind. 900.
CRIMINALITY CANNOT BE DENIED.
Impartial history will give to the men,
ory OF these men place among the rec
ords of useless murder.
The law of parole was all-sufficient to
prevent their return to service. and then
absence from the fields of campaign would
have been of no material weight with the
prolific north.
But the intent of their captors was cru
city and they strove to reduce the num-
bers and TO intimldatc the courage of the
federal soldiers, by acts of savage barbara
ty as the relentless Tartar hoped to terri
ty the lllndoos into the profession of Mo
hammedanlsm by sacrificing mullitudcs.
and dcluging Whole countries in blo1d
To deny the criminality is, ,as Lamarlinc
says OF the ma>>acrcS Of September, ''to
belle the ri ght of feeling OF the human
! race. 1t Is to deny nature. which is the
morality OF instinct. There is nothing in
mankind greater than humanity. 1t /,
not more permissible for Il government
than for man to commit murder. Ii a
drop OF blood stains the hands OF mur-
dercr, oceans of gore do not make inno-
cent the DantonS. The magnitude of the
crime does not transform it into virtue.
Pyramids of dead bodies rise high. it Is
true, but not so high aS the exccratlon of
mankind. ......
SELECTION OF TIE SPOT.
1t is not the belief of the writer. al
though there are many facts to warrant
such an inference, that the selection was
made with the view of deliberately de-
Stroyin@ the prisoners openly and without
reserve; for there Were other localities
far more presidential than this. and vet.
on the other hand. there were also many
situations infinitely more salubr!ous and
easy Of access. There was III reality not
much reflection in the matter The Sc
! lcctor- thouaht ONLY of the Geographical
and Strategirai position: they carcI moi
/ for it, topography or its metcorologv.
I They consulted only their convenience.
The slj.d otthe prc<ortion Of Me Tires Of
Meui' aofmt,u,cte prisoners HotrtouJtd Meu
minok. M,YrdAmJN Meii con~,cucc. They
would build safe and secure pen. and if
God. IN his infinite and mysterious mercy,
chose TO summon from earth any of the
- ,,.,,,,.,,lo
ture deaths. ScHh was their reasoning.
Such was their philosophy. Such wa
their conscience, The eXult of Windcr
when asserting that he was doInT NOR,
for the coniederacv than Il dozen regi-
mcnts at the front, and the exclamation
OF Howell Cobb. when pointing 10 til,
ten thousand graves, That l. the way
would do for them, were perhaps til,
bravado OF the southern Shareholder
Even at this late date We can find men o
some tenderness IN this vicinity, who have
reasoned their weak minds INTO the lde'
and belief that no harm WAS ever done ol
intended: and even II 1t can he proved
then the tederalS only received what they
deserved, and no more than their owl
sons III the prisons OF the north endured
Such was the conscience OF the Thar
see. such was the remark made 10 th'
writer ny southern gentleman over th'
graves OF the victims.
c,>srp,,r,o> ,<n SIZE op THE PRISON
A> we '"'>' ic'''''i NC'' "!'o''' '"' '~'o
the prison WIS coNetet Win trees Whei
us outlines were traced Ut, ana surveyed n'
the re''' engineers ''e>e ''eeS' 'I'iI'' It
lhe @ro''l,o' were ,.e" !" anu ii'''''lr' Il. =
wen ON '''e inner INC o' 'he pa''S''e. d
~ SN' "o 9'''"l',' VI '"C "''''' WV =
across '',e space Vi Tie 'e"i i'"'' "n!'|
aVer'se'i nineteen ictt IL, "l''''' anu "nl'
WIS "t''i'eo oS d iran No''e. ~ ''''i''' f..
ABOUT 'hree l'e' III lle'@n'' from ''l're'
twch'y-il'e 'ee' "l',a''' from ''e p!Ii''''e,
his line OF S'ockaae rose rom 'li'eeh
eighteen rect ABOVE 'he surface o' III
, @ro"llo' "'I''e Tue on'er ''''' oi no9S' "n''
was erected ABOUT 'lNly PAGES distant lFol
I, ''ie inner l'!e' was iof'lie' oi inc rou9
trunks OF pines. ami projected tWplNt lee