The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-11

attained with the blood OF their starving oompanons
There was but one course e ior the court to pursue
stockade, for Wirz would not permit that, and It
would have been no punishment to give them iberty
they oould not be subjected 70 the ordinary penal
ties which WIZ inflicted, because he reserved for
himseli the luxury OF using his own engines to
punkh those who rebelled against his authority
they must not be monopolized tor the protec non of
the prisoners AGAINST their members they could
mot ana Of spcb OOse agn
for this would be making mockery of the justice
which their fellows had invoked; it was therefore
aujudged that they should De hungl
"The day cane upon which those miserable men
were TO explate the crimes of which thew had been
proven guilty. Wmz had ordered a rough gallows
10 be erected within the stockade, and in the pre-
sence of all the prisoners, with the santnels plat
forms crowded by soldiers, and the adjoining Mills
lined with curious SPECTATORS eagerly watching the
scene, these four wretched, debased men were exc
cuted maintaining to the last their preference for
DEATH even such death as that, to living such
life as they had led in that prison.
"However this may be- the effect OF this summary
vlndlcation of personal rights was plainly evident
from this time forth, and greater degree Of safety
for person and property began to be felt In the
prison But nothing cou soften the hard heart OF
the jailor OF Andersonville or force him to change
his policy towards his luckless prisoners. Gaunt
famine stalked more ghastly within and around that
peni disease continued with increasing strides to
claim its Victims while the shouts and imprecatlons
OF miserable manacs harred the ears of the dscon-
solate men who pned away there and foreshado o. we'd
their own fate. 1t would be lmpossible to saw how
many were insene, or how few there were whose
nteects were not disordered by the treatment they
"Tbe recollection of the sights in that prison will
haunt the mind years after it's last post shall have
OF its humble dead The sight of one whose light of
reason las been extfngulshed is sad at any time;
but sadder far is 1t when tho mind is forced to an
eclipse through cruelty, starvation, and disease
within the limits of that twenty-seven acres of
peopled life they could be seen, with idlotc stare
and dwelling simper, wandering about or gazing
IN l1stless apathy around; now shouting an insane
defiance to some imagined foe; now stealtblly hiding
in tatered garments some welLpolished often.
yvhi
tears glided down their expressonless cheeks as
some ray from their farof home liehtened up their
darkoned minds. or weakly summoned memory
back; now trampng to and fro in gloomy haggard-
ness, while they raved with incoherent curses,tor
strong men weep. All TINS and more could be wit.
messed here day after day, until the sights almost
became familiar, and ceased TO awaken the horror
Their exhibition would otherwise suggest.
ITO this condition were the prisoners at length
reduced Starvation, nakedness, cruel treatment
had done their worst, and these we're the results
upon brave and heroc men. For they were brave
nen all and they were heroes too, who had taken
their lives IN their bands-their once young and
happy lives, BRIGHT with the dreams of anticipated
success, joyous with tender lOves-who had been
calm amidst the roar OF musketry, quiet when the
shrieks OF the wounded and dying arose around
them on the battle-feld-who had faced honorable
death with a SMILE"
The only portion of the work which we can
heartily and truly commend, is the argument of
Colonel Chapman. Able, lucid, and comprehen-
slve, it well merits the hattering comments be-
slowed on it by Judge-Advocate General Holt
and it was grave error of Mr.. Spencer to cur
tail it to make room for his moral reflections.
In TACT when you have read the entire argu.
ment of Colonel Chapman, you have read the
entire contents of the book, tor the narrative,
as given by the author, is nothing more than an
amplifcation of the legal summing up of the
Judge-Advocate. The work is neatly bound,
and is for sale by j. B. Lippincott & Co.